#blue sapphire stone benefits
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Blue Sapphire: रंक को राजा बना सकता है जादूई रत्न नीलम, जानिए किन राशियों के लिए धारण करना होता है शुभNeelam Ratna: जिस प्रकार ज्योतिष शास्त्र (Astrology) में ग्रहों की भूमिका बहुत महत्वपूर्ण होती है उसी प्रकार रत्नों का भी अपना विशेष महत्व होता है।
#blue sapphire benefits#blue sapphire#blue sapphire gemstone benefits#blue sapphire stone benefits#benefits of blue sapphire#blue sapphire gemstone#blue sapphire stone#neelam stone benefits#blue sapphire price#astrologyAstrology News in Hindi#Astrology News in Hindi#Astrology Hindi News
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এই পাথর রাতারাতি বদলাতে পারে ভাগ্য, আবার আনতে পারে বিপর্যয়! জানুন এর দৈব প্রভাব
মানুষের জীবনে উত্থান-পতন থাকেই। জ্যোতিষশাস্ত্র অনুসারে, কোনও কোনও গ্রহের পার্শ্ব প্রতিক্রিয়ার কারণে কোনও ব্যক্তি কখনও কখনও সমস্ত ধরণের সমস্যা এবং রোগ দ্বারা পরিবেষ্টিত হন। জ্যোতিষশাস্ত্র অনুসারে, শনিকে সমস্ত গ্রহের মধ্যে সবচেয়ে প্রভাবশালী গ্রহ হিসাবে বিবেচনা করা হয়। কুণ্ডলীতে শনি অশুভ ঘরে বসলে জাতকদের ভোগান্তি শুরু হয়।
মানুষের মনে শনি গ্রহকে নিয়ে ভয় রয়েছে। এমন পরিস্থিতিতে শনিদেবকে প্রশান্ত ও…
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#blue sapphire stone#blue sapphire stone benefits#Blue sapphire stone effects#blue sapphire stone for which rashi#blue sapphire stone price#নীলকান্তমণি#নীলকান্তমণি দাম#নীলম পাথর#নীলম পাথরের উপকারিতা#শনিদেবের
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Neelam Stone Benefits - Embrace the Mystic Powers of Blue Sapphire at Hare Krishna Mart
At Hare Krishna Mart, we present you with the mesmerizing Neelam Stone, also known as Blue Sapphire, renowned for its mystical powers and astrological significance. This captivating gem is associated with the planet Saturn and is believed to bestow numerous benefits upon the wearer.
Neelam Stone is known to enhance intuition, sharpen mental clarity, and improve decision-making abilities. It is said to attract prosperity, success, and abundance, making it a favored choice for those seeking financial growth and stability.
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Key Benefits of Wearing Blue Sapphire for Personal Growth
Discover the simple joys of wearing Blue Sapphire: It helps you think clearer, brings more money and success your way, keeps you organized, protects from bad vibes, makes you healthier, calms your emotions, opens your mind, and helps you get along better with loved ones. See how Blue Sapphire can make life better in many easy ways.
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Who is the emerald stone lucky for?
The Emerald gemstone, known as "Panna" in Hindi, holds an important place in Vedic astrology, it is considered highly auspicious. It is believed to bring good luck especially to people of Gemini and Virgo zodiac signs.
There are many potential benefits associated with wearing the emerald gemstone, including
Better communication skills
Mental Clarity
Emotional Balance
Promotes Creativity
Memory Enhancement
Financial Prosperity
If you are interested in purchasing an emerald gemstone for yourself or a loved one, Rudragram is a reputable source. We offer a wide range of high quality gemstones and are known for our excellent customer service. Do not hesitate to contact Rudragram for assistance in finding the best emerald gemstone to suit your specific needs and preferences.
#emerald stone (panna)#blue sapphire stone (neelam)#ruby stone (manik)#white pearl (moti)#yellow sapphire (pukhraj)#Lolite Gemstone#White Opal Stone#Turquoise Irani Firoza Stone#Red Coral Gemstone (Moonga)#Gomed Stone#Cats Eye Stone#Buy Ruby Stone (Manik)#opal stone benefits#gomed stone benefits#emerald stone benefits
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Neelam Stone Benefits | Buy Neelam Gemstone with 100% purity guaranteed | Hare Krishna Mart
Neelam Stone Benefits , an exquisite blue gem, derives its name from the Sanskrit word "Neela," meaning blue. It is a variety of the mineral corundum, where the mesmerizing blue color results from the presence of trace elements, primarily iron and titanium. The vivid allure of Neelam Stone Benefits has made it a beloved gemstone in various cultures and traditions, revered for its astrological and healing properties.
#Neelam stone benefits#neelam stone#blue sapphire neelam#neelam gemstone#Neelam Stone Benefits#neelam ring
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Buy Online Neelam Stone on Very special offers at Hare Krishna Mart
Neelam Stone, also known as Blue Sapphire. Join us on a captivating journey as we uncover the compelling Neelam Stone benefits of this celestial gem. The gem is said to balance emotional turbulence and foster mental clarity, allowing individuals to make informed decisions and embrace a harmonious state of mind. Whether one seeks astrological fortune, emotional healing, or spiritual awakening, this divine gem has much to offer. Embrace the profound energies of Neelam Stone Benefits , and let it illuminate your path with its celestial brilliance.
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As the stone is linked with the karmic planet Saturn, Blue Sapphire or Neelam stone is best recommended for an individual who is undergoing a difficult phase of ‘Shani Sade Sati’ or ‘Dhaiya’ in their lives. Since the effects of these gemstones are quite strong and felt instantly, Neelam Stone or Blue Sapphire gemstone should be recommended only by expert gemologists and with a wonderful deal of caution.
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Jupiter Correspondences
From Christian Astrology by William Lilly
(It is mostly word for word. I tried to format it to fit into a nice correspondence list, but the information itself is untouched.)
Zodiac: Sagittarius is his Day-house, and Pisces is his Night-house. Detriment in Gemini and Virgo, Exalted in Cancer, Fall in Capricorn.
Nature: He is a Diurnal, Masculine Planet, Temperately Hot and Moist, Airy, Sanguine, the greater Fortune, author of Temperance, Modesty, Sobriety, Justice.
Profession: Judges, Senators, Councillors, Ecclesiastical men, Bishops, Priests, Ministers, Cardinals, Chancellors, Doctors of the Civil Law, young Scholars and Students in a University or College, Lawyers, Clothiers, Woolen-Drapers.
Diseases: Pleurisy, all Infirmities of the Liver, left Ear, Apoplexies, Inflammation of the Lungs, Palpitations and Trembling of the Heart, Cramps, pain in the Backbone, all Diseases lying in the Veins or Ribs, and proceeding from corruption of Blood, Squinzies. Windiness, all Putrefaction in the Blood, or Fevers proceeding from too great abundance thereof.
Savours: Sweet and well scented Odors; or that Odor which in smell is no way extreme or offensive.
Colours: Sea-green or Blue, Purple, Ash-colour, a mixed Yellow and Green
Herbs: Cloves and Clove-Sugar, Mace, Nutmeg, Gillyflower, the Strawberry, the herb Balsam, Betony, Centaury, Flax, Arsesmart, Fumitory, Lungwort, Pimpernel, Wallwort, Oregano or Wild Marjoram, Rhubarb, Self-heal, Borage, Bugloss, Wheat, Willow-herb, Thorough-leaf, Violets, Lackwort, Liverwort, Basil, Pomegranates, Peony, Liquorice, Mint, Mastic, the Daisy, Feversend, Saffron.
Plants & Trees: Cherry-tree, Birch-tree, Mulberry-tree, Coral-tree, the Oak, Bayberries, Olive, Gooseberries, Almond tree, the Ivy, Manna, Mace, the Vine, the Fig tree, the Ash, the Pear tree, the Hazel, the Beech tree, the Pine, Raisins.
Beasts: The Sheep, the Hart or Stag, the Doe, the Ox, Elephant, Dragon, Tiger, Unicorn, those Beasts which are Mild and Gentle, and yet of great benefit to Mankind, are appropriate to him.
Birds, etc: The Stork, the Snipe, the Lark, the Eagle, the Stockdove, the Partridge, Bees, Pheasant, Peacock, the Hen.
Fishes: The Dolphin, the Whale, Serpent, Sheath-fish or River Whale.
Places: In or near Altars of Churches, in public Conventions, Synods, Convocations, in Places neat, sweet, in Wardrobes, Courts of Justice, Oratories.
Mineral: Tin.
Stones: Amethyst, the Sapphire, the Smarage or Emerald, Hyacinth, Topaz, Crystal, Bezoar, Marble, and that which in England we all Freestone.
Weather: He usually produces serenity, pleasant and healthful North Winds, and by his gentle Beams allays the ill weather of any former Malignant Planet.
Winds: Northern Winds
Element: Air
Number: 3
Angel: Zadkiel
Planetary Alliances: Friends with all planets except Mars.
Week Day: Thursday
Correspondence posts for the other planets: [Sun] [Moon] [Mercury] [Venus] [Mars] [Saturn]
#astrology#planets#jupiter#planetary#planetary magic#correspondences#magic#witchcraft#witchblr#astrology witch#magical correspondences#witches#witch community#witch#astro community#zodiac#zodiac signs#astroblr#astrology facts
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Trinkets, Rings, 4: Enough rings and bands to wear three on every finger and toe while still having dozens to spare. Rings, especially magic rings are a very common item of jewelry in fiction and roleplaying. From a basic ring of protection, to the life saving ring of regeneration, the ring of the Nibelungs, the rings of the lantern corps, the ring of Gyges, any wedding ring ever depicted, the ring of Solomon, Sir Perceval’s ring, Aladdin’s genie housing ring, the nine rings of mortal men and the precious one ring of power, these small circular pieces of gems, metal, wood or bone always add more to the story than the sum of their parts. None of these rings are intensely magical in their own right but can serve as basis for a magical or plot relevant ring. When a DM rolls a d100, the bog standard ring of protection +1 they were going to give out now has a unique look and personality rather than just a mechanical benefit.
A large stone ring all flecked with stripes of red, blue and brown. Odd as it seems, the ring has only one edge; a finger drawn along that edge would circle inside and out before coming back to where it began. It grants the wearer pleasant dreams.
A thick iron ring featuring a square onyx set into it wreathed in several tiny smoky quartz.
A ring comprised of two woven bands, one of copper and one of silver. The ring is studded with sapphires which shine brightly during a thunderstorm.
A ring forged of silver and worked in braided spirals.
A heavy copper ring that whenever turned sideways, pours out a small measure of dust.
A ring made from rare red-gold inscribed with intricate and interlocking sigils.
A porcelain ring bound by the image of an angelic creature. Upon its face is one of pure passion and rage.
A relatively small ring bearing both the symbols and crest of House Amber, a sinister and mysterious family that fled to their current estate from another realm. It has a clean sheen reflecting off its brass surface and looks well cared for.
A plain pewter ring set with a humble red garnet.
Casanova Ring: A dark walnut ring is engraved with a rose vine design. The bearer can instantly make a flower blossom, a seed pod open, or a leaf bud bloom.
—Click Here to be directed to the Hotlinks To All Tables post, which provides (As you might have guessed) convenient links to all of the loot and resource tables this blog has.
