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kradogsrats · 1 year

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tumblr user @raayllum is a HUGE enabler so here's some "Harrow and Viren are married and raise Ezran as their son" AU garbage

After Ezran is a year or two old, Sarai returns to her full-time military career (which was put on hold after Callum's father died). Callum is raised alongside Ezran, but is always hyper-aware of their difference in status, which makes their relationship a bit less close than in canon.

"Your highness." "Callum, you know you can call me 'Ezran,' or even 'Ez.' We're brothers." "Half-brothers, and you're the prince."

Viren does intend to teach Ezran magic, but Ezran ultimately refuses to learn (to varying degrees, depending on whether it's ultimately important that he NOT be susceptible to Aaravos's control). He also doesn't believe Ezran's explanation of his ability to understand animals, and is hurt and resentful of what he perceives as personal rejection. Harrow has to intervene and it's a big point of contention in their relationship.

Viren also has a deeply toxic rivalry with Sarai because, being hyper-aware of status dynamics, he's insecure about not being Ezran's "real" father and that tends to manifest as him being extremely possessive of Ezran and trying to drive a wedge between him and Sarai. Sarai, for her part, is very protective of Callum in that she trusts Harrow to ensure he's taken care of in her absence, and... tolerates Viren, at best. (She definitely looks at the royal portrait of him like "I've had enough of this dude".)

This is important because it's Callum who Viren winds up training in magic, because Ezran refuses but Callum is open to it. Ezran went through a phase before he began outright refusing lessons where he demanded Callum be present for them, so Callum learned enough to be interested and also demonstrate that he's potentially very good at it. He may not be a prodigy like Claudia, but he's desperate for something to be good and useful at, which is both deeply resonant with and exploitable by Viren.

Since Soren never exists, Kpp'Ar doesn't have his major falling out with Viren. @raayllum wants him to be around as a grandfather-like figure to Callum, which I acknowledge would be awesome. However, I am a bad person and want him to stop Viren from riding out after Neha and Annika during the Titan Heart expedition like "your son needs you, mine no longer does" and go himself.

On the geopolitical front, a mage king in the human kingdoms is a big red flag for Xadia. Without Sarai (and Sarai's early death) as a moderating influence on Harrow, tensions continue to escalate on both sides, to the point of actual dragon attacks on Katolian border outposts and settlements.

Sarai is killed(?) during one of these escalating skirmishes. (I say ? because it would be kind of fun for Callum to have Rayla's "my dead parent is alive" arc.)

Out of both genuine feeling for Callum and also knowing a golden opportunity, Viren convinces Callum to provide the blood and hatred that will kill Thunder. (The spell here would have to be tweaked a bit, since Sarai's last breath is not available, but I don't think that's insurmountable.)

Killing Thunder at a point where open warfare is basically already beginning is less out there than randomly showing up to do so in peacetime, but it does kind of complicate stealing the egg. The problem here is that either the egg still needs to be stolen, or there needs to be something else that convinces Rayla to not go through with the assassination mission. Coming up with a way for the egg to still be stolen is probably the easier option, but I'd try reeeeally hard for some other Rayla pivot point just because it would be a lot of fun to have her character dynamic also changed by the fact that her parents are still alive and not disgraced. Maybe something to do with Ezran's abilities?

Either way, Zubeia's reaction is basically "This was Avizandum's war, not mine. Fighting it won't bring him back. Cut off the head of Katolis and end it." She gives the order to assassinate the entire royal family--the blood king, the dark mage, and the heir. Series plot kickoff ensues. (OR maybe the directive is to kill the kings and capture/kidnap the heir, since that uncertainty would be even more crippling to the kingdom than a decisive end to the royal line.)

Who goes after the prince(s) and egg if Soren and Claudia don't exist? Well, I think it would be fun for novice dark mage Callum to have to face off against one of his teacher's powerful spells, and for Rayla to have to fight her lost comrades, so--shadow assassins.

Where's Aaravos? Shhhhhhhh. I want him to get to Callum first.

