#IF you still believe in the monarchy that's your heir | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

natequarter · 6 months

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you wonder why the scots were so unstable, then you look at their monarchy and realise they had seven child monarchs in a row. oh your king's a twelve-year-old? that sucks. what, he's been assassinated? huh! good thing his heir-- HE'S SIX? good thing he isn't going to die a ridiculous death like getting blown up by a cannon any time soon! BUT NOT FOR LONG! what, he was actually blown up by a cannon? wow. anyway, we're leaving the throne in the capable hands of a nine-year-old. that won't go wrong! OR SO WE THOUGHT! well, at least it wasn't a cannon that took him out this time, just a little bit of rebellion and war. and we're leaving the throne in the capable hands of a competent and popular ruler.

BUT NOT FOR LONG! this idiot gets absolutely wrecked at the hands of the english. and by wrecked, i mean killed. great news for henry viii, terrible news for little one-year-old jamie (his nephew, i should point out), a.k.a. your highness, and fifth in a long line of idiots called james. (you'd think they'd learn to pick another name.) things work out eventually, right up until henry viii's lot come back onto the scene and get into a bunch of fights with the scots. unbelievably, things are about to get so much worse. in a real smart move, james dies at the grand old age of thirty. (i feel the need to point out that none of these jameses lived past the age of forty-two. and that's being generous.)

enter mary. she's catholic! she's not called james! she's the queen of scotland! and guess how old she is? six days! yes, you heard that right - six days. (and you thought six years was bad.) she's eventually whisked away to live in france and later marry the dauphin, handily solving the problem of the english trying to kidnap her and marry her off to edward vi. (she's five at this point. edward is ten. françois, the dauphin, is three. don't think too hard about any of that.)

they grow up. edward dies at fifteen. mary i, best known for her fondness for barbecues, dies five years later. françois, sensing a trend, dies two years after that at sixteen. mary returns to scotland, and all is well.

OR SO WE THOUGHT! whilst england was busy being torn apart by religious matters, scotland was busy being torn apart by religious matters. (you'll never guess what's happening in france.) mary, of course, is a devout catholic. some of the scots, who have spent twelve years without a monarch, let alone a catholic girl raised in france, are... not. rebellions! political instability! back to the status quo, basically. john knox is not happy, but when is he ever? elizabeth i kindly tries to help things by sending her bestie robert dudley (yes, that robert) to marry mary. this, unsurprisingly, does not go down well. fortunately, mary solves all these problems by creating a new one: she marries her half-cousin, henry lord darnley! yuck! i mean, yay! more rebellion (led by mary's half-brother)! henry turns on mary because he wants more power! he allies with the protestant lords, and they stab mary's private secretary to death in front of her whilst she's pregnant! the usual.

BUT NOT FOR LONG! mary and henry escape, they have a lovely little son called james (they still hadn't learn their lesson about scottish jameses), and they all live happily ever after until henry's house is blown up and he's found smothered outside in broad daylight. suspects include: everyone in scotland. but mostly lord bothwell, who proceeds to kidnap mary and marry her. now, you may struggle to believe this, but things go downhill from here. mary is eventually forced to abdicate, and flees to england. bothwell is imprisoned in denmark, and later goes insane. as for james, now the one-year-old james vi (anyone sensing a pattern here?), well, he's probably too busy learning to speak to care. because, you know, he's one. some people never learn.

from this point onwards, mary's kept under house arrest by elizabeth i. in a display of gratitude towards elizabeth, mary promptly spends the rest of her life plotting against her. or being involved in plots. in the meantime, james's regent, also called james stewart (mary's aforementioned half-brother; the name is cursed), earns the dubious honour of being the first head of government to be assassinated with a firearm. eventually, after mary, that virtuous angel, actively tries to kill elizabeth, elizabeth gets fed up and drops a sword on mary's neck. james, who last saw his mother at the age of zero years old, must have been devastated.

you all know what happened next: elizabeth died at the grand old age of sixty-nine, and james inherited the throne. thus followed decades of religious instability, parliamentary infighting, and stubborn monarchs who refused to listen to reason, which were surely new to the elizabethans. james, who was what is commonly known these days as a "hot mess" or "bisexual disaster" - don't quote me on that - was nearly blown up in a plot masterminded by a guy called tosser. sorry, i mean a tosser called guy. he also pissed everyone off by being a bit too buddy-buddy with several men, possibly lovers. (probably lovers.) that was not the end of the curse of james stewart (see: james ii of england), but it did at least put an end to mary queen of scots. oh, and england and scotland were united. that too. cue much chaos with a man you've probably heard of, named oliver cromwell... the rest is history. i mean, all of this is history, but you know what i mean.

and that's the story of why having seven child monarchs in a row is a really fucking bad idea!

#historyposting

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omgthatdress · 5 months

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Everything I know about the royals comes from Tumblr memes and one bonus episode of a totally unrelated podcast but now I'm morbidly curious, so: what's up with William? And the Middletons? Or if that's a longer story than you want to explain, do you have recommendations for where to read about this that is likely to be fairly accurate?

I don't have any facts I just have pure fucking speculation if that's okay. :)

Like I've been saying for a long-ass time the one thing I absolutely LOVED about The Crown was its portrayal of generational trauma. It very skillfully showed how being a shitty husband who cheats on his wife and treats his kids like garbage was passed down from Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark to Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh to King Charles and then to Prince William. Hell, it probably started long before that but holy shit THE CYCLE OF DYSFUNCTION AND ABUSE BE REPEATING ITSELF.

And if you really want to dig into it, well.... I think he and Harry followed a pattern that a LOT of siblings of bitter and messy divorce fall into, one kid sides with the mom, one with the dad. It's been said a LOT that Harry was Diana's favorite son, so it probably started with that. And OF COURSE William is gonna side with Charles because well... he's the heir. They have that shared trauma.

And then there's the way the whole "heir and spare" thing absolutely perverts any relationship they might have had as brothers. Charles managed to have a decent relationship with his siblings, I think, because first of all, Anne was a girl, and then Andrew and Edward were significantly younger than him and Anne, so there wasn't this unnaturally massive imbalance of power between them. One of the reasons I've come to believe the monarchy should be abolished is because of how badly it damages the structure of a family in a way that no one should have to deal with.

I think Diana might have been able to guide William into being a better person if she'd have lived, but idk. It may be wishful thinking. His relationship with her became kind of strained when he was a teenager and she was going on TV to tell the whole fucking world about her sex life. I think Diana did the right thing exposing the family like she did, but I can also understand how a 13 year old boy would be absolutely humiliated by that.

THEN there's the whole way he was a MASSIVE heartthrob as a teenager, and was intensely sexualized for it. Like it will absolutely mess with you when you have girls screaming and throwing themselves at you when you're still trying to figure your own sexuality out. It will also massively inflate your ego and convince you that the whole world loves you and there's nothing you can do wrong.

SOOOOOO

as for his relationship with Kate. She's much harder to pin down because she hasn't spent her entire fucking life in the spotlight, and the Middletons are sill granted a certain degree of privacy that the Windsors aren't. I don't think they're as absolutely fucked up as Diana's family was but I still definitely think her mom was a major driving force behind her staying with William.

I think there actually was some initial mutual attraction and that they may have even actually been in love. Buuuut then he waited ten years to propose to her, during which he cheated and they broke up and got back together. Honestly, I don't know what Kate's damage was with all of that, whether or not she was able to convince herself that William wouldn't be another shitty husband, or if she was willing to put up with his bullshit if it meant she would be queen.

Diana was more or less picked out as a bride for Charles because it was assumed that she would be a meek and beautiful wifey who never caused any problems. I mean, she was 19 and he was 32 for fuck's sake. She very much wanted to be queen. BUT what everyone wasn't counting on was that Diana would *gasp* have some serious emotional needs. She was deeply traumatized by her own parents' incredibly bitter divorce, overwhelmed and deeply lonely in her position as princess, and on top of that, suffering from bulimia and then post-natal depression. She needed love and support and Charles spent the whole marriage balls deep in Camilla.

Kate had a much more stable upbringing and had more than a few months to get to know both William and what her role as a princess would be. Ultimately, the vibe I get from her is that she's willing to be the perfect meek beautiful wifey who puts up with William's bullshit if it means she can be royal, which is exactly what Diana was supposed to be.

And I don't mean that to knock or belittle her. She's good at it. She looks incredibly happy when she's doing that. It's her career. It's an exchange I can actually really understand making, especially when your only other prospects involved working for your parents' party company.

But I could be extremely wrong about all of this Maybe she's absolutely miserable but she feels like she has no other options and worried about losing her kids and is terrified of what happened to Diana. It's hard to know, and I wish The Crown would have at least committed to *something* rather than just brushing all of this off.

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lemonhemlock · 1 month

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The truth about Alicent Hightower: why is she so disliked?

https://youtu.be/t9HjamrAMfU?si=QpoUMPQQSuTWmovz

I found this video on YouTube. I didn't watch the video, but I did read the comments, and many of them were negative toward Alicent. I want to know your thoughts on this video.

The comments are negative towards Alicent because the creator's request for engagement consisted of asking her audience to share why they disliked Alicent. Though I do feel inclined to enquire myself: why are you asking me to react to this video if you haven't even watched it?

Many of these talking points I have already addressed in my lengthy meta posts over time:

There is a conflation of Alicent from the books and Alicent from the show. Show!Alicent was not sent to comfort Jaehaerys and is more innocent and trusting that book!Alicent because she is younger.

Alicent is hated by many viewers for "seducing" Viserys. The creator says she doesn't and denies that people blame her for that, but they do. It's an easily-verified, observable reality and, thus, a strange thing to even say.

Jace/Helaena is not an advantageous marriage for the greens.

"Why was Otto spying on Rhaenyra?" It's literally his job. "He deserved to be fired". It's literally his job to be spying on everyone and report the information back to the King.

The Hightowers are faced with the fait accompli that Aegon will not be named heir. They went into the marriage fully believing that Alicent's sons would overtake Rhaenyra in the line of succession, as was the social norm.

It ultimately comes back to what I was talking about these last few days. This is the result of a conflation of several factors:

ignorance about what medieval social and economic arrangements actually were (what is feudalism? what is manorialism?);

stubbornly clinging to the notion that Westeros is an absolutist monarchy and that "the King's word is law";

downplaying the bastard issue, i.e. refusing to acknowledge how concerning the division of the marital estate was to inheritors and blaming it entirely on misogyny-fueled sex-negativism;

having no concept of what common law is or how it functions.

People can't let go of this image that Westeros is a capitalist modern state with an authoritarian leader (the King). And dragons. (It's Russia, basically. The dragons are bears).

Most of TB's discourse contains some combination of the above, which is why, honestly, at this point, if people are so invested in still talking about this, I would truly suggest a primer in medieval history, because this is getting ridiculous. These reasonings are just not rooted in a tangible basis of reality and trying to engage with them is like fighting windmills.