—Note: The previous 10 items are repeated for easier rolling on a d100.
A large stone ring all flecked with stripes of red, blue and brown. Odd as it seems, the ring has only one edge; a finger drawn along that edge would circle inside and out before coming back to where it began. It grants the wearer pleasant dreams.
A thick iron ring featuring a square onyx set into it wreathed in several tiny smoky quartz.
A ring comprised of two woven bands, one of copper and one of silver. The ring is studded with sapphires which shine brightly during a thunderstorm.
A ring forged of silver and worked in braided spirals.
A heavy copper ring that whenever turned sideways, pours out a small measure of dust.
A ring made from rare red-gold inscribed with intricate and interlocking sigils.
A porcelain ring bound by the image of an angelic creature. Upon its face is one of pure passion and rage.
A relatively small ring bearing both the symbols and crest of House Amber, a sinister and mysterious family that fled to their current estate from another realm. It has a clean sheen reflecting off its brass surface and looks well cared for.
A plain pewter ring set with a humble red garnet.
Casanova Ring: A dark walnut ring is engraved with a rose vine design. The bearer can instantly make a flower blossom, a seed pod open, or a leaf bud bloom.
A steel signet ring with a small compartment containing a poison pill.
A ring with a miniscule lockbox in its setting. Both the ring and the setting are plain, black alloy, save for a small, square sodalite cabochon set in the lid. A key of extraordinarily small proportion would be required to open said lid.
Ring of Black Thumbs: A black ring covered with an elvish, silver script. When worn on any finger, it turns the bearer's thumbs a pale, blackish color, and small plant life that comes into contact with them shrivels and dies.
A dark-red ring engraved with ashen symbols and smells faintly of smoke.
A gold ring set with a sparkling diamond that changes color to perfectly match the favorite color of the person holding it. It's clear when not being held.
A gold ring adorned with small jewels on the outside and cryptic lettering on the inner band.
An iron full finger ring set with a large eye agate.
A thick wooden ring flecked with diamond dust and carved with images of wild animals.
A heavy golden signet ring belonging to a defunct noble family.
A ring of jade carved into the shape of a snake.
A dark blue gem set into a dull silver ring that sounds like the ocean when shaken.
An intricately-carved white gold ring with three sapphires on top. These sapphires emit a faint glow when the ring is worn by a spellcaster. The detailed elven scrolling on the side tells an old poem about a brave hero who, being a sorcerer, conquered a dark cult that was plaguing a small town.
A copper-colored ring engraved with a variety of different types of ammunition all around the interior and exterior.
A ring that appears to have been crafted out of the skull of a small rodent or bat. When placed on one’s finger the jaws of the deceased vermin clamp firmly in place ensuring a snug, but not constrictive fit.
A silvered ring with a strip of stone in the centre, which changes colour based on the bearer’s mood. The actual meaning of each colour is highly debatable.
A copper ring with a small clear gem that shimmers slightly even in the dark. It is badly crafted with scuffs and scratches along the loop and yet there is something quaint about it that suggests more value than the first impression would suggest.
A ring made of white ivory with two red jewels that resemble the eyes of a mouse.
A ring made of gold, delicate and fragile in appearance. It loops twice around the finger and then ends in a flourish which appears to be a flower in abstract.
A dark grey ring. The band is weathered and mottled. Set in it is a cracked black jewel that shimmers when it catches the light.
A silver ring whose band is decorated with tree and mountain motifs. It is inlaid with a milky white jewel.
A large, ostentatious ring set with a gaudy Random Bright Color jewel. The bearer can detach the gem atop the ring and pull forth a length of extremely fine, tough wire that can be used to strangle an opponent. When used in this fashion the ring functions the same as a standard garrote.
A diamond ring that appears harmless during casual observation. The stone is attached to a special hinge that allows it to be flipped in its setting, revealing a point that can be used to cut panes of glass (Up to 1 inch thick) for the purposes of breaking and entering. Curling glass can be a time consuming process. It takes 1 minute per quarter-inch thickness to cut a hole large enough for a medium character to slip through.
A blue steel ring that is cool to the touch. When the bearer is holding any beverage in the same hand as the one with the ring, the beverage becomes frosty and refreshing.
A pure silver ring set with a clear gemstone that imprisons a malicious soul.
A ring made of polished marble set with a single small gem.
A silver ring whose band is fashioned to resemble a chain of tiny humanoid figures, locked arm in arm.
A ring made of flawless, highly polished electrum.
A thick Randomly Colored ring is made of polished ceramic.
A ring made of polished dark wood, with a large diamond held in a carved hand.
A wide bronze ring is carved with images of food and drink. While wearing the band, the bearer never feels hunger or thirst. The ring does not provide any sort of magical sustenance, simply snuffs out the bearer’s sensations to seek out food and drink. This effect ends the moment the ring is removed.
An obviously cheap looking ring with a brass band set with a piece of opaque Randomly Colored glass. Careful inspection will discover that the ring has a hinged section around the glass allowing it to be opened to reveal a small compartment. This area can be used to store the arcane components for one spell so long as they aren't too bulky. This ring's compartment can be opened or closed with an action equivalent to drawing a weapon. This ensures that a mage has an excellent way to always have a vital spell's material components on hand.
A claw-shaped ring clutching a Randomly Colored gem, taken from a land of ash and darkness.
A small corroded iron ring bearing a clear crystal affixed to the center, with rotating prongs affixing it to the band.
A simple wooden ring adorned by a small river stone, worn smooth. It shines beautifully in natural sunlight.
A wooden ring bearing the insignia of an open palm behind a stylized bumblebee.
A ring set with a grey pearl that is very loosely fitted. Any character proficient with jeweler's tools can easily remove the pearl and set it within a different piece of jewelry. The pearl itself is wrinkly, almost lumpy, and oblong.
A gold ring fashioned in the shape of an ivy vine. The leaf pattern is beautifully enamelled in a dark, lustrous green.
A cold iron ring bearing the emblem of a pair of crossed swords.
A thick wooden ring flecked with diamond dust and carved with images of various wild animals.
A stout gold band which is slightly translucent under very bright light. Under such light, a thin inscription reading “Light Finds A Way” appears.
A finger-ring of gold with a pendent grape cluster of amethyst 'fruit' and jade 'leaves', threaded on golden wire such that the cluster can swing and lie freely.
A golden signet ring so massive that is almost not wearable. Its bezel bears a design of a rampant stag over a crescent moon, and each shank is topped by a sapphire.
A thin platinum finger-ring, twined round with a tiny golden snake carrying a pearl egg in its mouth.
A nine-sided, blue gem mounted in a platinum base on a plain, half-inch platinum ring. Inside the band is a string of letters, with “Gaxx” the only legible word.
An extraordinary piece of jewellery cut from a single piece of raw ruby using a method far beyond the abilities of even a master jeweller. The large ring appears smooth at first but on closer inspection is cut with many thousands of minuscule facets.
A beautifully smooth and well-wrought gold-and-obsidian ring with a bright red bad with flecks of silver running around the centre, which appears like constantly swirling liquid when the ring is placed on the finger.
An opalescent mother-of-pearl full finger ring with seemingly constantly-shifting colours. The band slips neatly over the dominant finger on the bearer’s main hand.
A ragged, thin and grisly ring of soft leather, carved from the neck of an adult Yeth Hound and covered in tufts of deep grey fur.
A dented copper ring with a barely legible emblem of a soaring bird. Perceptive PC’s discover the mark to actually be a set of crossed daggers.
A medium-sized opal set into a silver band. The gem is black with veins of red, giving it a somewhat fiendish appearance.
A plain, thin golden ring is too small for a typical finger and stops a quarter inch shy of being a complete band; it has rounded ends on either side of the gap. It functions perfectly well as a nose piercing.
A golden signet ring bearing the symbol of a two‐headed falcon.
A gold band set with three deep violet stones (Amethysts) with an inscription on the underside. Careful inspection of the ring reveals it to be the phrase, “Enduring as the Mountain” written in Dwarven.
A somewhat plain gold ring is set with three small diamonds forming a pyramid shape.
A plain, thick iron band seems very light for its size and composition.
An iron ring with a thick band, and the wide bezel bearing an intricate carving of a horned serpent winding around an arcane symbol.
An elegantly cut ring made from rose-tinted gold and fits itself neatly to the bearer’s finger, no matter the size.
A bronze ring molded in the shape of a coiled feather.
A thin platinum ring, unadorned apart from a stylized leaping frog faintly etched inside band.
A silver ring shaped like twining ivy with a single heartshaped leaf on the back of the finger.
A complex ring consisting of twenty tiny red garnets wrapped in curlicues of silver erupting from a heavy silver band.
A heavy silver signet ring bearing a seal‐stamp in the shape of the letter “Z” imposed over crossed quills.
A chunky electrum ring set with a row of five tiny diamonds.
A pewter ring shaped like a chain of clasped hands.
An intricate and elegant piece of jewellery, this matched ring and bracelet are attached by a web of fine platinum chains, set with jet stones at the links.
A well‐worn bronze ring depicting a snake swallowing a turtle.
An ornate golden ring, with engraved depictions of a unicorn and lion combatant, with four rubies set equidistant along its length.
A plain brass ring with the word “quietly” etched inside the band.
A golden band set with a prominent transparent red opal.
A copper ring with an etching of a fox chasing a hare.
A silver ring shaped like a falcon in flight.
A gold ring inset with three translucent deep bright green emeralds and two transparent brownish‐red rubies.
A golden ring, the word “Whirlitz” etched into the interior in calligraphic text. A faint aura of transmutation magic permeates the metal as if the band once held some sort of enchantment.
A jade ring sculpted to make the finger resemble a striking serpent, with translucent red rubies for eyes.
An elegant lady’s silver band, with a leaf pattern etched into the surface.
A lightly magnetic hematite ring.
A simple silver ring set with a single pink garnet.
A gold ring shaped like a serpent eating its own tail with two tiny sapphires for eyes.
A platinum thumb ring shaped like a human skull.
A white gold signet ring bearing a diamond “J.”
A ruby ring with fire sigils marked on the gold band.
A gold ring with a big fat pink diamond, flanked by a smaller one on either side.
A heavy gold ring set with one large square emerald.
A mithral ring with huge rectangular topaz.
A golden ring set with a large ruby surrounded by a sea of tiny amethysts. A tiny silver eagle clutching a scroll is embossed on the ring with gossamer silver. There is a small engraving on the inside of the symbol of a hand pierced by a lightning bolt. Knowledgeable PC’s recognize the heraldic symbol embossed on the ring as that of the Tinsors, an old family famed for its eldritch knights.
An ebony ring embossed with delicate inked roses. A single amber jewel is set into the centre. A small fang is etched into the amber jewel. The fang is surrounded by bolts of lightning. The arcana rune for "light" is etched into the inside of the ring.
A golden band that boasts an intricate carving of a sleek, longeared canine form.
A bronzewood ring inscribed with the Elvish word for "hope".
A dark wooden ring carved in a mobius loop with the grain following the curvature of the ring.
Poison Ring: A large but stylish ring that has a reservoir that can hold a single dose of poison. To deliver the poison, the bearer must flip down a tiny, hollow needle so that it protrudes from the palm side of the ring, then successfully touch the target's skin. This is typically through a firm handshake or forceful clap on the arm or shoulder, the pressure of these actions helps disguise the pinprick of the needle. Locking the needle into place requires a free hand and an action equivalent to drawing a weapon, but the bearer tends to look rather suspicious fussing with the ring. An incredibly perceptive observer can notice the needle protruding from the wearer's palm but most will be oblivious. The needle deals no damage on a successful touch but delivers the poison fully each time. A pricked victim can attempt to make a sense motive or insight check with disadvantage to recognize that they were injured or that something is amiss.
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Birthstones: August✏️
Its August! Every single birthstone for August has been shown as a gem in Steven Universe: peridot, spinel, and sardonyx. Let’s discuss these three crystals' physical and metaphysical properties as we begin the month.
Peridot
Peridot is a strange crystal when it comes to its formation. The gem variety of olivine (which itself is green forsterite), peridot is found in lava flows, inside solidified molten rock, and even in meteorites. It is made of magnesium silicate (Mg₂SiO₄), along with inclusions of iron and magnesium, which causes its green colour.
Peridot is believed to help with emotional trauma by providing positive energy. Along with this, it known for its ability to bring out unconditional love and understanding of relationships. Peridot is also thought to be best for attracting money and abundance, as well as preventing overspending. Physically, Peridot has healing properties and can aid in the recovery from illnesses or accidents. It is known to relieve allergic reactions, ease problems in the lungs, heart, and stomach, and assist in childbirth. Emotionally, Peridot stabilizes moods, encourages letting go of negative emotions, and alleviates stress and anxiety. It can also enhance focus and concentration, making it useful for academic pursuits. It is considered a stone of transformation and can aid in recovery from addictions. Peridot also has specific uses for luck, protection, and finding lost items.
Peridot is rated 6.5-7 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it suitable for wearing. It's colour is light-stable, but the gem is sensitive to heat. Warm, soapy water recommended for cleaning peridot.
Spinel
Spinels are actually a group of related minerals. The type I'm referring to are the namesake spinels made of magnesium aluminate (MgAl₂O₄). Spinel's red colour is caused by chromium, but spinel is not just found in red. Spinel's can be found in a variety of colours as well. Orange and purple spinels are coloured by a mix of iron and chromium, violet spinels by iron, and blues either to iron or cobalt.
Spinel is a gemstone associated with revitalization and energy. It is believed to be beneficial for workaholics, helping release stress and replenish energy levels. Spinel may bring inspiration and brings hope, promoting new thinking, persistence, and a positive outlook on the future. It is thought to enhance personal power, creativity, intuition, and emotional balance. In relationships, Spinel is said to encourage hope, gratitude, and open communication. It may also stimulates sexual desire and fosters clarity and non-judgmental communication. In terms of health, Spinel is said to support the treatment of infertility, calm the nervous system, reduce fatigue, and promote overall physical vitality. It may also provide help with various physical issues such as joint and muscle problems, dental health, and digestive system imbalances. Spinel is associated with wealth and success, providing insight into financial matters, boosting self-confidence, and protecting against negative influences.
Spinel ranks 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it harder than quartz but softer than corundum (ruby or sapphire). Spinel's colours are stable in sunlight. Washing it with warm, soapy water is best, regardless of any treatments it could undergo.
Sardonyx
Sardonyx is a type of agate with reddish-brown and black or white banding. Being an agate, it is the same composition as quartz: silicon oxide (SiO₂).
Historically, Sardonyx has been associated with bravery, eloquence, and luck in legal matters. It its believed to promote self-control, motivation, self-confidence, happiness, and optimism. Sardonyx supports discipline, willpower, and strength of character while stimulating happiness, optimism, and self-assurance. It aids in finding meaning in life, attracting friendships, and improving relationships. Alongside its metaphysical benefits, Sardonyx has physical healing effects, invigorating the senses, regulating body fluids and metabolism, and aiding in various physical ailments.
Like all quartz, sardonyx has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness. This makes it a strong stone that doesn't break easily and can stand being worn as jewelry.
Link to the masterpost. Sources below the cut. Masterpost archive is a WIP until the series is finished!
Sources
"August Birthstones", Gemological Institute of America.
"Peridot", MinDat.
"Peridot", GemDat.
"Peridot Description", Gemological Institute of America.
"Peridot History and Lore", Gemological Institute of America.
"Peridot Care and Cleaning Guide", Gemological Institute of America.
"Peridot", Crystal Vaults.
"Peridot Meaning: Healing Properties, Uses, & Benefits", Tiny Rituals.
"Peridot", Healing Crystals.
"Spinel", MinDat.
"Spinel", GemDat.
"Spinel Description", Gemological Institute of America.
"Spinel History and Lore", Gemological Institute of America.
"Spinel Care and Cleaning Guide", Gemological Institute of America.
"Spinel Meaning and Properties", Fire Mountain Gems.
"Uses, Meaning & Healing Properties of... Spinel", Healing with Crystals.
"Spinel", Crystals and Jewelry.
"Sardonyx", MinDat.
"Sardonyx", GemDat.
"How Do Agates Form?", Pennsylvania State University.
"Sardonyx Overview", American Gem Society.
"History of Sardonyx Birthstone", American Gem Society.
"How To Clean Quartz Crystals (Step-by-Step Process)", Rock Seeker.
"Sardonyx Meaning and Properties", Fire Mountain Gems.
"Uses, Meaning & Healing Properties of... Sardonyx", Healing with Crystals.
"Sardonyx", Healing Crystals For You.
Image Sources
Peridot
Spinel
Sardonyx
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INFLUENCE OF ASTROLOGICAL GEMSTONES IN OUR LIFE
Astrological gemstones, also known as birthstones or planetary gemstones, are gemstones that are believed to be associated with specific astrological signs or planets. Throughout history, various cultures have attributed mystical properties to gemstones based on their color, composition, and perceived metaphysical qualities. The belief in the power of astrological gemstones is deeply rooted in astrology, an ancient practice that seeks to understand and interpret the influence of celestial bodies on human behavior and events.
The concept of astrological gemstones is based on the idea that different planets govern different aspects of life and that wearing gemstones associated with these planets can enhance or balance their influences. In traditional astrology, each planet is linked to specific characteristics, energies, and areas of life. For example, the Sun is associated with vitality, creativity, and leadership, while Venus is connected to love, beauty, and harmony.
Astrologers believe that wearing the gemstone corresponding to a particular planet can strengthen its positive effects and mitigate its negative influences. The choice of gemstone is usually based on the individual's birth chart, which maps the positions of celestial bodies at the time of their birth. By analyzing the positions of planets and their relationships to each other, astrologers can determine which gemstones are most beneficial for an individual based on their astrological profile.
While the efficacy of astrological gemstones is primarily based on subjective belief and anecdotal evidence, some proponents claim to have experienced tangible benefits from wearing them. These benefits may include increased confidence, improved relationships, enhanced creativity, and greater overall well-being.
To understand the influence of astrological gemstones, it's essential to explore the properties and associations of some of the most commonly used gemstones in astrology:
1. Ruby (Sun) : Ruby is associated with the Sun, the ruling planet of Leo. It is believed to enhance vitality, confidence, and leadership qualities. Ruby is also considered a stone of passion and creativity, inspiring its wearer to pursue their goals with enthusiasm and determination.
2. Pearl (Moon): Pearl is linked to the Moon, the ruling planet of Cancer. It is associated with intuition, emotional healing, and feminine energy. Pearl is believed to promote inner peace, harmony, and a deep connection to one's emotions and subconscious mind.
3. Emerald (Mercury): Emerald is associated with Mercury, the ruling planet of Gemini and Virgo. It is considered a stone of communication, intellect, and mental clarity. Emerald is believed to enhance verbal expression, logical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
4. Diamond (Venus): Diamond is linked to Venus, the ruling planet of Taurus and Libra. It is associated with love, beauty, and abundance. Diamond is believed to attract love, enhance relationships, and promote harmony and balance in all areas of life.
5. Red Coral (Mars): Red Coral is associated with Mars, the ruling planet of Aries and Scorpio. It is considered a stone of courage, strength, and vitality. Red Coral is believed to boost physical energy, stamina, and assertiveness, helping its wearer overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
6. Yellow Sapphire (Jupiter): Yellow Sapphire is linked to Jupiter, the ruling planet of Sagittarius and Pisces. It is associated with wisdom, prosperity, and spiritual growth. Yellow Sapphire is believed to attract abundance, good fortune, and opportunities for expansion and personal development.
7. Blue Sapphire (Saturn): Blue Sapphire is associated with Saturn, the ruling planet of Capricorn and Aquarius. It is considered a stone of discipline, focus, and karmic balance. Blue Sapphire is believed to promote mental clarity, resilience, and patience, helping its wearer overcome obstacles and learn valuable life lessons.
8. Hessonite Garnet (Rahu): Hessonite Garnet is linked to Rahu, a shadow planet in Vedic astrology. It is associated with transformation, intuition, and spiritual awakening. Hessonite Garnet is believed to remove obstacles, release negative energy, and facilitate personal growth and enlightenment.
9. Cat's Eye (Ketu): Cat's Eye is associated with Ketu, another shadow planet in Vedic astrology. It is considered a stone of protection, intuition, and divine guidance. Cat's Eye is believed to ward off evil spirits, promote spiritual insight, and help its wearer navigate life's challenges with clarity and confidence.
Each astrological gemstone is believed to resonate with specific energies and vibrations that align with the qualities and influences of its corresponding planet. By wearing these gemstones as jewelry or placing them in their environment, individuals seek to attune themselves to these energies and harness their potential for personal empowerment and transformation.
In addition by wearing gemstones based on their astrological influences, some practitioners also use gemstone remedies to address specific astrological imbalances or challenges indicated in a person's birth chart. These remedies may involve wearing gemstone jewelry, carrying gemstones with them, or performing rituals and ceremonies to honor the planetary energies.
While the efficacy of gemstone remedies is primarily based on subjective belief and anecdotal evidence, many people report experiencing positive effects from incorporating gemstones into their spiritual or healing practices. Whether used for their aesthetic beauty, symbolic significance, or metaphysical properties, astrological gemstones continue to fascinate and inspire people around the world who seek to connect with the mystical forces of the universe and unlock their full potential for growth and self-discovery.
In conclusion, astrological gemstones are believed to influence one's life by aligning individuals with the energies and vibrations of specific planets and astrological signs. These gemstones hold a special significance for those who believe in their power to enhance personal well-being, relationships, and spiritual growth.
#gemstones remedy#gemstones astrology#astrology#vedic astrology#vedic astrologer#horoscope readings#horoscopes#horoscope analysis#astrologer#horoscope#horoscope posts#vedicastrology#daily horoscope#daily astrology#gemstones astrological remedy
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Last Young Renegade
Summary: A war on the continent is looming. A Death God approaches, his curse slowly unravelling. A firebird screams through the night.
And Elain Archeron can see it all.