In the same vein, I wish people would stop bringing up the point of Alicent misunderstanding that Viserys changed his mind on his death bed. I get it, you think it's a dumb argument, but, lo' and behold, it's actually lifted straight from real history and, to the shock of thousands of Twitter users, it worked. What now? Stephen of Blois truly is crying in the afterlife because you think this little trick of his lacks realism. 🤦‍♀️

#they don't understand how much modern institutions shape their daily lives #institutions which are totally absent from westeros #it doesn't even have a parliament #'pass a law' pfffff #anti rhaenyra targaryen #anti team black #alicent hightower #there is also the refusal to accept that rhaenyra has any power over her own situation #and that she also could have made better choices both for herself and for the realm #'what was rhaenyra to do?' renounce being heir! or be smarter about it!#girl pick a struggle fr #ask #anon #also. like. you have to laugh at OP's characterization of rhaenyra being groomed by daemon during their night out in town #& then coercing criston into sex #as 'her living her best life'

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batfamscreaming · 1 year

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Listen. We direly must uncouple Hyrule from the fantasy of medieval Europe. If Hylia's power and the power of sages are believed to be passed down by bloodlines, that means the Hylian Royal family has a vested interest in controlling the bloodline, but also in keeping it healthy. Do you know about Royal European bloodlines? Yeah you can trace them back 1000 years, but everyone has hemophilia.

Controlling the bloodline means hapsburg style not marrying any other royal families because then that royal family has a legal stake in your land. Hyrule royal family has magical powers? Everybody wants to marry into that. Everyone wants a piece of magic power.

So you marry people who are already invested in Hyrule, which someone is saying "nobility who own the various lands in hyrule", but even if you keep a pretty close eye on shit and arrange marriages as far apart as possible, after a few generations, people are gonna start running out of gene pool space. The Hapsburgs lasted 500-700 years before the Spanish ones were literally were unable to conceive anymore and the other Hapsburgs finally married out.

We have to keep this up not just for 10k years, but indefinitely. So that's not going to work.

I'm not saying that the hyrulian royal family didn't marry nobles at all, but I am saying that it is super fucking common for them to marry like. Just a dude.

Maybe other kingdoms surrounding Hyrule are trying to make political marriages, but hyrulian princesses are basically forbidden from marrying foreign princes, and instead are encouraged to chat up the local blacksmith for example, or perhaps the nice young lad at the market selling flowers. The servant with the nice smile.

Does this lead to a big power imbalance? Yes. But it also has a weird fun side effect that a lot of prince and princess consorts know how common Hylians live and can provide input in ruling. It means the hyrulian people feel a little closer to the monarchy and may be more inclined to trust them, not just because of religious reasons but because they can see people like themselves in the royal family here and there.

Obviously if a royal starts courting someone way below them in social standing it's not easy, there's a lot that goes into literacy and schooling all of a sudden, and political training and manners, and then after starting all that good luck if they fucking break up. But it does make a very very strange, relaxed royal family for a very very strange kingdom fraught with blessings.

It also means that the bloodline has spread.

There's the line to the throne, of course, but most of the time if there are multiple heirs some of them simply never are used. They also cant marry out of the kingdom of course, to maintain control of the bloodline, but if the queen can marry a commoner, well... surely so can her sibling. And those children are even less likely to be used for the throne than their royal parent. I suppose this could make up a lot of nobility, but not all of it.

A lot of semi-royals end up bringing a dowry to commoner families and spreading that money in the community they settle down in. Their kids marry locals and so on and so forth until there's any number of people who have a connection to the royal line without even really knowing about it. After all, most regular folk aren't deeply involved in genealogy. Four generations back is plenty. And it's not like spares and their kids settle down all the time, it's just one or two a generation and the kids from others become not much bigger a deal than fun gossip.

Because no one is thinking about it, it seems strange and miraculous sometimes, how the kingdom of Hyrule remains prosperous and wealthy with a royal family that are strange and unformal but mostly hale, as if their blood is magical.

And yet, people are still surprised when it seems like their heroes come from nothing.

As if the whole kingdom shares a blessing.

#i dont like the bloodline thing but i just thinj if you use it you should use it RIGHT #legend of zelda #loz #beatext #worldbuilding #we can build a fire

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jeanbie · 1 year

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WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU #5 ★ masterlist.

pairing: levi x reader

genre: royal guard au | warnings: mature language, fantasy worlds, violence, blood, character death, battle violence, decapitation, game of thrones inspired violence | wc: 3.4k

note: one of my fave works ever :')

⏤ Imagine the way they say I love you. Imagine the words shouted at top volume, in the middle of an argument, never meant to come out that way.

Growing up, Levi had rarely thought of anybody other than himself. He was selfish, arrogant, cold and standoffish to his friends and family, brooding in his chambers and isolated from children his age. And so, really, he can’t complain about the fact that his father got fed up by his antics and sent him to a facility outside of his village, grooming boys into men, men into Gods who would later serve Lords and Ladies. Levi had never expected to go up in the world, but he did; quite possibly, Levi had the biggest task on hand after his graduation- like every great Kingdom, there was a monarchy. And, as it so happened, their princess was in need of a protector.

He’d been doing that since he was nineteen, standing like a shadow behind the young princess and watching without judgement as she cried, as she obeyed, as she writhed under the stares of suitors and yells from the monarchy behind closed doors. Levi was still selfish, despising the King and Queen and at the same time, needing every moment of his life to be by your side, making sure nobody hurt you or even thought of touching you. Princess Y/N, the only daughter and heir to this Kingdom; his Princess and his life, who he’d do anything for.

Should the city fall, Levi had a conditioned procedure and a network of exits to take, including a well-known passage out of the city towards the Sacred Temple of the Anders, where he had trained meticulously for eight years of his life. Naturally, Levi had never felt the need to practise this with you- this Kingdom was safe and secure, and would never fall under siege.

Of course, now, he curses himself; outside the window, Levi can see turrets of thick grey smoke rising to the sky and glimpses of flames inside shop windows, the screams of the people- by extension, his people- as they fled on foot, on horse, on all fours, escaping the flames and the gunshots and the arrows that were being shot from trees and dugouts, men on horseback.

“Your Grace, it is of paramount importance that we leave right this instant.”

Behind him, Levi can hear the grand maester shouting at you from the door to your keep, his chains clinking nervously as a thud sends bricks from a nearby avenue crashing through the castle walls. He gasps with horror and has the nerve to grab at your arm, as Levi sees when he turns around. Before he can intervene, you yank yourself out of his grasp with a scowl.

“I will leave when I please, and I will leave when Levi says so. If you have anything against my judgement, I would enjoy hearing it at a trial for your head. Now, if you don’t mind,” you huff, finally looking at Levi and as you turn, your expression falls.

There’s no word from the King or Queen, or any other royal council member for that matter. As the world comes crumbling down, there’s only you and him, and the withering old maester who eventually loses nerve, treasonously scoffing in your direction before finally fleeing down the swirling staircase towards, presumably, the next best exit.

Levi follows his body as he leaves before looking back at you, feeling his heart wrench at your fallen expression, eyes filling with tears and skin glassy. He takes several steps forward, because Levi is the only person authorised to be within inches of you without asking beforehand, and takes your forearms in his hands gently.

“Princess, I believe it is time to go,” he says.

“My parents- the King, the Queen-”

“Should have already left, your Grace,” Levi finishes. Your bottom lip quivers with the threat of a cry, and Levi without thinking cups your face with his hands, his thumb smoothing a fallen tear away. “It’s okay. I’ve got you and I’m not going to let a single thing happen to you, okay?”

You nod around a sniffle, gently stepping away and placing your crown down onto the bed, on a pillow where you hope it will remain. If not, somebody else can wear it with pleasure; if there’s a chance your family are alive, they might even look for you once this is all over. Otherwise…

You look back at Levi, whilst he’s busy taking another glance out of the window as if analysing the outside damage. Levi was undeniably one of the strongest, bravest and most selfless people you thought you had ever met. He put you before anything, even if it meant danger for himself, and absolutely anybody in the world would be lucky to have him in their service. While he stares away, you catch your breath and slip your hand into his, wanting the safety of his touch, his presence, to physically feel him there with you.

When your hand slots into his, Levi snaps his head away from the damage and stares at them, intertwined. He sniffs and inhales the smell of dust and brings your hand to his mouth, kissing your knuckles and finally looking at you with a scared, yet composed breath of air: “Okay. Stay as close to me as you can, okay?”

“Yes,” you reply quietly, immediately doing as he says and gluing yourself to his body. He welcomes it, embracing it, as he hurriedly begins a descent down the staircase and onwards with his pre-planned escape route.

It’s simple, and easy to navigate, made up of stairways and corridors that only he knows about, lefts and rights down walkways that hadn’t been dusted in years. With every grumble of damage above your head, you whimper, following Levi further down the castle before finally reaching the dungeon doors. It could be easy for Levi, if he were the type, to kill you in here, or hand you over to the invaders as a welcome present, but he doesn’t; he pushes the door open and pulls you inside, setting off towards the back entrance that just occurs to you is open and untouched, revealing out towards the back of the castle near the creek, and the open passage you both used on evenings to explore the city and the fields, catch frogs in the spring in the pools, watch fireflies and lanterns on summer evenings.

Levi has you halfway down the corridor when suddenly he pushes you into an alcove, the sound of spraying bullets echoing in the corridor. A torn cry of horror leaves your throat as Levi pushes his weight onto you and against the wall in a crouch. A series of voices in a foreign dialect laugh from further by the exit, footsteps slowly moving forward. They think they’ve got a hit.

“Are you hit? Are you hurt?” Levi asks hurriedly, his hands searching for injuries he won’t forgive himself for.

“No, no. Are you?” you reply and he shakes his head quickly, sighing with premature relief. “Levi-”

“I am going to go out there and I’m going to clear the way for us,” he explains, and the plan sounds diabolical and you shake your head as he speaks, “and when I say so, you will run down that corridor and outside. If I’m not behind you, then you must go without me. Go as far as you can, past the forest like we used to, towards the windmill and the lonely tree.”

“Levi-”

“There will be someone there for you,” Levi continues breathlessly, “and they will take you someplace safe, okay? Promise me, please. Promise me you will do as I say.”

You gape at him as he tries to hand you something in his fist. “What? No, absolutely not, I will not leave you behind! Who do you think I am?”

“You are the Princess and your safety is my number one concern.”

“Yes, I am the Princess, and I command you to stay by my side,” you stress indignantly. “I am not leaving here without you.”

Levi’s face darkens with frustration, the item in his hand now forced into yours. You realise that it is a necklace- his necklace, with his family ring attached like a pendant, the chain slightly dirty and skinny. As tears pool in your eyes, you glare at him.

“Don’t be so stupid,” Levi snaps. “Don’t you dare put my life before yours.”

“But you can put mine before yours?”

“That is my job!” Levi replies. The footsteps are approaching closer, hurried and searching. “Just do as I say!”

“No, I can’t-I can’t leave you, Levi.”

“You hold no obligation to save my life,” Levi points out. “So, why?”