Read More: Chapter 1 | AO3
Chapter Summary: This sort of thing only happens in my dreams
One horse. Just like everything else, Elain was expected to share. Lucien didn’t acknowledge it at all, only offered her a leather gloved hand to help her into the wide, dark saddle. Elain went up and Lucien came right behind, the black hood of his fur lined cape falling from his face. She’d put on a sapphire blue dress and Lucien had worn a silver jacket, complementing the colors of her own clothes so nicely she would have thought he did it on purpose had they not dressed separately. He’d been up before her, lounging in a chair reading the paper with a cup of tea. He’d wordlessly given her access to the tub first, following behind when she returned.
It had also been Lucien, coming out in said silver jacket looking every inch the kind of man she’d once daydreamed about, who had dried her hair without needing to be asked. It was hardly the same level of elegant care offered by someone like Cerridwen and yet better than the sopping mess it had been mere moments before.
It was good enough to meet royalty with, at any rate. Elain shifted in the saddle, ignoring the way Lucien’s large body conformed to her own, tucking her neatly between his thighs. Looming over them was the massive, sprawling palace that seemed to stretch to the Gods itself. Gleaming white spires tipped with snow reached for the sun, casting glittering, luminescent light over the winding mountain road.
Rask wasn’t like Prythian. One king ruled all of the fae territory here with the exception of Vallahan and Montaserre. Lucien had explained over breakfast, his voice quiet as he sat beside her in the booth. They’d been the picture of quiet lovers, heads practically touching as Lucien showed her the map. King Gunnar commanded all the magic Rask had to offer much the way Rhysand commanded all of Night. They experienced seasons as well, though his capitol was purposefully placed in the mountains to make it difficult for enemies to encroach on.
Lucien had said they would be the first emissaries from Prythian that the continent had seen in almost a century. She understood his meaning plain enough—don’t share anything Rask didn’t need to know unless it might benefit her in some way. That, she assumed, included her Cauldron gifted magic. Elain had almost told Lucien the wind seemed to sing to her here, calling her name like a chant—Elain, Elain, Elain. It drowned out his persistent heartbeat, if nothing else. Lucien didn’t need to know about the wild, ancient wind that often filtered through her bloodstream, replacing her air and shared the stories to come. He might send her straight back home rather than try and deal with the power she didn’t know how to control.
So up they rode, Lucien steering the massive white and brown horse beneath them. While she wiggled, uncomfortable and nervous, Lucien was unmovable, a steady rock for her to break against. He didn’t complain—though he did sigh loudly more than once—as they approached. Elain stiffened at the sight of a wide stone bridge connecting one part of the mountain to the palace, her stomach falling into the cloudy drop below.
“Don’t look,” Lucien warned, tightening his arms around her as they clopped over the white arched moonstone. He didn’t, both gold and russet eyes staring straight ahead. She couldn’t help it, peering so far over the edge Lucien all but dropped the reins to grab her. There was no danger, not with the road so wide around them or the thick railing she could have sat comfortably on. Still, his fingers gripped her arms tightly, as if for a moment he’d been sure she’d go falling to her death. “Don’t look,” he repeated, his voice tenser.
“Why build a castle like this?” she asked, righting herself against him.
“Because they could,” Lucien replied with a long, heavy breath. He relaxed as they made their way towards a snow covered gate. It swung open of its own accord, though Elain noted the navy coats of the guards watching with muted expressions as they came up. The first emissaries from Prythian in almost a century. He’d said Morrigan spent her time in Vallahan trying to convince their monarchs not to ally with Rask. Was King Gunnar aware?
King Gunnar was waiting just outside his iridescent palace, marked by the silver pointed crown set atop a curled head of ice blonde hair. Lucien swung a long leg from his horse with ease, falling to the stone ground gracefully. He held out a hand and Elain knew she would be expected to allow him to help, to let him put his hands on her waist and lower her gently.
From behind the King was his Queen—Hilda, Elain remembered. Her hair was a softer shade of red compared to Lucien’s, swept off her stunning face to highlight not her beauty, but the silver and sapphire circlet held atop her brow. She stood two paces behind her husband, hands clasped in front of her as she watched with a mix of one blue, one green eyes.
“Lucien Vanserra,” Gunnar boomed, his voice like the howling wind itself. Lucien swept into an easy bow, prompting Elain to curtsey beside him. “And your mate?”
Lucien nodded, the picture of masculine pride. “Mate and wife,” he said with an easy smile as Gunnar bowed over Elain’s ungloved hand. She noted the way his thumb brushed over the ring Lucien had given her before he pressed a polite kiss against her skin.
“Where did you find a sunstone?”
Elain glanced up at Lucien, careful to keep the surprise off her face. Lucien merely smiled.
“I have my ways.”
“It seems Prythian is filled with more than just beauty. Who knew it housed such treasure?”
“You should see it for yourself,” came Lucien’s easy response, his eyes shifting to the retinue of courtiers all watching with curiosity. Gunnar, too, turned and gestured for his wife, who smiled as Lucien and Elain bowed before her, too.
“Prythian is so quaint,” she murmured, reaching for Elain’s arm. “I am desperate to hear of your little island. Perhaps you could start with the tale of how you defeated Hybern?”
More than a few heads perked up. Elain merely smiled. “Hardly a tale at all given the strength of our land and armies.”
Lucien’s appraising smile told Elain she’d done a good job. She knew she could. Hilda, who could have been centuries old for all Elain knew, squeezed her arm conspiratorially, all the while leading her from the cold into the huge archway of the palace. “We are all secretly grateful you weathered that storm on our behalf.”
“That’s what neighbors are for,” Elain replied easily and oh, she’d forgotten how fun it could be, talking to another lady like this. It would be a mistake to forget that Hilda was the most powerful lady in all of Rask, one who would report back to her husband regarding the oddities of Prythian and still, Elain’s whole body warmed at the talk. It wasn’t sparring, wasn’t barbed. Elain detected nothing but honesty from the queen.
Elain had never seen anything like the palace Hilda walked her into. Everything seemed to glimmer the dreamiest shade of lilac. Built of a mixture of moonstone and mountainside, the palace was wide open and gleaming, its arched ceilings creating the feeling of walking among literal clouds. Open windows that kept the cold out, much like Rhysand’s palace, filtered in the foggy morning until Elain wasn’t sure if she was awake or dreaming.
It was Lucien’s hand on her elbow that drew her back to reality. “Rare indeed,” he was saying. “We’ve been blessed.”
“It is happy, then?” the Queen asked curiously, pausing in the middle of the great hall beneath an iridescent chandelier to look at them both. “My parents were mates and they were miserable.”
“Very happy,” Elain assured her before Lucien could offer up a half-truth. This was their ruse, was it not? They needed to just lean into it. Enough interested eyes poured over not just her, but Lucien too. People would be looking for weak spots, would want to exploit the pair of them. They could exploit them right back.
“Your High Lord said he was unable to join,” the King pushed them forward, past a grand, sunlit staircase that spiraled upwards into what might have been oblivion. “He said he’d had a child?”
“Yes,” Lucien agreed easily. “Very recently.”
“But none for you?”
Lucien glanced down at Elain with soft affection. “If we are lucky.”
She nearly snorted. They’d need more than luck for that sort of intervention. Lucien would need a miracle given how they were only touching to present a united front. Not that he wanted them, either. It was their little game. The doting mates from the curious island, come to plead with the continent not to start another war for territory. She could barely imagine Gunnar and Hilda as the greedy types and yet she was well aware of how ugliness could hide behind a beautiful facade. Had Rask owned human slaves once, too? Was Elain walking over blood stained floors?
She didn’t dare ask, not as Lucien continued his casual conversation, ever careful with what he offered up and what he asked.
“Zosia will show you to your room,” Gunnar interrupted Elain’s thoughts again, dropping them at another wide marble staircase that could have been made from the sky itself for how opalescent it seemed.
“Join us for lunch,” Hilda urged, looking only at Elain. “I would love to give you a tour.”
Elain nodded, following behind Lucien and the strawberry blonde who leveled a stare at Lucien just a beat longer than necessary. It prompted Elain to really look Lucien over. Zosia had hardly been the first to drag her eyes over Lucien’s form. Clad in silver and black, Elain could see what was appealing about his body. He was broad and muscular, taller than the King by a good two or three inches. His auburn hair had been swept off his face, trailing politely down his back. His chiseled jaw was nice enough, his lips full, his one good eye the same color as the embers of a dying flame. And Elain could admit Lucien’s cheekbones only served to make his face seem stronger, more masculine. Even the scars down his face seemed to testify to some innate courage that Elain suspected was enticing.
“Lord,” Zosia murmured, looking only at him when they reached the oval door set against cream and lilac. Lucien barely spared a glance, brows furrowing at whatever he saw.
“Ah…thanks.”
She smiled with gleaming teeth, dipping into another bow that was needlessly deep, offering him a perfect view down her dress. Lucien didn’t even notice, pushing open the door instead of doing what Elain did and peer into the dreamy yellow fabric. Zosia, still looking at Lucien’s retreating body, didn’t notice how Elain flushed, having just seen this strange woman's breasts. Whoops.
How many times would that happen? Did women just throw themselves at him like this? He didn’t react, barely looked over his shoulder and only to ensure Elain was trotting after her. Elain offered up an apologetic smile, unsure what the etiquette was when another woman was all but propositioning your fake husband.
Lucien, unaware of what was happening, snapped the door shut behind Elain. If he saw Zosia still standing there he didn’t say. Maybe Lucien didn’t care. Elain didn’t dare ask lest he think her jealous, which she absolutely was not.
“That went better than expected,” he said the moment they were alone. “I guess Feyre had a point.”
“What do you mean?” Elain replied, drinking in the beauty of their bedroom. It might have been its own apartment for the largeness of it. The bed was obviously the first thing Elain saw, draped in dreamy opalescent linen lined with amethyst. Another door, like the one at the inn, opened to a massive balcony that had, among other things, a wide pool overlooking the mountains around them. Their things had been hung in a closet large enough for another bed and Elain privately wondered if she couldn’t banish Lucien there if he bothered her. Cozy cream colored chairs and a table looked towards arching windows and a fire toasted the room cheerfully from the white marble mantle.
“I suppose you wouldn’t notice,” Lucien murmured, drawing Elain’s attention back to him. He was contemplative. “Gunnar is a collector of rare and beautiful things. Your ring, for example…and maybe you, if he has an inkling that you are anything but an ordinary faerie.”
Elain looked down at her ring. “You gave this to me on purpose.”
He shrugged. “Did I know Gunnar would see it and think twice about crossing me? Yes. Sunstones are nearly impossible to find anymore.”
Elain curled her fingers into her palm, not daring to ask anything else. Lucien’s jaw was clenched tight and she suspected it would have started a fight if she had. “You won’t let him keep me, right?”
“His own laws forbid it but I wouldn’t go anywhere alone with him,” Lucien replied easily, dropping into one of the chairs. “And I wouldn’t admit we’re not actually mated.”
“And if he finds out?”
“Let’s not worry about what I might be forced to do if we’re caught in a lie. No one but your family is aware we haven’t accepted the bond…as far as the rest of Prythain knows, we did it last week. I never said when, only that we had. Though…” Lucien began unbuttoning his jacket quickly while Elain watched, rooted to the spot with terror. She exhaled at the black short-sleeved shirt beneath.
“Put that on.”
“Why?”
“So you’re drenched in my scent. Let them think we are mad with lust,” he replied in clipped tones.
“I’m not wearing your jacket,” she snapped, recalling the memory of the Cauldron and being dragged away by Morrigan, his green jacket still draped over her body. She’d burned it months later, unable to stand how it reminded her of Hybern and why she’d had it to begin with. Lucien, unaware, twisted in his chair, his anger a living thing.
“Why make things easy?” he all but sneered, turning away to look towards the window.
“I’m already in your bed,” Elain whispered, resisting the urge to cry. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked and you still push—”
“Because I see how this ends,” Lucien interrupted without daring to look at her.
“Oh you see, do you? Maybe I’m not the one who needs to change, Lucien. Maybe you should consider that I am very aware of what my face looks like and how people react to it. You should learn to trust me instead of assuming I’m so stupid I’ll get caught up in a man’s lustful affections. I’ve been dodging men since I was nine years old.”
That drew his attention. Lucien’s face paled, his mouth opening and closing again.
“Stop treating me like a child and this will all go a lot better,” Elain added before she lost her momentum. Lucien arched a copper brow. It was stupid to say it out loud but perhaps Lucien needed the reminder.
“We’re mates for a reason, right?”
His smile was mischievous. “Alright, Elain Archeron. Show me what you’ve got.”
Elain meant to.
Lucien:
Lunch was a tedious affair. Lucien learned several things right off the bat. Elain was immediately popular with every male at court, the king himself included. Lucien made mental notes of all the males who stared just a little too long while resisting the urge to pull her into his lap. Her beauty was just another weapon, one he might wield if he was skilled and careful. He’d always just assumed she was oblivious to the effect she had but Elain’s own words still rang in his head.
I’ve been dodging men since I was nine years old.
He could see the ladies wanted to hate her. Elain outshined even the queen without even trying. The problem, of course, was how genuinely nice Elain was. She threw herself into conversations with wide-eyed optimism, inquiring after everyone in her sweet, interested way. Luicen had wanted someone like Nesta, who could wield her words like a blade without tripping into another's trap.
Elain’s skill set was different. No one trusted him but her? Elain was interested and seemed so utterly unaware of the words that flowed from her mouth that Lucien could see the way the ladies assumed them to be true. He, of course, heard the lies for what they were. She was far too loving when she discussed him, for one.
“So,” Gunnar turned the full weight of his pale blue eyes onto Lucien. “Your father is Beron Vanserra, is he not?”
Lucien resisted the urge to spear his meat violently. “You know Beron?”
“Not well. I met him once when he was still the High Lord's son. He was killing his way through his brothers, then,” Gunnar said with a feral smile.
“How does one of his sons end up in Night?” Gunnar pressed. Ah. Of course. Lucien nodded towards Elain at the other end of the table, eyes sparkling as she touched a pregnant female's stomach. His chest clenched at the sight.
“My mate’s sister is mated to the High Lord of the Night Court.”
True enough.
“Your father didn’t mind?”
“Did you ask your father for permission to marry?” Lucien asked instead, earning a chuckle for the king.
“My father was long dead by the time I took a wife. Had I known what existed over the sea, though…”
Hilda looked up, eyes narrowing for only a moment. Gunnar was such a bastard. Hilda was truly stunning, barely sixty. Gunnar had been married to her for three decades, a blink in their time. Not so easily shed, either.
“How did you defeat Hybern?” Gunnar continued. “We heard he had the Cauldron.”
“He was careless with its power,” Lucien said. “And even immortals like us can die.”
Of course, Lucien didn’t mention it had been Elain who’d struck that killing blow. There was no need to put that sort of thought into Gunnar’s head, to tell him of her whispered nickname. Kingslayer.
He didn’t think she’d be embraced so openly if his court knew what she might be capable of should she be pushed.
“What do you plan to do with the mortals?” Gunnar asked.
“Nothing.”
Lucien wasn’t stupid enough to think Gunnar would make a suggestion. The king was merely getting a feel for Prythian and the kind of defense they might be willing to put up…what kind of army they possessed. There would be time to feel them out, to make himself useful to Gunnar and, ideally, convince Gunnar that war was in no one’s best interest.
“My wife likes your wife,” Gunnar told Lucien instead, affection lacing his words. Perhaps, deep down, there was something other than just acquisition to their marriage. Some genuine feelings. Lucien had thought that about his own parents, once. His father could be kind to his mother, could speak so sweetly about her only to turn around and take a parade of lovers right in front of her before striking her in the stomach for complaining.
“Everyone likes Elain,” Lucien told the king, offering a glimpse of emotion he would have sworn on his life didn’t exist. Elain glanced over, smiling with prompting when she caught him looking. Her whole face erupted like the sun, scattering brilliant light over the long, carved table. He could only stare, unsure what to make of the gesture.
“I remember when Hilda used to look at me like that,” Gunnar said with a nudging grin. Lucien looked away, embarrassed he’d been caught. “If you’re looking for fun, though, let me know. I know just the females. And if she’s looking for fun…” his voice trailed off with a dark chuckle. Lucien resisted the urge to beat Gunnar to death with his own arm.
It’s just a joke.
Still, Lucien bet he did. He’d seen Zosia in the hall, her tits practically spilling to the floor. Even if he had been tempted he liked to think he wasn’t so easy he’d pounce on the first willing female lifting her skirts. Lucien merely smiled.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Lucien immediately forgot the offer once night descended upon them. He’d been eyeing that pool on the veranda from the moment they arrived and he’d be damned if Elain’s modesty kept him from stripping to nearly nothing and climbing in while she was using the bathroom. He hadn’t expected her to come out, arms folded against her body.
“It’s cold,” she complained.
“Go back inside,” he replied, wading towards the edge so he could stare out at the view. The last time he’d come it had been in search of an army. He’d roughed it, running over rugged terrain and sleeping beneath the stars. This was far nicer. Maybe the nicest accommodations he’d ever had though Dawn Court ranked fairly high. Warm water contrasted with frigid air nicely while snow capped mountains set against an inky sky offered for a stunning backdrop. Lucien wanted to float in the water until he was nothing and no one. Only a black ledged railing kept him from just sliding out and falling into the fathomless depths just over the edge.
“I want to talk,” Elain said, her voice soft enough to draw his attention back to the door.
“Get in the water?” he asked, well aware there was no way Elain was going to come anywhere near him when he was wearing nothing but a tight pair of wet shorts. She shook her head and Lucien sighed, swimming towards her. “Sit down,” he grumbled, throwing up a bubble of warmth before resting his arms on the lip of the pool. Instead of sitting in one of the chairs, Elain sat on the edge, hiking her dress up to her knees and dipping her toes into the water.
“You know, I don’t have to be your enemy,” Lucien told her, watching her kick her feet, churning warmth over his body.
“Do you know that?” Elain retorted. “Because you have been nothing but hostile since we left.”
“You don’t speak to me–”
“I don’t know what to say!” she interrupted with exasperation. “But I don’t insult you, either.”
He looked down at his hand, suddenly ashamed and embarrassed.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” I just assumed you hated me. “Let’s start over. Hi. My name is Lucien Vanserra.”
She almost smiled, rolling her eyes though she took his hand. “Alright, Lucien Vanserra. I’m Elain Archeron. It’s nice to meet you.”
He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes too. He doubted she found him nice to meet.“What did you think?”
“They’re strange,” she offered quickly. “Everything here is really beautiful and everyone is really beautiful and it makes me wonder where they hide the ugly.”
“Gunnar was trying to feel me out. He was asking about the war…about the Cauldron. They’ll push us in the coming weeks to reveal more information.”
“How much should we share?” she asked, swinging her legs gently. Water swirled around his torso, tickling his skin.
“Nothing. I don’t want them to question our strength. They have three Kings, all divided by their own self-interests. We have seven High Lords which, as far as they know, are the equivalent to kings. All seven of them united for the last war and we might again.”
Elain nodded, eyes half hidden in shadow. “They don’t know if we’d help them or the mortals.”
“Neither do I, to tell you the truth. What they do over here has little to do with us. I could see more than a few High Lords choosing to wait out the continent and see if they are content with what they get.”
“That would be a mistake,” Elain agreed, her words a sigh. She withdrew her feet from the water to stand, yawning heavily. “I’m going to bed. In the morning I’ll see if I can’t infiltrate some of the lady’s games. I hear they have tea every mid morning. There will be gossip.”
“Spoken like a good wife,” Lucien murmured. “I think in a week or so we should plan to see more of Rask. Get a feel of the scale, the people…what might prompt Gunnars people to rally behind a costly war with mortals.”
She nodded. “I…” she trailed off.
“Yes?” he prompted, watching her pad away, her wet feet soft slapping against the stone.
“I always wanted to see the tulips.”
Oh. “Always?” She had said something about that before, in one of the inns. Lucien had assumed it just a story.
“When I was a human, I mean. I meant to go…before.” she trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck and Lucien, despite five years of trying to give her things only to see them rejected, decided to try one last time.
“I could take you,” he offered nonchalantly, catching how her steps stuttered. “I know where they are. They sell the bulbs in a little village nearby so if you like what you see, you could bring some back home with you.”
She looked over her shoulder, face gilded from the light streaming from the open door. “That would be nice.”
And that was that.
Elain:
Elain jolted awake to the sound of someone calling her name. Not just anyone. “Graysen?” she asked stupidly, rubbing her eyes against the heel of her hand. She was supposed to be in bed, should have been tucked between the silken sheets in the mountain top palace, Lucien breathing steadily beside her. Had it been a dream, she wondered as she lifted herself from the picnic blanket she’d been napping on? She’d been here before.
“You dozed off,” Graysen said with a smile, offering his hand to help her to her feet. Elain brushed off her pink skirts, unaccustomed to the feel of the petticoats beneath.
“For how long?”
She was struggling to remember where else she was supposed to be. Lucien? The name was fading, along with the feel of cold air and the smell of pine. A dream. She’d dreamt the entire thing. Graysen, with his soft brown eyes and his dark hair, dressed perfectly in his long-sleeved black silver coat…wait. That wasn’t right, was it? Still, he offered her a black gloved hand and Elain had the strangest sense of deja vu. She could hear a soft thudding in her head, the sound of a heartbeat or, perhaps, hooves on the ground. She twisted, looking for the source but only Graysen and his easy smile greeted her.
“Not long at all,” he assured her, abandoning their picnic for a line of trees in the distance. “But we’re running late.”
“For what?” she questioned, turning over her shoulder to look. Rolling green hills expanded into nothing but an empty blue sky. She’d never seen them before and yet swore there was a familiar coppery tang to the cool air. The wind slid over her skin like steel, caressing the side of her neck like a lovers kiss.
“For our wedding.”
Elain looked down at her dress again. White. Why had she thought pink? “We came out here before the wedding?”
Thumpthumpthumpthump.
Where was that sound coming from?
He led her into the forest without a word, walking with such surefooted steps she knew he must be right. Graysen glanced over his shoulder, smiling so sweetly. Elain blinked, trying to figure out what was happening. His face was almost right. It was all in the eyes, she thought as they plunged into the shadowy darkness of the woods. They were just a shade too dark, just like his hair. Still, that dimpled smile made her press on until he reached the wall, her heeled shoes stumbling and slipping and—was the ground wet? She could feel it seeping like ice against her feet.