“Because,” you cry out. “Because I love you, Levi! That’s why!”

The words come out without you wanting them to, and you can’t undo it; Levi hears it over the crashes of explosions above you and he’s rendered speechless, his eyes looking at every feature of your face with an unreadable expression. He looks pained, heartbroken, his head tilting up with a forced, “fuck,” and he blinks rapidly, to stop his eyes from filling up.

“Why,” he says quietly, looking back at you; his eyebrows are pinched, his face in agony, “why now? Why would you say that now?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know if I’ll get to say it again,” you admit, and after you say them, Levi looks like he’s actually about to cry when he pulls your face towards his, capturing your lips in a firm and deep kiss. It’s short, because it has to be, and he holds your face for a little longer before sighing shakily and pulling away. “Levi- please-”

“I’ll be right back,” he promises, nodding as he speaks. He reaches for his sword- he knows how to use it around the hunting rifles, because they’re slow to reload, and heavy, and he’s not. “You know what to do. Okay? Hm? Yeah, okay?”

You force yourself to nod: “Okay.”

Levi doesn’t want to leave, but he knows that above anything else he wants in the world, he wants you to be able to live, and rest at the end of the day. Granting himself another few seconds to look at you and memorise your face, he smiles around his pain and turns into the hallway. Immediately as he steps out, hellfire; you clench your eyes closed and cover your ears with your hands, struggling to breathe around heavy sobs. From your mouth leaves frantic cries to God, asking him that if he’s there and if he loves you, will he save the one you need to keep living?

A few moments pass, and as you bury your head between your knees, a cold hand on your head makes you shoot up with alarm. Spotting Levi’s face in the blur of your tears makes you cry more, not at first recognising the wound in his leg, the blood pouring down his skin and his trousers torn around the knees. Levi says something- you can see his lips moving but nothing is coming out; he forces you up off the floor and holds you close to him as he limps back out into the corridor. As he hurries you down, you trip over the extended hands of bodies Levi has slain, their faces forever remembered as the ones who tried to take him away from you.

The sunshine of the creek is what you can see, and it occurs to you that Levi has smuggled you out. As expected, by the apple tree by the fountain is the white horse Levi raised from a foal, his mane matted and slightly bloody. He whinnies as Levi clambers forward, and before he raises himself up onto his back, he helps you up, a hand on your legs as he lifts you with a quiet grunt. He doesn’t have much time- the sound of battle cries back towards the castle indicates that more rebels have seen the slaughter, and they know you’ve escaped.

Levi untangles his horse’s reins from the tree branch and heaves himself up; you're sitting in his lap, essentially, unsafely with your body facing his and legs swung around his waist. He does this for his own selfish needs to keep you safe, his arms around you to cage you in so you don’t fall. Wasting no time, Levi rattles the reigns and the horse gallops towards the entry.

For a few minutes, he thinks he’s safe.

Your head is on his shoulder, your ragged gasps of air in his ear and blowing on his neck. Levi just wants to cry- he wants to cry so badly and loudly, and lift you up in his arms and tell you that he loves you and that he’d do anything for you. Those three words are on his tongue ready to be spilled when the crack of a whip sends a shudder down his spine. Over his shoulder, you squeak with fear as a herd of rebels emerges from down the street, blobs that slowly gain shape as they hurry towards you with haste.

The scenery is a green and brown blur, the smoke from your kingdom clustering in the sky and filling the air with a choking and overwhelming smell of ash and fire. That same fire catches to the trees, flames spreading like water spilling and the wildlife protected by your family name scurry away to safety, deer on the road next to you, a squirrel catching a ride on the back of a wild wolf that pays no mind to Levi and his horse. It’s a game of life or death.

Further down the narrow path, Levi sees them; he sees the group of Anders boys standing around the lonely tree on top of the passing hill, where the end of the kingdom stands. He can make out three, on horseback and he doesn’t let himself get too excited- instead he sends his horse rushing towards them. Behind the three, there was more, he could see heads bobbing like fishing boats as the horse settled on the grass. Anders could help them- Anders could get rid of the rebels behind you.

Around his waist, Levi feels you shuffle, your hands creeping up his back between his shoulder blades as you sit back to look at his face. He trusts his horse and looks at you with faith.

“We’re almost there,” he promises, his eyes looking deep into yours as they flicker to the rebels and back to them: “Don’t look at them, baby, look at me, okay? Look at me, Y/N.”

You do, focusing in on his gaze.

“I love you so much,” Levi says, his composure slipping. “I love you.”

“I know,” you reply softly. His horse gallops faster, nearing the hill. The grass is right ahead, “I know. I love you too-”

A horrified scream leaves Levi’s throat as the rebels send out their arrows; one flies through the back leg of his horse and the other shoots straight through your skull, a circle of red around the middle of your eyes as the arrow hits your brain and kills you instantly. As his horse falls, so do you; everything goes tumbling to the twigs and gravel in a matter of seconds and Levi cannot breathe.

Anders move from the hill downwards but he’s not even looking. Levi feels his whole body shaking and his heart hammering in his chest, bile in his throat; your head is split open with crimson, the blood shining in the sun and Levi cries out loud, shouting to the skies as he frantically holds your head with his hands, feeling his body go rigid with tremors as he inhales the smell of your skull, his hands covered with it. This was his fault- he had told you not to look; if you’d have looked, you could have seen them raising their arrows, he could have taken cover - he could have saved you.

Levi is not the only person paralysed; the shooter freezes on his horse. He wasn’t supposed to hit you. He was aiming for Levi, but his horse had jolted and he let go too soon; without you, there was no chance the other kingdoms would accept their King on the throne. He pulls his horse back, trying to flee, but Mike from Anders slices the leg of his horse off, watching the stallion move to the floor with pain and Mike ends its suffering before it can truly suffer, thrusting his sword into the chest of the shooter without a word.

Levi sits.

Even when Erwin, another man from Anders, comes up behind him with his hands on his shoulders, trying to force him back, he doesn’t budge. He can barely hear Erwin screaming at him to move, everything feels like he’s underwater. When Erwin removes his hand quickly and Levi feels the floor vibrating beneath his knees, Levi looks up. Anders have tucked their tails and left, Mike now on his horse and retreating back to the tree. The rebels can’t touch them there- they’re on sacred ground.

In his head, flashing images of your smile replay, the static in his ears. This was his fault. This was all his fault.

Quietly, Levi whispers I’m sorry, his lips on your hands as he gently sets you down on the floor. Mike rides up to him, stopping for one moment and looking at him silently. Nothing is said but he knows what to do, he knows what Levi wants.

In less than three seconds, Mike jumps off his horse and gathers you in his arms, mounting the horse once more and riding towards the plains. If Levi’s lucky, they might get his body too.

Rising to his feet, Levi feels a wave of anger washing over him; his body vibrates with hostility and his face is darkened with pain and sorrow and guilt. As the rebels surge towards him, singing battle cries, Levi unsheathes his sword and stands his ground, feeling the energy from the earth ride through his body. All he can think about is you- his Y/N, his Princess, his meaning and will to live.

And they’ve taken that away from him.

Levi fights for your honour until he feels the clean blade of a sword on his neck. When the blade cuts and slices Levi’s head off his neck and shoulders, Mike’s horse bristles and he turns away unexpectedly, bringing you closer to his chest and retreating down the plain and back towards the Temple of Anders.

If Erwin wanted, he and his men could shoot those rebels, who laugh and cheer tauntingly as they drag Levi’s body up and pull it towards one of their horses. On the side, in a sack on one of the stallions, Erwin spots the tufts of fur from a wolf from the sacred forests, blood dripping from the sawn-off head like a tap. The foreign rebels are famous for what they’ll do next, and what they’ll show to celebrate the death of the monarchy- the irony of a sacred creature sewn onto a sacred guard to the sacred monarchy.

Erwin turns away. What’s done is done, and the only thing he can do now, is save himself.

#levi ackerman #levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi imagine #levi scenario #levi angst #captain levi #levi ackerman imagine #attack on titan #aot #aot angst #royal guard levi #game of thrones x aot #game of thrones au #dark angst #mine #ittojean #magunes #jeanbie

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princessbellecerise · 9 months

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are you aware that by lying about the bastard status of her children Rhaenyra committed treason? You know what the punishment for treason is yes? Aegon is the heir wheither you want it or not. If Rhaenyra had legitimized her children we wouldn't have this problem. She was being stupid.

Are you aware that both the King, Corlys and Laenor recognized these boys as legitimate and treated them as such? Are you aware that they KNEW, DIDN'T CARE, and STILL named them as heirs?

Any bastard recognized by the King or the Lord they are inheriting from as legitimate are thereby treated as such. But let's not even get into that, and get into the fact that despite it being obvious in the show, in the book Jace, Luke and Joffery are NEVER proved to illegimate as no one knows what Laenor or Harwin looks like. These are simply just misogynistic rumors spread by, yes, you guessed it, the Greens as just another excuse to justify usurping Rhaenyra.

Truth be told they have no proof and they don't actually care. They only say this weaken her claim.

But no matter which way you spin it, Aegon is not and never will be the rightful heir. First of all, there is no such thing as a 'rightful heir.' You do not earn that status by simply being born as the first male as there is no set law in Westros that establishes this. The next ruler is chosen by the current King on a case by case situation and Viserys named RHENYRA was heir, not Aegon. If you want proof, check out this 1999 article where GRRM himself says himself that there are not succession laws in Westros:

Here is the snipit: "There are no clear cut answers, either in Westeros or in real medieval history. Things were often decided on a case by case basis. A case might set a precedent for later cases... but as often as not, the precedents conflicted as much as the claims."

Second of all, Aegon is a rapist. Rape believe it or not is ILLEGAL in Westros. Men who were rapers got sent to the wall or castrated or executed, as seen when Daemon literally cuts someone's dick off during his rampage. Any crime committed is crime against the King, which is treason. Therefor your logic is invalid because technically, your boy committed treason as well. Multiple times.

Third of all, you cannot call Rhaenyra stupid for making a choice to save her life and her claim.

Having bastard children is not illegal or treason but trying to put them on the throne IS. If Rhaenyra had announced that her children were bastards then she would be put to death along with Jace, Luke, And Joffery (who, mind you, is an innocent little kid). Viserys would probably have no choice but to execute Daemon as well seeing as he probably knew, and anyone else like Harwin, Lord Lynol (his hand at one point), Rhaena, Baela, Laenor if he was still alive (which would greatly weaken the crown because there is no World in which Corlys would support him after that).

You really expect this woman to put herself, her entire family and others in danger for what - rumors started by Alicent? Because once again I reiterate - just because the show makes it oblivious, does not mean it was ever actually proven.

Rhaenyra giving into those stupid rumors would cost not only her, but the realm so much. And I find it funny how you are so eager to put her children in danger when you probably think Blood and Cheese is wrong.

Well, news flash, advocating for Rhaenyra to admit to treason would mean little kids die anyways. Luke, Rhaena, Baela, and Joffery who is around the same age as Heleana's children would be put to the death but I find it funny how you have no sympathy for them.