“We’re in Prythian?” she asked, watching how easily he slung his body over it, legs first with a casual, elegant sort of grace. Like sliding from a horse—no, wait. That was wrong, too.
Thumpthumpthumpthump.
The sound had become louder, panicked almost.
Elain had to scramble, pulling herself up the rough worn stone just to stand on the precarious ledge. “How did we get here?”
“You wanted to see the tulips,” Graysen told her softly, stretching out his arms. “Jump to me, Elain. I’ll catch you.”
In the distance, Elain could hear someone calling for her. The wind, maybe? She started to turn her head but Graysen pressed closer. “Jump,” he ordered, eyes flashing. Elain froze, listening to that voice, the wind, the warmth. Home.
ELAIN! It beckoned. ELAIN!
Graysen’s face morphed, his fury shifting his face into terrible shadow, twisted and fanged and terrifying. “JUMP!”
“ELAIN!” Lucien’s voice cut through the dream, his arms tight against her body as her eyes flew open and oh, she was standing on the ledge of the balcony, about to tumble into the dark abyss of the mountain. She meant to scream, her heart leaping into her throat, but Lucien, still holding her, yanked viciously until the pair fell into the warm water of the pool below. He never released his hold, kicking off the bottom for a breath of crisp mountain air. Warm water invaded her senses, stinging her eyes and flooding her mouth.
“What were you doing?!” he demanded, his golden eye shuttering wildly in the dark. His hands smoothed hair from her face. Elain forced herself to breathe, clinging to his body like a child. Lucien’s heart thudded in her ears, the same from her dream.
“I couldn’t feel you,” he told her when she didn’t respond, walking her towards the steps, careful not to touch her more than he had to. “The bond went dark in my chest. It’s what woke me.”
She hadn’t thought to reach for him. “I could hear your heart,” she managed, dragging herself from the water. Lucien immediately averted his eyes though for the first time, Elain didn’t care if he saw her naked body. “You couldn’t hear mine?”
Lucien only shook his head, trailing water into their room as he went to the bathing chamber for a towel.
“Oh.”
Lucien grabbed a change of clothes from the closet before vanishing behind the bathroom door, leaving her to change her own clothes, too. Elain swallowed, unable to get the final moments of that dream from her mind. It hadn’t been just a dream. It had been real. She’d been in that forest, could still feel the cold stone of the wall under her fingers. She might have jumped, even, had…
Lucien returned in loose cotton pants and a long shirt, his hair dry. He flicked his fingers, drying her hair, too, before joining her in the bed.
“What happened?”
“I have nightmares,” she lied. Lucien clicked his teeth impatiently.
“Nightmares that compel you to jump to your death?” he demanded. Only, she had when she’d first been turned. It was why Nesta had begun sleeping outside Elain’s door, terrified Elain would one day do it. She’d wanted to.
“I don’t know how else to explain it. In my dream I’m not meaning to hurt myself…”
Lucien’s face was visible in the dying glow of firelight. “Do you still have visions, Elain?”
She couldn’t face him. “Yes.”
He rose from the bed again, looping his belt through the sliding door in an effort to keep it locked. “You need to learn to control whatever it is the Cauldron gave you.”
“They’re just dreams.”
“If I hadn’t woken up…” Lucien shuddered violently, sighing as he padded back to the bed. “That was more than just a dream.”
“How did you learn to control your magic?” she asked when the mattress dipped beneath his weight. It was wrong to wish he’d wrap his arms around her again. Elain knew if she asked him to hold her, she’d regret it in the morning. She just missed being touched, especially then, shaken from nearly plunging to her death. She thought he would and yet she didn’t think he’d enjoy it and Elain couldn’t risk their budding truce on her wobbly feelings.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “It’s something we’re taught as children. I’ll help,” he added quickly, sensing her despair. “There can’t be lies between us, Elain. Not when we’re surrounded on all sides by people we can’t trust.”
“And how can I trust you?” she asked, not out of malice but genuine curiosity. Lucien ran a hand through his thick hair, blowing out a frustrated sigh through his nose.
“Because you’re my mate,” he finally offered, his voice helpless and soft.
“You can’t betray your mate?” she questioned.
Lucien shook his head. “No. It would be like cutting off my own head. I…it has always been that way, though I know you don’t want to hear it. I stayed as Rhys’s emissary for you and not out of loyalty to Feyre. As long as you don’t tell me to go, I will continue to do so.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” She wished he hadn’t, even.
“I did,” he replied simply. “So while we’re here, no lies. You can keep your secrets when we return to Prythian.”
“And you? Will you vow to tell the truth to me as well?”
“I haven’t lied to you yet.” He was too quick to reply. “No matter how ugly my words might be.”
There was a vulnerability to agreeing she wasn’t sure she liked and yet Lucien had woken, hadn’t he? He’d come for her, had kept her from plunging to her death. Elain swallowed. “I can’t wear your jacket.”
Lucien went utterly still beside her, the only proof of life was his still beating heart.
“You put it on me in Hybern and when you offered it today I…”
“It’s fine,” he said too quickly. “It can be anything. Sleep in one of my shirts.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “Tomorrow.”
He shifted, laying against the pillows. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
Elain hesitated. She knew he felt it. Graysen’s terrible face, his wrong eyes, wrong hair…beckoning her to join him. “Nothing else.”
Lucien sighed. He knew she’d lied.
“Very well. Good night, Elain.”
“Good night, Lucien.”
Lucien:
Boring.
Lucien was stuck in what amounted to a gentlemen's club, smoking with all the other male courtiers, a glass of whiskey in hand. Gunnar had promised hunting before a surprise avalanche ruined their plans. The females were off having tea and likely having a far more interesting time than Lucien and his cards. He was losing and not on purpose. Lucien could not stop thinking about Elain standing on that precarious ledge, her feet hanging off the smooth railing, hair whipping in the wind.
She’d turned right before he’d grabbed her and Lucien had thought she’d died. No eyes ought to look like that, so empty, so…so…so cold. There had been no life, no warmth, not even the usual anger he’d grown so accustomed to. The whole ordeal terrified Lucien and when he pulled her from the heated water, he’d expected to see that same vacant expression.
But she’d come back to him and the darkened bond in his chest stuttered back to life. How long had it been going on? He couldn’t feel her when they were separated as they so often were. If their mating bond winked in and out of life, Lucien doubted he would have sensed it.
In the aftermath, Elain had rolled away, arms wrapped around her chest. He’d almost offered to hold her before he thought better of it, not wanting to start a fight when he knew she was still keeping secrets. It didn’t matter—Elain came to him once she fell asleep, whimpering softly and Lucien, despite his frustrations, had pulled her against him,if only to keep her from running off again. He wondered, staring blankly at his cards, if he might convince her that they should be tied together at night so he’d be alerted if it happened again. After all, Elain had managed to get onto the balcony before Lucien shrugged off sleep.
“I’d quit while I was ahead,” Gunnar laughed, taking more of Lucien’s coins and pulling him from his thoughts. “You look wrecked.”
“I didn’t sleep much last night,” Lucien admitted, earning chuckles from the table around him. Beside Gunnar was his right hand man Silas, a male who looked four hundred years old somehow, despite his easy youth. There was a heaviness to him that Lucien found unsettling. What had Gunnar asked of him to make those blue eyes look so heavy and worn?
Kendric was Gunnar’s general, a beefy male with wispy blonde hair so reminiscent of falling snow Lucien kept mistaking it for such out of the corner of his eye. He was losing on purpose which annoyed Lucien. Was Gunnar such a sore loser he couldn’t stand if his friends beat him?
Their group was brought up by Marcellus, Lucien’s least favorite of the four, if only because Marcellus did not keep his interest in Elain a secret like Lucien thought he should. For all the male knew, Elain was happily mated and married. She didn’t need his gaze on her body and certainly didn’t need his musky scent trailing around her. Of the five, Marcellus was the youngest, related somehow to Hilda if his match-matched blue and green eyes were any indication.
“Wife keep you up?”
“She always does,” Lucien replied easily, reclining in his chair with a self-satisfied smile. “The mating bond is still riding her hard.”
Marcellus’s lip curled upwards but the reminder was good for them all. Elain wasn’t just his wife—she was his mate. It was one thing to chase after a female when her ties were merely written on paper. Still an affront to the male who all but owned her, but clearly allowable to some extent. But a mate was tied to a male by the Gods themselves and if another male touched her, even if Elain invited it, Lucien could challenge that male to a blood duel.
And he might.
Cards forgotten, Gunnar leaned forward, ignoring the coins that were rightfully his by his winning hand. “How did you know?”
Lucien saw all the males shift, their curiosity getting the better of them. Mates were rare. It was unlikely any of the group sitting at his table, let alone in the parlor he was in, had ever even met a mated pair. “It’s a physical feeling,” he finally said, unsure how much he wanted them to know. “Like a muscle you can feel.”
“And all the rumors,” Gunnar continued. “Like the frenzy. Are they true?”
Lucien didn’t dare let himself shift with discomfort. Holding himself utterly still, he smiled, hoping they saw the feral edge. “Yes. It is very true.”
More appreciative chuckles punctuated the otherwise tense silence before the conversation shifted back to mundane things. It wasn’t gossip but merely a discussion of this lord or that, along with some of their troubles at the border with their own shattered wall. The wall, bound up by the Cauldron all those centuries ago, had crumbled to ash when Hybern took it down in Prythian and it seemed Gunnar was struggling to keep his own people from crossing and doing what they liked to the mortals in the bordering villages.
Lucien also got the sense that none of them cared very much, despite the protests from the ruling human monarchs. They had their own problems—two of them had vanished, not that Rask knew what had actually happened. They knew Vassa was back in Scythia with Jurian and had likely pieced together something had happened between the other five and Vassa, but as to what, Gunnar likely didn’t know. Lucien betrayed nothing and was eternally grateful when a servant called for lunch. He beat Elain to the dining room by mere moments, body going absurdly tight when she strolled in smiling and laughing with several other ladies. She wore a pretty red dress, the skirt fluttering about her legs and Lucien was hardly the only male who had noticed.
Unable to resist, he reached for her wrist when she passed, yanking her into his lap. Elain giggled, the clever little thing, twining her arms around his neck to bury her face in his hair.
“What until you hear what I found out,” she whispered, breath fanning against his neck. Lucien released his grip on her as if she’d burned him. He smiled, still, sliding his fingers through her silken curls, suddenly desperate to touch.
“Go on, then,” he murmured, letting her hop off his lap and scramble after her still laughing friends, grateful Elain did not recognize the way his scent had shifted. The males around him did and it was Silas who put hand on his shoulder.
“Looks like the bond is riding you hard, too.”
Elain heard, her head snapping in his direction. She betrayed none of her feelings though Lucien could guess them well enough. He merely smiled, grateful when a plate of food was set in front of him. The bond had always ridden him hard. That was hardly a secret. Elain could have asked anyone back home and they would have testified to that.
Sitting beside Marcellus, Lucien was treated to a full hour of his mate smiling and giggling at the male. At one point, Elain ran a finger over his pale, bare forearm, touching a swirling tattoo that Marcellus was obviously very proud of. Still, she was the picture of polite interest all the same. No wafting scent, no innuendo, nothing but a female who was clearly pretending to be dumber than she was. Too friendly but harmless.