But back to the point - Westros is an absolute monarchy. The King's word is law and there are no if, ands, or buts. What Viserys says, goes, and even if you threw everything I just said out of the window, THE KING, and I repeat, THE KING OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS NAMED HER AS HEIR. HIS WORD IS LAW. THERE IS NO ARGIUNG WITH THAT.

If you think Rhaenya is still not the rightful heir even after the King has said she was and never relented to his death, then it is because you have a problem with a woman on the throne. It was always supposed to be her and not Aegon, and the Greens usurped her not because Aegon was the rightful heir, but because they hated the idea of a woman on the throne.

I leave you with all this and if you disagree that's your problem. But remember, even Aegon himself once said:

"What kind of a brother steals his own sister's birthright?"

#house of the dragon #hotd #team black #rhaenyra targaryen #aegon ii targaryen #hotd discussion #didnt even get to mention that aegon also has bastards that he watches fight to death but of course team green doesnt #care because they are misogynists and it only bothers them with a woman does it

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feministsforkatemiddleton · 2 months

Text

more sussex pr b.s.

Via Michelle Ruiz at Vogue.

As royal gossip swirls and Kate-related conspiracy theories bubble to fever pitch, as an inept Palace comms team scrambles to explain away a Photoshop fail and my text chains spiral into concerned chaos over Kate’s health and that of her marriage, a thought is crystallizing amid the noise: they should have never let Harry and Meghan go.

Harry and Meghan were never "let go." They choose to leave, because they didn't get their way of being "half in/out"--which you fundamentally cannot do as a taxpayer funder royal. You cannot take taxpayer money (and perks that come with it, like security) and use your royal status to also gain lucrative commercial deals. It's political corruption.

And referring to the Waleses' marriage is nasty gossip. I bet Michelle doesn't do that to the Sussexes.

The current imbroglio is exposing that the royal family isn’t half as savvy or strategic as people are led to believe, nor as singularly focused on preserving the Crown. If they were, they would have tried to keep Prince Harry and Meghan within the Firm at all costs—not only because they were stars, and she, in particular, could appeal to Commonwealth countries in a way the rest of the family never will—but also because the Firm has left itself weak and short-staffed.

"at all costs"?? You mean to let the Sussex continue to violate their personal boundaries and abuse them. For the rest of the family to laydown and take it...because?? Meghan press abuse was bad, so she can take it out on others? That's abuse. And they were never the stars or had the appeal supporters try to claim they were. And no, Meghan, as an American, doesn't really have any appeal to commonwealth countries. STOP TRYING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

King Charles has long advocated for a “slimmed-down” monarchy, according to reports. For the first time, I’m struck by the absurdity of this proposal: to push for the elevation of an even more elite cluster within arguably the most elite group of WASPs alive! Pretty savage, too: In the King’s case, it ostensibly meant symbolically demoting his own son, Prince Harry, to the back corner of the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Firm’s annual Trooping the Colour moment, as Prince William’s children moved him even further down the line of succession.

Oh no, poor Harry, his brother had kids, the horror!

During rosier times, though, the King’s vision was one of efficiency, an effort to scale back the number of distant relatives living for life in taxpayer-funded “apartments.” Image-wise, a streamlined monarchy also trains subjects’ focus on King Charles, and his direct heir Prince William, and his next-in-line George—a reminder, however unsubtle, that these people don’t intend to go anywhere, no matter how anachronistic they’re starting to feel in modern society.

This should still be the plan bc it is efficient and money-saving. And if Meghan and Harry had held their horses for a few years, then they would be a part of it--as was Charles's plans. It was supposed to be him and his sons and their wives over his three siblings and cousins. But...the Sussexes did not have any foresight, so here we are.

Be careful what you wish for: in light of recent events, the King’s slimmed-down monarchy is wasting away to nothing. If the royals are silent film stars, as British playwright Bonnie Greer once noted, their cast has been dramatically diminished after the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the defection of Prince Harry and Meghan to Montecito, plus the disgracing of Prince Andrew. With King Charles battling an unnamed cancer, Queen Camilla taking a break after holding it down in her husband’s stead, and Princess Kate (at least officially) recovering from unnamed abdominal surgery, only Prince William is wading back to work after an initial hiatus around Kate’s operation. The monarchy is so slender, it’s two illnesses away from being a one-man show.

KATE IS RECOVERING FROM SURGERY. This is a fact. Stop nastily insinuating otherwise; your misogyny is showing.

Oh, and if you actually want to get you facts straight and call out something that is actually not good optics: Camilla was on a beach vacation, not with Charles. That's not a great look.

Whoever might have been helpful in this situation? Which two people—and their two cute children—could be shearing sheep and christening ships as we speak, providing a picturesque, PDA-filled distraction from the disaster-upon-disaster spilling forth from the Palace? The void left by Prince Harry and Meghan has never been more glaring. Neither has the Firm’s lack of foresight. Standing up for Meghan against a torrent of racist and sexist abuse—making it tenable for the Sussexes to stay part of this operation—was not only the decent thing to do, but the most prudent for the monarchy. Even if they didn’t care for Meghan (or Prince Harry), they should have been strategic enough to recognize that the Sussexes were an overall positive and diversifying force for the institution. They should have known that they couldn’t afford to lose two of their youngest, supplest stars, a couple with a global fanbase and tons of runway for the future.

The Sussexes didn't want to do bread-and-butter engagements like Anne and the Edinburghs. They wanted celebrity, and they brought the disaster. That's why we're here now. The Sussexes did not have the foresight, again--not the firm. And much of Meghan's "abuse" was fair criticism based on her actions and choices of abusing her position and power and not taking responsibility for it. And after this week, sorry--I never want to hear she had it "worse" again.

And the Sussexes are negative whiners; Harry's a prick and Meghan is an utter brat. Not dynamic. And Meghan is the older of the former , short-lived "fab four." Their ratings are in the trash too, so no, they hardly have a global fanbase.

-------

So sick of people like Michelle Ruiz--who otherwise had a solid career with good work--doing shit like this under the premise of good faith. It's not. This is mostly unfactual editorializing, with a good drop of misogyny thrown in.

Do better.

#princess catherine #british royal family #princess of wales #team wales #prince william #brf #sexism

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clari-writes · 1 year

Text

The Prince

[ A Cinderella Retelling | Wordcount: 4006 Words | Estimated Reading Time: 20 minutes ]

A sovereign ruler must be, above all, a man of duty and reason. Prince Dominic knows this, and lives heart and soul by the edict. Grasps full well the consequences of what could happen if he didn’t.

So why is it that when he asks the Captain of the Guard if they found her, his voice catches with hope?

“No, Your Majesty,” Captain Bernard says. “We managed to track her as far as the Bridge of the Diwata, but after that, it was as if her carriage turned into thin air. We can only suspect it was magic.”

There is a warning laced into the word magic, both in the captain’s tone and Dominic’s own instinctive understanding. The fae folk were unruly; unpredictable; dangerous. While they had marked themselves as enemies only to nation’s former colonizers, the Spanish, Dominic knew better, as the heir to the Islands’ third-generation monarchy, to count on them as friends. He should feel relieved that the lady cloaked in their torrid enchantments vanished without a trace.

Better, he tells himself and his sinking heart, in the long run.

He clears his throat. “Thank you, Captain. Is that all?”

“Well,” Captain Bernard says, and then hesitates.

Prince Dominic barely restrains himself from pouncing on the man. “What is it?” he asks with deep patience.

“We found what we believe is something of hers, Your Majesty. A slipper.”

“A slipper?”

“Made of glass.” The captain nods at one of his men, and a guard liveried in green and gold moves forward to place a glimmering object in front of the prince. “It was at the base of the bridge. We cannot know for sure it was hers, but-“

“It’s hers,” says Prince Dominic hollowly. He remembers now, in one of the more lively dances of the ball, when the lady kicked her feet in the air he’d noticed in an instant how they sparkled.

Do you have jewels encrusted on your toes? he’d teased.

She’d replied with a dazzling smile. Something like that.

“If you forgive me, Your Majesty,” Captain Bernard says. “May I inquire as to the urgency of finding this girl?”

“Pardon?”

“If she’d stolen something significant, perhaps, during the hours you were alone,” the captain prompts. Dominic flushes, even though there is no rebuke in the captain’s words. “If so, I’ll organize a search party straight away.”

Do it, Dominic’s heart sings. The prince bites his tongue. Takes another deep breath.

“That won’t be necessary,” he says. “She isn’t important.”

_ _ _

So why is he paying a visit to the royal glassmaker, shoe in hand?

“No doubt about it, Your Majesty,” Doña Rosaline says, after taking a close look at the slipper through her famed magnificent magnifying glass. She places the pristine object in front of him with a mixture of awe and fear. “That’s the fae’s work. No human hands could have produced something as fine as this.”

“Is it cursed?” he asks. He’s half convinced himself it’s so.

“Gifted, more like,” she replies, stopping his errant wonderings in their tracks.

“What do you mean?”

“Your lady seems to have won the favor of a fairy,” the artisan replies.

“I’ve never heard of-“

“Neither have I, Your Grace, but the proof is right here in front of us.” She gestures to the slipper. “You cannot force the fae to create. You have heard of the case of Count Floribel-“

“I have,” Dominic says with the wince. It was years ago, back when the Islands’ revolution still consisted of whispers in the dark. Count Floribel, their appointed ruler, had actually managed to capture a fairy – rumor has it, with a desperate native’s help, after the noble promised to curb his family’s debt – and he had demanded of the creature to provide the secrets of the yet-unconquered mountainfolk’s intricately woven designs.

In response, the fairy blew themself up. There is still a crater where the count’s mansion had been.

“Well, there you go. We’d have to rule that out. The other option, then, is to strike a deal with the fae, and of course there are records of that, such as the royal crown. But, Your Majesty,” Doña Rosaline says with the shake of her head, “I cannot imagine what your lady could have traded for a fairy to craft something so unique, it would only find its fit and perfection in her wearing it.”

“How could that be so?”

“The glass,” Doña Rosaline says, “Is not still. Not when you look at it closely enough. It ripples and bends at one’s touch—it is truly quite remarkable. I can only imagine what it would look like on the feet of the one it was meant for. And if rumors are to believed,” she continues, “the shoes’ beauty weren’t even the most marvelous aspect of the lady herself.”

Dominic can’t help himself. He smiles. “I can confirm that.”

“Oh?” Doña Rosaline voice takes on a teasing lilt. “And how would you describe the young lady, dear prince?”

“She was kind,” he says, almost unthinkingly. There are many things he could have said of her, but her kindness is what lingers in his mind the most, is what made her beauty more revelation than ornamentation. His first breathtaking sight of the lady was her descent down the staircase in all her gorgeous glory. His second was her approaching him with a platter of food and not a whit of guile in her eyes, saying shyly that he looked like he was hungry. She’d been right; he hadn’t had a bite to eat all day out of nervousness.