Lucien had to resist the urge to haul her over his shoulder while snarling at the room. Instead, Lucien finished his meal like he’d been raised with manners—because he had—before he coaxed her out of the room.
“We want to take Lady Elain to the hot spring!” Axelle complained after his retreating back. “She has never seen one!”
Elain, holding his hand, twisted to look over her shoulder. “Wait for me! This won’t take long.”
Which sent her group of waiting friends into a peal of loud laughter, all of which was directed solely at him.
“I didn’t mean–” Elain spluttered but it was too late.
“You’ve wounded my pride,” Lucien grumbled, shoving her into the bedroom and locking the door behind her.
“I was trying to explain we would only be talking!” Elain insisted, her cheeks flaming red.
“Now I must keep you here for the rest of the afternoon,” Lucien told her, trying to make his words sound joking and light. Elain flopped into a chair, eyes bright.
“What did you learn?”
“That no one in this court has ever seen a mated pair and everyone is hoping to have sex with you,” he said quickly, occupying the chair across from her. “I am going to end up in a duel if they cannot keep themselves together.”
Her eyes widened. “The ladies have never met a mated pair either…and two of them offered to join us in our bedroom, if you’re looking for a diversion—”
“I’m not,” he said quickly. Elain’s smile turned smug, if only for a moment.
“Well, if you change your mind—”
“Is this what you have for me?” he teased. “An offer to set me up with the available females at court? I hardly require assistance on that front—”
“Yes, you’re so desirable,” she interrupted with an eye roll. “I have heard it all morning, Lucien and having spent the last four days with you, frankly, I do not understand the fuss.”
“Would you like to?”
Elain scowled. “I’ll pass, but the offer is too kind.”
Lucien drummed his fingers on his knee until she spoke.
“Okay, here is what I do know.”
“Finally,” he grumbled.
Elain’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh? Finally, is it? What was it that you said to me again? That I would be the one, to quote you, fuck this whole thing up. What do you know, again, Lucien? What information have you gleaned in all your centuries of wisdom?”
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry I said that, alright? Now tell me.”
Elain leveled a stare before smoothing the fabric of her dress over her knees. The ring on her finger caught in the afternoon sun and Lucien squirmed from pleasure at the sight. It was hers. He hoped she kept it when the entire thing was over.
“Did you know Hilda was from Montaserre?” she asked. Lucien smiled.
“I did.”
“So is Marcellus. They’re cousins and he’s here to keep her father’s interests in check. To hear Hilda explain, he’s an incredibly powerful warrior with a magic that seems similar to the Illyrians. He doesn’t need siphons but it gives him an edge in battle. She has that same magic and Gunnar hopes their offspring will, too.”
“So your average political alliance,” Lucien agreed. “My parents wed for similar reasons.”
“When I was talking to Marcellus at lunch, he mentioned he’d just come from squashing a rebellion but not from where. I didn’t dare ask and seem too interested when he was clearly trying to impress me, but I wonder if Rask is already pushing into the mortal lands as a test.”
As Lucien digested that, Elain continued.
“Gunnar knows your father.”
“Yes, they met when they were young,” Lucien began but Elain was shaking her head. “He knows him. Beron has been here in the last year. Hilda could speak of nothing but how little you resemble him, how strange your coloring, how much more handsome you were. I don’t think Beron shared any information about you but I’ll bet Gunnar has written him since we arrived.”
“Fuck,” Lucien swore. Elain tucked her legs beneath her dress.
“We didn’t tell them anything Beron could contradict,” Elain murmured, brown eyes watching him carefully. “For all he knows, we did get married.”
Lucien pressed a hand over his mouth, resting his chin against his palm as he considered the implications. “I know Beron allied with Briallyn…but he’d be stupid to think someone like Gunnar would honor any alliance they made. At best, Gunnar would set Beron up a regent and not a king in his own right.”
“Maybe he’s not trying to form an alliance. Maybe he just needs access to something Gunnar has,” Elain replied. Their eyes met.
“He’d be fucking stupid to see Koschei himself.”
Elain sighed softly. “This is more complicated than I originally thought.”
Lucien nodded. “If Gunnar brought Beron to his palace, I’m sure he didn’t understand Beron’s intentions. We’ll have to keep our ears open, untease this little mystery.”
“Beron’s not the only one they’ve been in contact with on Prythian,” Elain murmured, her eyes shifting with unease. “Helion has agreed to loan Gunnar one of his scholars.”
“For what?” Lucien demanded. “Does Rhysand know?”
“Is Rhysand our High King?” Elain snapped. “I don’t think Helion thought he needed to ask permission. Hilda didn’t say, only that she would be arriving in the next week or so.”
Lucien blew out a loud breath. “Wonderful.”
“I’ll befriend her,” Elain said brightly, always looking on the bright side while Lucien imagined every possible way this trip was going to get them killed. “One of us should do their job.”
Lucien waved her away with a soft growl. “Don’t you have a hotspring you’re supposed to be drowning in?”
Elain leapt from her chair. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell everyone it was me who pleasured you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, unconcerned with the state of his reputation given what Elain had revealed. Beron. Would his father truly make a deal with the devil himself just to rule Prythian? Would he not realize whatever bargain he made would be skewed to favor the death lord or did Beron think he could someone survive whatever horrors Koschei might inflict?
With a sigh, Lucien rose for a piece of parchment and a pen.
He’d need to tell Rhysand what they’d learned.
Elain:
If Elain learned nothing else over the following week, it was that she absolutely could not trust any of the women at court. Not even Hilda, who was perhaps the most visibly married woman around Elain and yet not hearing Elain clearly when she made a complaint.
“I found Ione in my bed,” Elain was protesting. “Naked.”
Hilda waved a hand. “Was she alone?”
Elain had to swallow a scream. “That is hardly—”
“Perhaps Lord Vanserra invited her,” Hilda continued from her place in the library, eyes firm on the stocking she was knitting.
“Did he also forget her?” Elain demanded.
“Males are stupid creatures,” Hilda offered breezily, the first smart thing she’d said all week. “Maybe he hoped you might–”
“He didn’t,” Elain interrupted firmly. She knew Lucien wouldn’t be so careless and certainly not so brazen he’d skip straight over kissing for a threesome. She couldn’t tell the queen that without admitting her and Lucien decidedly did not touch, which left Hilda dismissive and uninterested.
“Your mate likely lead her to believe—”
“He breathes and they imagine his interest,” Elain snapped, tired of how all anyone wanted was to speak about how handsome and tall and muscular Lucien was. What happened to his eye, Elain? Is he quite the warrior? His scars are so fascinating, however did he get them? Tell me about his cock—she’d had enough.
“He is new and we are bored,” Hilda finally told Elain with some amount of pity. “Males take mistresses. They are merely hoping he might choose them.”
“Not where we are from. It would be an insult,” Elain insisted, hating how Hilda’s pitying expression only deepened.
“Males are the same everywhere. Choose your own lover, if it bothers you so. But I cannot stop the ladies in my court from crawling in his bed anymore than you can. You will have to make peace with the circumstances eventually.”
Elain opened her mouth to protest but a servant strode into the open space, eyeing both Hilda and Elain with interest. No one bowed to the queen here or offered her any respect beyond acknowledging she was married to Gunnar. Hilda had very little power save for the control she exerted over her ladies and it was a control she wielded very infrequently, careful not to disturb some imagined imbalance. How many of them had crawled into her own husband's bed, Elain wondered?
“The scholar from Prythian has arrived.”
“Oh good. This is why I called you here, Elain,” Hilda added, rising from her chair. “I want to meet her before Gunnar.”
“Any particular reason? Elain questioned, falling into step beside Rask’s queen.
“I don’t trust her,” Hilda murmured. “Or her High Lord, no matter what Gunnar says. After Beron…” Hilda didn’t follow up what had happened with Beron to make her distrustful and Elain wondered why Hilda trusted her. “I just want your opinion on her. I can trust you not to lie to me.”
She couldn’t, but Elain suspected what Hilda could trust was Elain not to sleep with her husband. No one in this court were friends, a jarring realization after four years in Night. Backstabbing and two-faced, honeyed words were par the course. Elain had watched Zosia saunter in the morning before drenched in Gunnar’s scent and utterly unrepentant as she joined everyone for tea. They all discussed him as if he were some paragon of masculinity but Elain thought him little more than a toad, putting his slimy hands wherever he could in order to mask the insecurities he so clearly had. What good was being handsome if his personality was so dreadful?
“What,” Hilda breathed when they stepped into the drawing room, “Is in the water over in Prythian?”
Elain understood what she meant, exhaling a grateful breath at the sight of the glowing, beautiful woman standing on the black and blue rug. Elain had been imagining an older woman, graying and ancient, having spent thousands of years studying in Helion’s libraries but this woman couldn’t have been any older than Elain and, to Elain’s dizzying delight, twice as lovely.
“You’re the scholar?” Hilda asked, closing the drawing room doors behind them. “Arina?”
Arina’s pine green eyes danced with amusement. “I’m older than I look, lady.” Hilda cringed when Arina dropped into a polite curtsey, her long-sleeved, white dress fanning about her body. It wasn’t done on the continent like it was in Prythian. Everyone respected the ladies married to High Lords the way they did their husbands, if nothing else.
“Was the journey difficult?” Hilda asked politely when Arina righted herself. Elain studied Helion’s scholar, wondering why he’d picked this particular woman to come. Arina, with her waist length golden hair and her bronzed skin, looked laughably out of place. The men were going to love her. It was perhaps an uncharitable first thought and yet Elain was relieved to have some of that attention fall off herself.
“Not at all. I winnowed in a few moments earlier. Colder than I expected, though,” Arina admitted with a pretty laugh. Elain decided right then and there that she liked Arina, if only for her attempt to bring levity to the tense atmosphere.
“My husband explained why you’re here?”
“Well, he explained to my High Lord,” Arina offered, taking a seat on the floral settee behind her when Hilda gestured. Elain remained at the door, watching the whole scene as best she could, if only to transcribe everything word for word to Lucien later that night. “About the Cauldron–”
“Yes, of course, that fucking Cauldron,” Hilda snapped, smoothing out her violet dress with irritation. “His obsession knows no limits. I need you to do something different, though.”
Arina lifted a delicate brow, her full lips quirking upwards. “I assume this stays between us?”
“If you value your life,” Hilda all but snarled. “There is a sorcerer living in these lands. Bound to it. No one can translate the original text and when Gunnar asked your High Lord for a scholar, it was for his best. I am hoping that means you are adept at languages. I want that creature gone. Surely the original curse explains it.”
Arina’s eyes slid to Elain who, despite knowing better, shrugged her shoulders near imperceptibly. I didn’t know about this.
“Gunnar thinks he could be reasoned with if we had the Cauldron,” Hilda said, taking both Elain and Arina by surprise. “Men are foolish, stupid creatures.” Said with such hatred, such vehemence that Elain wondered the true manner of their marriage. “That we could wield their power but I know better. Do what you must but do not tell him you are looking.”
“And you trust this female behind you?” Arina asked gently, biting her bottom lip.
“Elain Archeron—” Awareness flashed over Arina’s expression when she heard the name— “Is also from Prythian. She knows the nature of the Cauldron and for that precise reason can be trusted.”