“Will you look for her?”

“What?” he says, snapping out of his reverie.

“I assumed that was why you were asking,” Doña Rosaline says. She is grinning. “I wasn’t at the ball myself, Your Grace, but I’ve heard what others are saying of you, and I’m glad, if you forgive the presumption. After everything that happened with your sister, I am truly happy that you’ve found-“

“I think you misunderstand, Doña,” he says, holding up his hand. “I was concerned about her, is all.”

“Concerned?”

“When it occurred to me that the fae might have had her in their thrall,” he says.

There were other things, as well. Little things, like how she flinched at the chamberlain’s loud voice, how she startled when he first raised his hand to lead her through a dance, as if she expected to be struck instead. Like how she recognized his hunger because she was clearly starving just the same.

“But that’s no matter,” he says. “The lady must be fine, if she has a fairy looking after her.” That ought to quell his persistent little anxieties over whether she is eating enough.

“Perhaps,” Doña Rosaline says, but she looks doubtful.

“You disagree?”

“If the fairy isn’t tricking her,” Doña Rosaline says, “then they are gifting her something that she needs.”

“She needs little, then, if all that they gave her was access to a party all noble families are invited to,” he points out.

“Perhaps,” she says again.

“She did not ask for help,” Prince Dominic says.

“Did you offer?” she asks pointedly.

“Of course.”

The old artisan raises her eyebrows. “And she refused?”

“In a manner of speaking,” he says. He is fairly certain that running away counted as refusal. “Aside from that, she had every opportunity to ask for assistance and she did not. Coupled with what you’ve told me, I can only conclude that there is no imminent threat that looms over her.”

“Danger can take many forms, Your Grace.”

“I know.” Oh, how he knew. He can feel the judging eyes of the Spanish from beyond the seas, staring greedily at him and his kingdom. “Yet I cannot drop everything to save one damsel, Doña. Not if she didn’t ask for it.”

“True enough, young prince,” Doña Rosaline allows. “But aren’t there other reasons why you would wish to look for her?”

The way she made him laugh uproariously, while remaining utterly unmoved by his puns. The warmth her presence and conversation brought him. The hours they spent, the first time he could remember he felt truly carefree since his parents died and his relationship with his sister turned sour.

“None that matter, Doña,” he says finally.

_ _ _

So why is it that, three weeks after the ball, she is all that he can think about?

He refused to let it show, of course. He had councils to attend—ambassadors to welcome—marriage contracts to assess. He needed an alliance with a country large enough to keep Spain at bay – a grand task, considering the few countries who were willing to even recognize the Islands as a nation, rather than a land full of savagery and witchcraft – and his hand in marriage is the simplest way to ensure the fidelity of that alliance without putting his kingdom in danger of another invasion.

Though who is he fooling—they are always in danger of another invasion. Which is why you must redouble your efforts in finding allies, he tells himself.

Which is why he cannot shirk his responsibilities, cannot lose one of the most precious cards he has to play in the game of politics, even for the beautiful, kind, fae-favored girl.

He is trapped.

“Brother?”

He starts, sending the papers he’d been staring at scattering across the floor. If he was not Crown Prince, he thinks he would have liked to swear like a sailor.

Instead, he inhales deep through his nose and stands up, all decorum. “Sister Regine,” he says. He makes sure his tone is firmly under control. “Why were you not announced by my chamberlain?”

“I was. You were the one still gaping at your papers like an idiot,” she replies bluntly.

Not for the first time, Prince Dominic wonders how the sisters of Saint Sofia – an order that was known to prioritize gentleness, peace, and humility – deal with his sharp-tongued older sibling. He supposes there are a lot of prayers for patience involved. He sighs, rifling a hand through his long hair. “The papers…”

“I’ll help you organize them,” she says, already stooping to the ground.

“You’re not supposed to be able to read them anymore,” he says tiredly.

“Or what? You’ll clap me in a tower again?” She smirks. “I guarantee that would be more comfortable than my room at the priory.”

“Only because you could convince Captain Bernard to bring you anything you wanted.”

“He always had a sweet spot for me,” she preens.

It is more than that, both of them knew. There is no etiquette in how to deal with a queen turned prisoner turned novitiate, especially since she is still technically the queen until she takes her final vows.

But they do not talk about that.

Her long habit makes a pool of coarse blue cloth around her as she bundles papers into her arms. “Anyway, Your Majesty,” she says, all razor-sharp exaggeration at the honorific, “That is not why I am here.”

“You didn’t just want to see me?” His hurt is not entirely feigned. He grabs a receipt that has somehow lodged itself between Pinuno: From Datu to Constitutional Monarchy and 1670: La Revolución de Las Islas.

“Heavens, no. Do you understand how hard it is to get here?”

“I had taken pains to ensure you always have access to me,” he says. Despite everything.

She shoots him a look. “You are not the problem, brother. The prioress loathes having me leave the grounds—for good reason, I suppose. No matter.”

“Yes, matter,” he says. He is fighting to keep his breath even. “You’re supposed to be able to-“

“Not the reason I’m here,” she sings.

“Fine,” he says. “Fine. Why are you here, Regine?”

“Haven’t you heard, dear brother?” she asks. “My sisters are a-buzz with the rumors, and you must know how difficult it is to get them to gossip—which means the entire kingdom must be talking it. Apparently, our very own honorable, practical, darling Prince Dominic is in-“

“I am not in love!” he snaps.

Regine pauses, her jaw slackening. Then a truly evil grin spreads across her mouth. “I was going to say,” she says, “in search for a mystery girl. But that works, too.”

Prince Dominic’s cheeks burn. “I am not in love,” he enunciates carefully, though he knows it’s hopeless. As far as Regine is concerned, he has already dug his grave. “And I am not looking for her.”

“Why not?” she asks airily.

He splutters. “Why not?” he repeats. “Why not?”

When it comes to duty, they have always been so many worlds apart.

“You still haven’t grown out of babbling when you’re confused, hm?”

“Because I am required to marry a princess!” he yells. He stands up, papers forgotten, even breathing be damned. “Because I am the de facto ruler of this kingdom and whether I like it or not, whether I want to or not, every aspect of my life must be devoted to ensuring its security! Because I am the only one left,” he says, and his voice breaks, “and if I don’t do it, no one else will.”

Then he sobs outright, a hand covering his eyes.

_ _ _

The first and last time he’d spoken this truth that he had long buried in his heart was the night of the ball.

He hadn’t meant to unbridle his tongue. It hadn’t been his parents’ fault that they’d died, after all, and his sister—well, it was hard on her, turning from the blithe heir to the burdened head of the family overnight. It had been understandable, that she hadn’t wanted to face it. He had been the one who had chosen to act. He had taken the responsibility, and so consequently had to face it forever alone.

So why did he find himself spilling his guts to this beautiful stranger?

It was unseemly. It was embarrassing.

But she was so very easy to talk to; and when he began to apologize for his impropriety, she stoppered his flow of words with a gaze full of understanding. “I know what it’s like,” she said, “to be the one left behind and alone.” Her eyes lowered, her cheeks pink. “To be angry about it, sometimes.”

They were out on the balcony—far from the prying eyes and ears of the court, though he knew there would be whispers once they noticed his absence. For once, he hadn’t a care about that. Just as he hadn’t a care or thought about anything when he took the lady’s hand. “Not alone anymore, I hope.”

“Not right now, at least.” She twined their fingers together.

“Not ever again!” he declared recklessly, though he knew he wasn’t in any position to make promises like that. “Tell me about yourself now, lady stranger. We’ve spent so long in each other’s company and you’ve refused to tell me a thing. Though to be fair, I suppose I’ve barely asked.” He shook his head at himself. “What kind of prince am I?”

He’d expected a bump of his shoulder, a roll of her eyes. Instead, the lady’s smile faded. “Prince?”

“Yes?”

“You’re the prince?”

“Yes, of course—you didn’t know?” She had arrived late and had missed the proclamation, and they had dispensed with calling each other by any name as a game, but he hadn’t believed she didn’t know who he was that entire time. Hadn’t known she was getting to know him as Dominic, rather than the prince. He was flabbergasted.

And she looked devastated. She pulled her hand away from his. “If you were just a noble, maybe,” she murmured to herself. “But a prince…”

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

She forced a smile on her face. “Nothing, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t give me that,” he begged her. “Something’s wrong. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“I-I just…I had hoped to see you again.”

“Whyever not?” He made to take her hand once more, but restrained himself at the last second. “I would very much like that as well.”

“I don’t think you would, Your Majesty. Not if you knew who I really was.”

“I know who you are.” In the weeks to come, he would doubt this; he’d put it down to his chronic sleep deprivation, the heady night air, enchantment. But in that moment, he felt as close to her as someone he’d known all the days of his life.

“You do?” She sounded afraid.

“Yes. You, my dear lady stranger,” he says, “are the funniest person I’ve ever met.” This, finally, got the fond eyeroll. “Really, you are hilarious. Yet you’re honest enough to tell me when I’m not.”

“It was only the puns,” she protested.

“You are determined,” he continued. “You said you would finish the platter of stuffed pan de sal and by God, I have never seen anyone eat so much so fast. That’s a compliment, by the way,” he said to her reddening cheeks. “It was a marvel.”

“You had it right the first time, Your Majesty. For a prince, your manners are deplorable.”

“You’re also extremely kind,” he added.

“Deplorable!” she exclaimed.

“Really.” He stretched out his hand, giving her the choice, and after a beat she laced her fingers with his again. “When you see someone requires assistance, no matter who they are, whether or not they themselves know it, you take action. Even when you clearly need help yourself.”

“I don’t-“

“You have not told me much of your family, my lady, but from what I’ve gathered you are in a rather unhappy situation. Please,” he said, “let me help you. I promise to stand by you no matter what happens, wherever you come from, whatever your name is. Just say the word.”

The lady seemed torn. In the bright, pale moonlight, away from the glitter and ornaments of the ballroom, her masterpiece of a dress seemed to be just a shade more quotidian, her elfin features less otherworldly and more tremendously human as she bit her lip and decided. It made him fall for her all the more. “I,” she said, and stopped herself. She cleared her throat. “My name is…I mean. I-I’m-“

“It’s alright,” he said gently.

She squeezed his hand, as if asking for courage. He squeezed back. “My name is-“

Then the clock struck midnight.

_ _ _

“She’s a commoner, isn’t she?” Regine asks.

For a moment, Prince Dominic did not answer, lost for a time in the way his sister stroked his hair soothingly. She had strode across the room and insisted he sit down on the plush couch, and then laid his head on her lap, just as she did when the doctors gave them the news that their parents died of the plague. When he finally found his voice, he says dully, “Yes.”

It is the logical conclusion. Why had it been such a miracle for her to go to a party? Why did she need a member of the fae to magic her improbable glass shoes, and perhaps the rest of her lovely attire?

Why was she so afraid to let him know who she was?

It would take another miracle to see her again, let alone to offer her what he wished. “So why am I still hoping?” he whispers. Then he curses himself, realizing that he spoke out loud.

But Regine does not tease. She gives a soft, almost resigned sigh. “Because, dear brother,” she says, “you are a person who loves deeply and truly. You are that, as well as a good and kind king.”

He snorts.

“It’s true,” she says, rueful. “You’re a much better ruler than I ever could have been. You knew from the start that being a leader was more burden than privilege, and I—I never completely grasped that. Not until I was called by God and realized how selfish I’d been.” She ruffles his hair again. “You were right to stage that coup against me.”

“Sister,” he says, but she shakes her head.

“But even if I was selfish,” she says, her eyes bright, “I still know enough about statecraft to comprehend the state of our kingdom, both when I ruled and even more so after the stability you brought to the Islands. And what I know is that we are not in peril.” She looks at him. “You do not need to give your hand out of desperation, brother.”

“But Spain is still watching us-“

“They will always be watching us,” she says disdainfully. “Their precious former colony that rose up against them, foolish and still in need of their oh-so-enlightened help and guidance. Whatever we do, they will always be looking for a chance to snatch us up again.”

“So what do we do?” he asks. His voice sounds small.

“I don’t know,” she admits. “And, selfishly, I am glad that burden is no longer on my shoulders.”

“Thanks, Regine,” he mutters.

She flicks his nose.

“Huy!”

“I have not abandoned you,” she says. “I will not abandon you. I am here beside you, Dominic, and from now on I promise to give you whatever advice you need.”

“And what advice is that, dear sister?”

“That you remember we cannot, as a nation or as people, live on fear alone. And that you must remember you are a leader as well as a ruler, Dom. Your kingdom is watching how you make your choice, and will be led by how you make it.”

“What choice?”

“What to do,” she says, “when love beckons you.”

_ _ _

He goes with them, of course. It would have been out of the question to get a significant portion of the guard to go through this wild goose chase without him at the helm, albeit in plain soldier’s clothes so as to obscure his identity. To begin with, they were to fit the glass slipper on every maiden within each invited household.

He felt like sinking into the floor when he made this proposal in the council room, even with his sister by his side. And indeed, they had all looked at him as if he’d gone mad.

None of them protested, though. Even when he told them of his intentions.

Some of them even looked—excited. As if they were genuinely thrilled their future queen was going to be chosen in this way.

“It’s because they trust you,” Regine said after the meeting. “And they want you to be happy.”

“If you say so,” he said, still bemused.

And so they went.

Household after household, family after family, maiden after maiden until Dominic had seen more than enough feet he had ever wanted to encounter in his lifetime.

Then they get to the capital city's outskirts.

The two young ladies residing in the last mansion before the gates try and fail. Their mother, of grand bearing and clad in even grander skirts, glares at them as if it is their fault. He and the company of guard bow, take their leave, when—

“Wait.”

Prince Dominic turns.

And there she is. Clad in dirty old rags, hair in disarray, fists clenched and bare feet looking half-ready to bolt any minute. But her voice is steady, calm and familiar, when she says, “I would like to try the slipper on.”

The lady of the house hisses, “You are nothing but a scullery maid! What right do you-“

“Every right,” Prince Dominic says, stepping forward. “The prince proclaimed every maiden in each invited household.”

When he turns his gaze at the lady, she has paled. She recognizes him, too.

She glances at the door. He swallows at the lump in his throat, knowing that if she runs, he must take the rejection for what it is.

But she does not run. Instead, she gives him a short, polite curtsy, walks forward, and seats herself delicately on the coach. She is taking long, calming breaths.

He kneels down. “It’s alright,” he tells her again, even more gently than before.

“It’s you,” she whispers. Her eyes are bright with tears.

He smiles at her. “What’s your name?”

Her mouth twists a little. “Cinderella.”

He notices the spray of ashes on her cheeks. Remembers how she never did like puns.

“My stepmother was right,” she says in a sudden rush. “I am nothing but a scullery maid—worse than that, really. I have no status in life, no claim to anything or anyone. I have nothing worthwhile to offer you.”

“Alright,” he says.

“Alright?” she repeats with an incredulous laugh. She lowers her voice. “You are known to be a wise ruler, you know. They say you never make a decision without considering it twice, thrice, and once more for good measure.”

“I don’t think I’m as hesitant as that,” Dominic protests lightly. “But yes. I do like being sure of my choices.”

“So why, my dear, famously pragmatic Prince Dominic, are you here?”

He slides the slipper onto her foot. It’s a perfect fit.

“Cinderella.” He says her name with so much soft reverence she cannot help but blush. He offers her his hand. “I think you know.”

/ / /

A/N: Written for the @inklings-challenge's Four Loves Fairytale Challenge! I'd love to know what you think of the story, if you have time to comment/tag. Either way, I hope you enjoyed, and I look forward to reading everyone's entries!

Also: Because I didn't outright say it in the story (and because it's very important to me), this story is set in an alternate history/fantasy Philippines <3

#The Prince #inklingschallenge #theme: agape #theme: eros #theme: storge #Cinderella #Cinderella retelling #story: complete

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grits-galraisedinthesouth · 3 months

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Who does a (codependent) Camilla Tominey think she is to repeatedly demand that William sacrifice his own family for the (non-heir) traitor brother?

The good news is they actually located the malignancy. This isn't the first time a monarch or senior member of a monarchy has been diagnosed with something life threatening, however they tend to keep it a secret. I think it's a good sign that they've shared details because it suggests the BRF medical team feels confident about the prognosis. If they found a mass, it's possible that the malignant tumor was removed and any adjuvant or holistic treatment is more of a precaution.

I'm so sorry to see the Suck-It duo repeatedly capitalize off of the BRF's suffering:

Sadistic MEgain, licking her chops at the very thought of seeing another Windsor in the ground, while Sparry pays to publish his travel plan with every American celebrity media outlet. What happened to his "security" concerns? It's obvious that Sparry's PR is desperate to bury the African Parks scandal. Will he be forced to rush back to California to rescue the family from the storm?

Sparry is a Crazy Maker and Crazy Makers should not be near cancer patients. If Sparry wants his father to get well, then he should drop all the lawsuits and maintain a quiet, dignified distance.

I have to agree with this comment:

From Technical_Ant_7466 via Reddit

"I am really concerned about Duke of Hazard returning to the UK and visiting Charles. My fear is that Harry will fanagle himself back into the RF, and that he will expect to take on responsibilities or worse that he will but further pressure on the King and Princess Catherine. Just as their vile antics accelerated the death of the late Queen and Prince Philip, I firmly believe that the Harkles have caused a lot of damage, including the health of family members. ***For years I worked in the medical field as a scientist. The research I've read has not proven a definite cause-and-effect relationship between stress and cancer. The connection between emotional (psychological) health and physical health is very complex. Psychological stress can affect your body. Some studies suggest a link between various psychological factors and an increased risk of developing cancer.*** **1.Stress can weaken the immune system. The immune system defends the body against infections and diseases, such as cancer. A weakened immune system plays a role in the development of some types of cancer.** **2. Stress can alter the levels of certain hormones in your body. This may also put you at greater risk of developing cancer.** Stress has a profound impact on how the body’s systems function. Health experts are still sorting out whether stress actually causes cancer. ***There’s little doubt that it promotes the growth and spread of some forms of the disease. Put simply, stress makes your body more hospitable to cancer.*** Long-term/chronic stress is more damaging, and the damages comes from situations that last many weeks/ months/years with no definite end point. ( Ithink we can confidently say that 5+ years of mega mouth and her poodle have been extremely stressful for the RF. This no-end-in-sight stress weakens the immune system, leaving a person prone to diseases, like cancer. It also ups the risk for digestive problems and depression. Chronic stress also can help cancer grow and spread in a number of ways. At this point in time, the last thing the RF needs is Harry in their midst. I can't think of a single advantage their is for him to returning to " his father's side", when he's done nothing but say vile, evil lies about them, divulge members of the RF personal stories and has generally been a human version of POISON. I hope Harry drops in and leaves quickly. THERE'S NO POSITION FOR HIME TO FILL. WILLIAM PROBABLY DOESN'T WANT HIM THERE, AND I APOLOGIZE IF THESE SEEMS CALLOUS, BUT I BELIEVE THE PUBLIC DOESN'T WANT HIM THERE. Harry has proven to be poisinous and toxic. No amount of grovelling will change the perswon he is. His real personality may go into hiding, but make no mistake, he's as eveil as the ILBW. Removing the cause is the clear answer but instead that TREACHEROUS VILLIAN IS BEING ALLOWED BACK, WHICH IS A VERY BAD IDEA. This is a photo op for Harry and a chance to attempt to fleece his father for money/security and whatever else the ILBW has told him to get his grimmy paws on. HARRY CANNOT BE ALLOWED BACK, OR THAT WILL BE END OF THE MONARCHY."

author: Technical_Ant_7466 submitted: 04/02/2024 via r/SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7466429/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7466429/)

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/1ajqp3v/the_gruesomes_have_been_stressors_since_before/

Then there's Fergie:

Why would Fergie release her private medical information as the world grappled with the sad news about Charles and Catherine? Fergie was not undergoing adjuvant treatment. There was no risk of anyone spotting her at a daily RTX treatment. I'm certainly thankful she's OK but I wish she would have waited until the working royals were out of the health scare news cycle before shouting "me too."

Fergie is not "battling alongside King Charles" 🤦🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️ Aren't her grandkids just babies---except for a 3 yo?

#spare us #God save the king #Duke of Hazzard #BRF #get well soon #megxit #worldwide privacy tour #Camilla Tominey #royal rota #sparry #traitor

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themuseoftheviolets · 5 months

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What I really like about roots of chaos that felt more expanded upon in ADoFN is the idea that there is no monarchy without heteronormativity, that even if your society is a matriarchy it is still unavoidable (unless I suppose they find someone who is a guy with the right equipment to impregnate them, which I would imagine is sometimes possible). It felt self aware. Like, even if the fandom doesn't always go into it enough, it feels like Samantha Shannon was deliberately trying to make that point, that even if it's a queendom or a monarchy where birth order matters not gender and an heir could've been born out of wedlock, it is always going to be crushing to women. Even if Dumai and Nikeya had started their dynasty with Suzumai, as they could have, they eventually would've run into this issue-- if Suzumai didn't want kids at all and it went beyond just not wanting to be pregnant would she have been forced to adopt even so? Could she even adopt if it wasn't a family member?

Idk I just find it really fascinating. And it's kinda sad that more people aren't talking about it, so I liked your meta. Like it's awful what these monarchies do to these characters in a world like this.

yes i agree! inys may seem very progressive at first glance because it's a queendom, but it's really not. these two scenes from adofn come to mind:

In the haze of the next push, [Glorian] thought of Nunum of Carmentum — ash now, perhaps, along with her republic. It made no sense to envy her.

And yet Numun never had to rip herself asunder.