Hilda rose. “Gunnar will try and seduce you. I would ask you don’t believe his lies.”
Arina grinned. “I promise not to sleep with your husband, lady.”
“I told you it is not done in Prythian,” Elain added pointedly.
Hilda rose. “Well, tell that to Lucien Vanserra—”
“Lucien Vanserra is here?” Arina asked, eyes alight. Hilda twisted to look at Elain as if to say see? Males are males no matter where you go.
“He owes me fifty gold coins,” Arina added with a grin. “He’s been dodging me for decades.”
“I’ll let him know.”
“You do that,” Arina agreed, following behind Hilda. Back turned to both women from Prythian, Arina mouthed, Let’s talk later.
Elain dodged Hilda and Arina, all but running to the throne room where she knew Lucien would be, surrounded by males talking casually. She needed a way to get him out without making herself so totally obvious. Elain’s eyes swept into the room, glittering that same simmering white and purple that was starting to feel so fake. The white moonstone throne lay abandoned so Gunnar could cavort about with the men, his crown abandoned somewhere in the palace. For a moment he seemed so normal, so young. Sitting at a long, carved table set beneath the glimmering chandelier, he could have been any other man.
His eyes found her first, cutting through the ladies dancing and men playing cards. His smile faltered for only a moment before he beckoned with two fingers, scooting just enough for her to join him. Elain flounced forward, not to Gunnar, who she loathed more than she’d ever thought possible, but to Lucien. His arm shot out as she passed just as she knew it would, hauling her into his lap like he always did. It was meant to be affectionate, to remind all the men he was playing cards with that she was undeniably his wife. It had irritated her the first time he’d done it, but then, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into the crook of his neck, Elain was grateful.
“I’m going to touch you,” she whispered in warning, still able to feel Gunnar’s eyes on her body. She got the sense their little display amused him more than deterred him. Lucien didn’t react, not when her hand slid down his chest before resting against his upper thigh. Hardened muscle shifted beneath her palm, adjusting her ever so slightly so she wasn’t so close to other things.
“Put me over your shoulder, pretend to be consumed with lust.”
Lucien glanced down at her, his one russet eye practically burning with flame. “Can I help you, sweet mate?”
She was sweating. What was wrong with her? “I miss you.”
Lucien smiled, rising from his seat just as she’d asked. “I’m out.”
“Come on, Vanserra,” came a few voices of protest but Lucien hauled her up over his shoulder.
“Duty calls, I’m afraid,” he said, ever the conquering hero. Elain ignored the way people watched, how their scents shifted as he strolled by. Lucien had the decency to at least put her on her feet when they reached the stairs though his agitation was unmatched.
“I was in the middle of something,” he grumbled.
“Yes, losing more coins,” Elain agreed. “You are quite talented at that.”
Lucien shut them in their bedroom, his fingers flying to the golden buttons on his sage colored jacket.
“We’re not actually doing anything,” Elain reminded him when he shrugged out of his clothes. He pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it at her face.
“You’ll wear my scent and you’ll like it,” Lucien informed her, striding across the room in nothing but his fine pants. Elain had to turn to avoid staring, hated the way her traitorous body immediately brightened at the sight of his carved pectorals, at the defined muscles of his abdomen, his back.
He returned with another shirt, tucking it hastily into his pants. “Put that on,” he all but barked. “What was so important you had to drag me—”
“Helion sent a scholar,” she said. “Arina.”
Jealousy pricked at her stomach when Lucien visibly brightened just as Arina had. How did they really know each other? He was lovely…she could begrudgingly admit that. And Arina, well…Elain didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone quite so pretty. Elain squashed it. Who cared?
“Did she happen to mention what Gunnar wants her for? Outside of sex, which he seems very certain he will be getting.”
“Why?”
Lucien shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed as Elain pulled the fabric of his shirt over her head, letting it drape over her dress. The fabric hung loose around her body, nearly touching her knees. “Day Court has a very…specific…reputation. I know he requested someone beautiful. I suppose I should have assumed it would be Arina that came. She is Helion’s right hand, after all. She’ll be reporting back just as we are.”
“I’m surprised all of Prythian isn’t sending emissaries,” Elain murmured as she tried hard not to inhale the heady, masculine scent of him. Gods, he smelled good.
“Tarquin and Kallias know me well enough, I think, to wait out what happens. Tamlin has no one to send and Helion has Arina. I would guess he’s already talked to Thesan, who might also trust Arina or at least, Helion, to act in the Solar Court's best interests. That only leaves Beron and who knows…maybe he’ll trot over himself and save me a lot of trouble.”
“Trouble how?”
“If Beron shows his face, he might as well admit he’s got his sights set on territory that doesn’t belong to him,” Lucien explained patiently, his eyes far away. “It would be enough to force the other six High Lords to act. Beron borders more than just Spring. Winter and Summer both have relatively new High Lords and Summer was devastated during Hybern. If Beron means to sweep into Spring, what’s stopping him from going into Summer, too? He’d control half of Prythian with relative ease.”
“Hilda asked Arina to look at the ancient spell that binds Koschei. She wants him off the continent…and Gunnar—”
“Wants the Cauldron,” Lucien finished heavily. “I gathered as much. He thinks Rhysand has it which benefits us for the moment. He’s not certain he wants to go up against Rhys…but he might consider going up against Drakkon.”
“So what now?”
Lucien shook his head. “We’re in the middle of whatever is happening,” Lucien murmured thoughtfully. “Leaving would be a mistake, I think. For better or worse, we should try and direct things as best we can. If Hilda trusts you enough to tell you her intentions, even if it’s only a half-truth, I think you have a duty to try and help her, if only to protect our own home.”
“Is that what you’re doing?”
“In a way. Whatever Beron might have suggested regarding our strength, the fact remains that we beat back Hybern with the Cauldron. Gunnar is more careful with what he says to me. Perhaps it was a mistake to say we were married.”
Elain surged forward, shoving the sleeves of his shirt up to her elbows. “What do you mean?”
Lucien eyed her for a moment. “You are lovely and unassuming…and Gunnar might reveal more than he means to in his own bedchamber.”
It was so practical, so unemotional…and yet it hurt her feelings. “Oh?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Is that why I found Ione in our bed today?”
Lucien’s brow furrowed. “Did you?”
“She was naked,” Elain added, condemnation dripping from every word.
“Maybe she was here for you,” he dismissed. “I don’t think I’ve spoken one word to her.”
“Enough to let her think you were interested.”
Lucien rose to his feet, walking slowly towards her with what could only be described as predatory intent. She held her breath when he reached not for her, but around her for his jacket hanging over the chair. “Our bed, is it, Elain?”
“I sleep there, don’t I?” she all but whispered. His smell was so much stronger here, practically overwhelming her. She almost wished he’d take his shirt back off, that he’d…that he’d what? She cleared the through, swallowing it roughly. She didn’t want him to touch her, would have hit him if he tried. The idea was abhorrent and fascinating all at once.
“I’m sure she smelled nothing but you when she climbed into our bed,” Lucien murmured, shrugging back into his jacket. “I almost pity her.”
“And if you’d found her?”
“What did you do?” Lucien questioned, stepping out of her space, back facing her so he could button his jacket.
“I told her to go!”
He chuckled. “Well, next time take advantage of what she’s offering. Don’t stop on my account.”
“Is that what you would have done?”
His back tensed. “I’m a mated male, Elain. I’m perfectly content with what is already in my bed.”
He strolled to the deck, leaving her standing there in his shirt more confused and flustered than before. He had nothing at all.
What did he mean by that?
#elucien#elucien fanfiction#elucien fanfic#elain x lucien#love how dumb they are#cherish it even#also no one ever says this but plot is so hard#where are the PEENS?#tucked away politely#hate it
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Know A to Z Blue Sapphire Stone
Know all about blue sapphire stone (Neelam) , History, Astrological health benefits, healing, precaution and why should wear ?, how should wear blue sapphire stone?
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What are the benefits of wearing an emerald (panna) stone, and where can I get natural emeralds?
Wearing an emerald, also known as a "panna" stone in Vedic astrology, is believed to offer various benefits, both astrologically and metaphysically. Here are some of the commonly attributed benefits of wearing a natural emerald:
Improved Communication: Emeralds are associated with the planet Mercury, which is linked to communication skills. Wearing an emerald is believed to enhance your ability to express yourself effectively and articulate thoughts clearly.
Enhanced Intelligence: It is thought to boost intellect and memory, making it useful for students and individuals in fields that require analytical thinking.
Promotes Emotional Balance: Some believe that emeralds can help calm emotions and reduce anxiety. They are thought to bring emotional stability and harmony.
Financial Prosperity: Wearing an emerald is associated with increased financial success and wealth. It is believed to attract opportunities for financial growth.
Health Benefits: In traditional medicine, emeralds are believed to have healing properties. They are thought to improve eye health and alleviate disorders related to the nervous system.
Spiritual Growth: Emeralds are often associated with heart-centered energy, promoting love, compassion, and spiritual growth.
Protection: Some cultures consider emeralds to be protective stones that ward off negative energies and evil influences.
When looking for natural emeralds, it's important to ensure their authenticity. Here are some tips on where to find natural emeralds:
Reputable Jewelers: Visit established and trusted jewelers in your area who specialize in gemstones. They often have certified natural emeralds in various forms such as rings, pendants, and loose stones.
Gemstone Dealers: You can find natural emeralds through certified gemstone dealers and wholesalers who source gems directly from mines.
Online Gemstone Retailers: Many reputable online retailers specialize in selling natural gemstones, including emeralds. Be sure to check for certifications and customer reviews.
Auction Houses: Occasionally, natural emeralds are auctioned at prestigious auction houses. These auctions can be a source of high-quality gems.
Gem Shows: Gem and jewelry exhibitions or trade shows often feature natural emeralds. It's a great way to see a variety of options and consult with experts.
Remember to ask for a certificate of authenticity and origin when purchasing natural emeralds. These certificates provide information about the gem's quality and source.
If you're keen on buying natural emeralds or delving deeper into their astrological significance, you can head over to the website www.rudragram.com. Take your time to browse through their collection and don't hesitate to seek advice from their experts for assistance in choosing the perfect emerald to suit your require me
#emerald stone (panna)#blue sapphire stone (neelam)#ruby stone (manik)#white pearl (moti)#yellow sapphire (pukhraj)#2 mukhi rudraksha#1 mukhi rudraksha#5 मुखी रुद्राक्ष के लाभ#benefits of 5 mukhi rudraksha#5 mukhi rudraksha
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Navaratan Gems at Giri Collections with Lab Certified Proved in Delhi. Lab-certified Navratan gems are a popular choice for those seeking the beauty and astrological benefits of these nine precious stones. Each stone is associated with a different planet and is believed to bring good luck, health, and prosperity to the wearer. Giri Collections - The nine gems of Navratan are:
Ruby (Manikya)
Pearl (Moti)
Emerald (Panna)
Yellow Sapphire (Pukhraj)
Diamond (Heera)
Garnet (Gomed)
Blue Sapphire (Neelam)
Topaz (Topaz)
Coral (Munga)
When choosing lab-certified Navratan gems, it is important to ensure that the stones are genuine and untreated. A reputable gemological laboratory can provide a certificate of authenticity that states the type, weight, and quality of each stone.
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