Damn you. A low sound, her own. Damn you, Galian Berethnet. Why did you not have to suffer, but each of your descendants did?

from chapter 93

"History may record the end of my line as a tragedy," the Grand Empress said, "but a house that crushes its own daughters beneath its foundations — that is no house at all. Better it burns with the rest."

from the nikeya epilogue

as for what would have happened if nikeya and dumai had built their dynasty — i think suzumai would have had to get pregnant. i think they could have brought up the idea of adoption, but if it did work it would take a long time. and that's a big if, because while seiiki doesn't believe the blood of the nozikens keeps them safe like virtudom believes berethnet blood does, they do believe the nokizen are seiiki's pathway to the gods, and i don't think it would have been easy to make someone else the heir to the rainbow throne if there was still the possibility of more noziken being born

as things stand at the end of adofn, the only noziken left is the grand empress, who can't have any more children, so having someone else in charge was the only option. but otherwise i don't think that would work so soon

even at the end of priory, when sabran decides to abdicate, it'll still be a process that'll take ten years, and that's only because there are no berethnets left. if there were any nozikens left, or just the possibility of them, i don't think an exhange of power would be accepted

#im glad you liked my post ty!#adofn #tpotot #roc #the priory of the orange tree #a day of fallen night #the roots of chaos #mail

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tech-whale · 11 months

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A Break in Routine

Pairing: Prince!Regulus x Guard!Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: Maybe a little angst, grouch Regulus, attempted murder???

Author notes: Definitely going to be a part 2 just need to write it this has been chilling for like a year and I want to post it so surprise it's here, have fun, also just a little FYI reader comes in later the beginning is a lot of Regulus but reader shows up I promise, the next part will be all about them, sorry enjoy

I do not give permission to people republishing, printing, copying, reposting or stealing my stories

✧☽☀☾✧☽☀☾✧☽☀☾✧☽☀☾✧☽☀☾✧☽☀☾✧☽☀☾✧☽☀☾✧

Regulus POV

Regulus' world had always been the same monotonous routine. It consisted of exquisite food, and boring repetitive lectures on economics, trade, and war tactics, with each of his teachers more boring than the last with their long-winded speeches that could put anyone to sleep in a matter of minutes.

Before all that, Regulus used to enjoy his days when he could sneak off from boring teachers and sit in the garden sketching and painting to his heart's desire. He missed when he got to go for a carefree ride on his horse and did not learn about the best way to ambush an enemy when in a mountain pass. But the thing that Regulus missed most of all was his older brother Sirius.

Three years ago Sirius had escaped into the night never to be seen again leaving Regulus the sole heir to their parents' kingdom. Regulus missed the days when he had no responsibility but h3 missed his brother more, Sirius was one of the only people that could bring colour into Regulus' bland world. The pranks the two would pull on unsuspecting castle staff, although the tricks were never too cruel the staff had enough to deal with when their parents were there. And as much as Regulus wanted to resent Sirius for leaving him all alone with their parent he just couldn't, he knew that Sirius needed to leave he just wished he could've gone with him.

Regulus believed he would be stuck in a repeating cycle of boredom for the rest of his life and he truly didn't believe that anything or anyone could change the outcome of his life. His parents would marry him off to some princess or the daughter of a lord for something political he wouldn't care to understand, and when he came of age he would be crowned king and his wife the queen. That was how Regulus thought his life would go with his whole future planned for him with no say in the matter. Regulus truly believed that until an assassination attempt on his life ended with a plot to uproot Black's house from the Kingdom's monarchy.

That day had been relatively typical for Regulus and when he said normal he meant utterly boring beyond belief, so if that morning you had told him that someone would try to kill him within the next twenty fours hours he would have laughed in your face and told you to have them do it right now. Although the more Regulus thinks back on that day and the events that had occurred which seemed completely coincidental at the time he begins to remember the sinking feeling of dread he had when he walked into his bed-chamber the collar of his shirt sticking to the back of his neck from the water droplets falling from his hair.

Regulus felt utterly comfortable in very few places within the castle, he hated the stares that curious staff would send the quiet heir of the Black family. Regulus often enjoyed leaving the suffocating walls of the palace and enjoying the well-kept gardens that surrounded it, even though his parents didn't particularly care for the botany aspect of the castle they still had people tend to it. Regulus didn't enjoy being inside the palace too much. It was too suffocating for his liking, but Regulus did feel comfortable in his room, the castle staff never came in when he was in there and the view of the gardens from his balcony always helped to inspire him for new pieces of artwork.

But that moment when he first stepped into his room something felt wrong as if somebody had come into his room and shifted all the furniture an inch from where it had been sitting, quickly scanning over the room Regulus went to the stone fireplace and picked up one of the heavier tools that had been sitting beside it. Holding the tool to his side Regulus began to do a thorough search of his room before he jolted back upright from a knock on the door.

Opening the door to a servant carrying a bundle of firewood, stepping out of the doorway the servant looked at Regulus curiously as he held the fire tool in his hand. Realizing what he was still holding he returned it to its place before excusing himself from the room and going into his balcony. The breeze lightly ruffled the fabric of Regulus' shirt from where it hung loose on his body, he pushed some of the lighter strands of hair behind his ear and out of his face as he walked over to the stone railing on the edge of the balcony.

Leaning against the railing Regulus waited till the fire had been lit properly and the servant had left his room. Making his way back into his bed-chamber the feeling of dread fell over him again. Regulus decided to shrug off the feeling as before when he searched for what was causing the feeling to find nothing. Slipping into his bed Regulus was instantly comforted by the weight of the blankets covering him, the silky water-like feel of the sheets that surrounded his body lulled him into a tired state, the crackling of the fire created a warm atmosphere, and the breeze that fluttered his curtains made the perfect sleeping conditions that very rarely came along.

Regulus could feel his eyelids starting to become heavy, much too heavy for him to be able to keep open, so instead of fighting it, Regulus succumbed to his need to sleep.

Regulus felt the cool breeze of the night tickle the back of his neck as he awoke, Regulus looked around his room as he waited for his eyes to adjust. Looking over to his balcony doors Regulus shot up from his previous position as he realized that the doors were open, he remembered that he had locked the balcony.

Pushing the covers off himself Regulus made his way to his balcony to lock the door, the feeling of a cold pointed tip pressed into the middle of Regulus' back.

"Don't move and your death could be quick." The intruder spoke, pushing the blade into Regulus' back. Panic flooded through his veins as he tried to figure out how to get out of this situation. Regulus was pulled away from the balcony and into the middle of the room, facing the fireplace in the center of the room Regulus looked upon the red embers of the dead fire and hoped that that would not be the last thing he saw. He wanted to see his brother again, feel the freedom he once had, fall in love and right then it felt as though all those things that Regulus longed for were going to be ripped away from him in some attempt on his life for something that was out of his power.

Loud footsteps were heard outside of Regulus’ door, and the pressure of the knife pressed against his back alleviated for a second as the assassin took some of their attention off of Regulus to monitor the door in those few seconds Regulus found bravery and a fire inside himself that he had never known before, lunging forward out of the grip of his attacker Regulus grabbed on of the heavy metal pokers from the face of the fireplace and swung around slamming it into the side of the assassins head, rushing away from the fireplace Regulus ripped open the door and ran out of his room.

Feet hitting the plush carpet underfoot Regulus pushed himself as much as he could as he searched the hallways for a guard there had to be one near him he had just heard footsteps, turning his head to the side Regulus crashed into something and collapsed into a heap on the floor at the impact of the hit. Looking up Regulus was met with the concerned face of a royal guard, pushing himself up Regulus started to explain what had happened quickly the guard yelled to the others behind him two of them followed him as they went in the direction of Regulus’ chamber three surrounded Regulus and ushered him down the hallway and one disappeared down the hallway to the guard station presumably to to get reinforcements to check on his room and to make sure the King and Queen were still alive. At that thought, Regulus decided it would be best to shut his mind off and follow the guards so that was what he did.

The next few days for Regulus seemed to all blur together, he went through his lessons barely listening to his tutors and mindlessly taking notes on what they said not to get lectured about paying attention, even though he had almost died days prior. Regulus was now forced into the throne room even more than he had been, as now investigators, royal guard, knights, and many others were coming to lend information on the assassin that had broken into his room, from what Regulus had heard the attacker was detained and locked away in one of the deepest parts of the dungeon, Regulus had been in that area once and he never wanted to have to see it again.

And now here he sat in the throne room once again reflecting on all that had happened to him to lead him up to this moment, it had been two weeks since the attempt on his life, and throughout those two weeks, he had been reminded that he should be grateful that it was an attempt and had not succeeded as if he had survived by some stroke of luck. Regulus was pulled out of his thoughts when the oak doors to the throne room were thrown open with a loud thud shaking the ground of the castle, earlier that evening the King and Queen had received word that new urgent information had been gained about the attack that could save the House of Black from utter inhalation at the hands of their enemies.

“Your Highnesses, we have found a source of information on the assassination attempt. It was not just a one-time thing, this was well planned out and has been in the works for years.” The man in front of the spoke, the final sentence he spoke with a much more serious tone Regulus could see his parents straighten up at it and the air around them became tenser. Nodding behind him, the guards opened the door, allowing two more guards to drag in a man.

At first, Regulus could not recognize him, but the clothes he was wearing showed that he was of high standing within the kingdom. The top he wore looked like it was made of fine velvet, though the sleeves were caked in what looked to be dried mud, Regulus couldn't tell from where he was sitting, his pants although torn and bloodied looked to be of high quality, and the gold and jewels glinting off his fingers just confirmed Regulus’ suspicions of this man being of high standing within society, there would likely be an uproar from his arrest.

The man raised his head to meet the eyes of the royal family and Regulus reeled back in shock, from the expressions on his parents' faces he could tell that this was not what they were expecting. The man was someone Regulus recognized it was someone he knew, the man in front of them was a member of the royal court, one of the many lords that were meant to be in the throne room when decisions were being made and conflicts were being sorted out, this was a man Regulus had known since he was a young boy this man in question had found Regulus one day in the garden alone and wandering and offered him his ear. Though when that had happened Regulus had been six and this man in front of him couldn't have been any more than 15 at the time, oh how Regulus wished he could be a child again. Looking towards his parents he silently asked if he could be excused from this horrible turn of events, his parents luckily taking pity on him let him leave the grand room before they began their interrogation.

The doors slammed shut behind Regulus but not even the thick oak of the doors could block out the shrill voice of his mother or the loud bellows of his father.

It had been a few days since that horrible afternoon and his parents had called him to discuss something with him. Entering his father's study he greeted his father with a respectful nod before he turned toward the other person in the room.

"Regulus this is (Insert Name), they will be watching over you to ensure there isn't another attempt on your life." His father spoke gesturing towards the other person in the room.

(Insert Name) was someone Regulus had seen before, they were a knight for the kingdom and had won many battles and had gained the respect of many in the kingdom. But not only was their reputation that of a knight their appearance was as well, they wore the usual chest plate of armour with the kingdom's emblem and arm guards, along with a green cape with silver accents. On their hip, they had their sword in a black sheath. They stood on guard and exuded the confidence all the other knights carried.

"I will protect his highness with my life sire." You respond to his father with a bow before turning to face Regulus and bowing to him. At that moment Regulus knew that the two of you would not get along.

The first few days of having you around were difficult for Regulus, he felt trapped, and you never left him alone. Even when he was going to sleep you would do a sweep of his room before he laid down, and you would come hourly to do another sweep of the room which had woken him up a couple of times. The overprotectiveness was annoying he couldn't deal with and his emotions were starting to boil over.

"You know you don't always have to wake me up to make sure I don't get killed, if your job is to look after me then you are doing a shit job," Regulus shouted after he was woken up for the second time that night.

"I'm sorry sir, but I need to make sure that you stay safe. It would be a deep regret if anything were to happen to you." You responded in a calm voice, this just angered him more.

"Ya because if anything were to happen to me, you would lose your oh-so-perfect reputation." Regulus lashed out at you, he hated this, he hated having a babysitter because of one incident he hated this, and all of this was bubbling up as anger and hatred towards you.

“Regulus, I understand that this arrangement is not ideal. But this is for your safety, I am only taking so many precautions so that you can stay safe. You can be angry at me all you want hell you can hate me, my job isn't to be loved by you it's to keep you safe, and I’m sorry that I have woken you up I will try to be quieter next time.” You spoke back to him just as calmly as you did before, leaving the room and leaving him in darkness with his thoughts. From that moment Regulus knew that maybe this wasn't just hard for him it was hard for you, you had to deal with his attitude and you were able to stay pretty calm, he knew that he was going to have to go easier on you or he might regret it.

From that day forward Regulus tried to be more patient, he engaged with you in more conversations and learned a great many things about you, one of those things being your love of horseback riding. So for today, Regulus decided that the two of you would enjoy the warm weather you were graced with and head out for a nice ride.

“It is unusual for you to ride your Highness, are you feeling quite alright?” You questioned once you had stopped to pause your ride.

“I happen to enjoy horseback riding very much, I just haven't had the time, or the clearance, to be able to go. But my schedule finally allowed it and I have you with me so what would stop me.” Regulus responded quickly, it came out much harsher than he intended and he internally cringed at the tone of voice he delivered his response in. but he lightened up on himself when he saw you smile at him.

“Nothing would stop you, your highness, you just look so at peace when you're out here, it's almost like your a different person.” You spoke out, moving your head down so that your hair shielded your face from his sight.

“We should continue on there are places I would like to go before I am needed back at the castle,” Regulus shouted out, breaking the calm mood that had formed between the two of you, galloping away he couldn't help the simile that stretched across his face as he heard you laugh from behind him.

“Of course your Highness I wouldn't want to make you late for your oh-so-important meeting with your mirror.” You quipped back at him, encouraging your horse to race ahead of him.

“Aren't you supposed to stay by my side and protect me,” Regulus shouted out from behind you.

“I would be able to if you could keep up.” You shouted back to him, turning around to look at the prince and send him an innocent smile as if you had never done anything out of protocol for a guard. But at that moment Regulus couldn't care less if you had breached protocol, you looked ethereal, with the way your face glowed from the sun hitting it through the trees highlighting all the beautiful colours hidden in your skin, to the creases by your eyes caused by a radiant smile, to Regulus at that moment you're a walking deity, a being born of starlight that was sent to earth to make it more beautiful.

You were so stunning tha-..... Regulus slowed his horse in an attempt not to fall off, he had just been hit in the face with a branch, or more accurately he had ridden into a branch because he was not focusing on anything but you.

#regulus black #fantasy au #x reader #harry potter x reader #harry potter #regulus x reader #magic #wizard x reader #prince x guard #prince x reader #prince!regulus black #regulus black x reader

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sigrrdraken · 6 months

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Wanted to get this HC out of my head and onto something so here:

I headcannon Orca as being romantically/platonically involved with a dragon from another tribe during the war. I personally headcannon her falling in love with a rainwing dragoness (would be a really funny coincidence given her siblings) and wanting to elope with her.

However, she stayed because she felt that she had to be there for her subjects given that her mother has little to no regard for them so as the princess she feels pressured to be better.

Another thing I also headcannon is that Coral was still a bad mother prior to Orca’s death with her death worsening that side of Coral. As Coral is very much self-entitled and egotistical with the dragons around her being ones who she either has to use cause they are the best option or sates her ego and pride as even Gill falls into the latter category and notable doesn’t really have the spine to go against coral for more that brief moments (as seen in the prologue to book 9 where he just admits defeat and lets Coral kill a guard he full-heartedly believe deserved to live). And these traits don’t just spring up from no where so while Coral and other dragons may try to paint the family as healthy with Orca’s challenge being a complete surprise I read it more so as an Albatross thing where the royal family just sweeps their own bad doing and excuse the bad behaviour of others in their family using a scapegoat.

Coral was very much heartbroken by Orca’s challenge and having to kill her but I don’t think Orca was too enthusiastic about killing her mother at least for the crown. If she was then why not use her magic why give her mother that respect. I think that has to do with Orca have a very personal vendetta with her mother and wanting to prove herself right and that using her magic will not satisfy that and maybe she feared that if she did she would just be like her mother.

As for what Orca wanted to do with the crown, I believe she wanted to either abolish the seawing monarchy as that helps explain why she placed the statue where she did. By having the statue in the royal hatchery she is targeting dragonets who might be raised to re-establish the monarchy or if she planned on keeping the throne then find a way to give it to someone so that the crown isn’t given based on blood or she wanted to become immortal (I think she just wanted to destroy the monarchy with the statue being her first move as the wording means that even if the royals want to make it so that males can be heirs the male eggs will also be destroyed as well).

However as we know Orca failed by fluke or the scene was much different but coral rationalises the death by saying it is an accident. After all why wear the tusk that killed your daughter if you have so many bad feelings about it.

Whether Coral knew about Orca and her mate in this hc doesn’t matter much unless you want to lean into the route that Coral killed Orca’s love which fuelled Orca’s drive to kill her mother.

I like to think that Orca’s mate is still alive and was wondering for so long about what happened to Orca until the news reaches her. Add a tragic element to the story.

#orca wof #wings of fire #headcanon #queen coral wof #orca is just a missed opportunity like she deserved a winglet #monarchy hate #orca hates the idea of monarchy #coral being a bad mom

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gwenllian-in-the-abbey · 4 months

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What is your interpretation of Viserys's character? It's amazing how grrm made the man who literally single handedly destroyed his family's legacy and started the bloodiest civil war in Westros a "joyful generous king who wants everyone to get along" it's like grrm wanted the fault of the dance to be on Alicent and Aegon not Vissy for some reason

Thanks anon! This is an excellent question.

So I actually don't think that GRRM meant for Alicent or Aegon to take the full blame for the Dance. If you read F&B and World of Ice and Fire, remembering that those books are not written in GRRM's authorial voice, but by in-world maesters who are compiling histories, you'll see that the authors of those books are not very complimentary about Viserys. However, they are diplomatic about it. He was a king who ruled for several decades, and he was not hated by the people at the time of his death. The scholarship of maesters like Gyldayn and Yandel is also pretty surface level. Still, Yandel all but blames Viserys for the Dance, saying that Viserys "had ruled for six-and-twenty years, reigning over the most prosperous era in the history of the Seven Kingdoms but seeding within it the disastrous decline of his house and the death of the last dragons." He might be called amiable and generous, but weighing against that, he's also called weak-willed, easily influenced, and anxious to please. Those are not really complimentary qualities when discussing kingship. The books stop short of calling Viserys a bad king on the level of Aegon IV or Aerys II, but they're not particularly complimentary towards him either.

And here's the thing. Ensuring a clean succession is one of a king's most important jobs. A smooth transition of power is essential for the stability of the realm, and a disputed succession was to be avoided at all costs. Throughout real life history, you will see examples of kings going out of their way to ensure that there is one clear heir who will inherit upon their death. It is the king's responsibility to ensure that the succession is clear, that the heir is prepared to rule, and that the heir has sufficient support to rule. There is a reason why, although the often repeated "the king's word is law" phrase might have some base truth to it, most kings followed established lines of succession and did not just choose their favorite child, or even the child they believed best suited to rule. Enduring the occasional less than ideal king was the price paid for a peaceful transition of power, and for ensuring that the method by which power was peacefully transferred from one monarch to the next, remained stable.

So in real life feudal monarchies, when succession crises happened, it was usually because of some unexpected event. The Anarchy that the Dance is based on happened because King Henry I lost his only son, William Adelin, in a shipwreck. The boy was already seventeen at the time, and when he died, Henry tried to have more sons with his second wife, but was unsuccessful. His only other legitimate child was a daughter, Matilda, who eventually became his heir following the rules of male preference primogeniture, although his nephews were in consideration at one point. Likewise, Edward the Black Prince, heir to Edward III, died before his father did. Unlike William Adelin, however, Edward the Black Prince had a son, Richard II, who became Edward III's heir. When Richard II became king he was still a child, and had to contend with very powerful adult uncles who became powerful as his regents, and their sons, who did not want to give up power when Richard II came of age. This situation eventually led to the War of the Roses. There are also succession crises in which a king who dies childless is also the last of his direct line, such as Henry III of France, the last Valois king. In this situation the next claimant might come through a female line or a more senior male line, but it's rarely clear cut. But these are generally unusual or unexpected situations rather than the result of a king's willful refusal to do his duty and ensure a clean succession.

Viserys had options for avoiding the Dance, the easiest and most obvious being simply making his eldest son his heir upon his birth. He had every indication that his insistence on keeping Rhaenyra as heir would lead to a succession crisis after his death, and yet he did nothing to avert it. He had no intention of codifying new succession laws to allow daughters to inherit over sons, instead he imagined succession as a free for all, king's choice, which is bound to lead to conflict and is a terrible idea in a kingdom ruled by dragonriders. Viserys inherited a prosperous and stable kingdom and arguably the most important job he had was to keep it stable, and yet he created a succession crisis out of nothing, for no good reason. Neither Rhaenyra nor Aegon turned out to be particularly good rulers in their short reigns, but only one of them could have taken the throne as uncontested heir, and that is Aegon. Had Aegon been named heir from the start, there would have been no one to contest him (Rhaenyra's claim lies solely on being her father's chosen heir, if she's isn't, she has no claim), and no war.

What would compel Viserys to completely trash his own succession? I think in the books, it is left up to interpretation. Was Viserys stupid, willfully ignorant, or a malicious narcissist? Certainly, although he was supposedly a people pleaser, no one in his family was very pleased by his decisions, and it's hard to imagine the Red Keep a happy household when Viserys deliberately drove a wedge between his children and created a situation that everyone knew would one day lead to war. I'm going to tag @aifsaath because she has some good Viserys thoughts regarding the possibility that Viserys wasn't just a bumbling idiot, but actively malicious.

#asks #viserys i targaryen #dance of the dragons #fire and blood #aegon ii targaryen

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