#anyway will i write this? NO I WILL NOT #tbh i've got all the bits that really interest me already covered in other projects #it's basically just an exercise in 'how much more fucked up could this family get'

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katanasonata · 4 years

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Aspiro

This one was a challenge to render but I liked how it turned out! I’ll keep working hard to perfect my art style.

ALSO! My commissions website is now up HERE. I’ll be opening commissions up mid-august.

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leaphia · 4 years

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Rayla, Callum and Ezran

Guess who finished watching The Dragon Prince and had to draw the main three immediately

#artists on tumblr #the dragon prince #tdp #rayla #callum #ezran #the dragon prince fanart #portrait #digital art #digital sketch #sketches #my art #leaphia art #I want to draw all the other characters #because I love their character design so much!#the worldbuilding is also so interesting I love it!

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myriam-draws · 5 years

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I had so many ideas after this new season, especially for sarai, but this is all I could do ndjdj

#tdp art #tdp #the dragon prince #sarai #harrow #callum #ezran #king harrow #queen sarai #prince callum #prince ezran #i started drawing a portrait of her and a bunch of other ones where she and harrow are being like That #but my head started to hurt so fuckignfn much and got depressive and i kust did this

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tenspontaneite · 3 years

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Across Shared Skin (Chapter 2/?)

“This is the worst possible way this could have happened!”

(Chapter length: 3k. Ao3 link)

---

The back of his hand still ached from where she’d hit it. He couldn’t quite draw his mind away from that, couldn’t ignore it, couldn’t get away from it. The back of his hand hurt, because that was where his soulmark was, and she’d hit hers, and of course it had carried over, that was how soulbonds worked.

She was still standing there. Still with those swords in her hands, though she’d lowered them now. Still standing over him, though she’d backed away a little, as if someone had shoved her. Still wide-eyed, still aghast, still an elf, still his soulmate-

“Shit,” she said again, more emphatically, and staggered further backwards. For a moment it seemed like she was trying to lift her hands, to bury her face in them – but then she saw her swords and flinched, shuddering in a violent motion that terminated with her fingers so tight on the weapons’ hilts that they trembled.

She had white hair. All the books had said that Moonshadow elves had white hair, but it was one thing to read it, another to see it. And those horns, too, and the ears – she was – she wasn’t human, she really wasn’t, and for all that he’d spent years trying to imagine what that would look like, it still fell short of reality. It was her. It was really her. This was what his soulmate looked like. “Rayla,” He said again, testing the name, feeling his pulse race so fast that his head swam. She flinched again at the name, eyes jerking back towards him, so plainly distressed that it made his gut twist.

Her eyes were purple. He’d seen that before, of course, when she was standing over him with that sword, but – somehow it mattered more, now that he knew who she was.

“No,” she uttered, despairingly, like it was a reflex response to hearing her name from his lips. Her expression twisted as if to hold back some unbearable emotion.

Ezran was frozen at the portrait hole, and hadn’t moved. Callum was only peripherally aware of that. Mostly, he was aware of the thrum of his heartbeat, and the look on his soulmate’s face, and the part of him that was still tense and terrified in anticipation of death. In those moments, it was all confusion, a conflicting tangle of his shock and his fear. But then – he looked at her, and his mind began to catch up. She’d been this nameless, frightening elf mere minutes ago, but he’d seen her hesitate even then, seen her listen to him – and now she was Rayla, and he knew Rayla, and-

In a sudden, decisive moment, it was like something clicked into place. The elf who’d threatened him at swordpoint and the elf who was his soulmate were the same – and as that knowledge reconciled itself, he felt his shoulders slump with unthinking relief. All at once he understood, without reservation or doubt, that she wasn’t going to hurt them. He knew. He’d never been more certain of anything in his life.

“Rayla,” he repeated, steadier this time, secure in that knowledge, and slowly went to stand up.

She recoiled, flinching backwards as he rose. “No,” she said again, and then again, and again- “No, no, no, this isn’t – this wasn’t supposed to-“ She whirled around, pacing in broken and aborted steps around the office, like she wanted to flee but didn’t know where to go. Her shoulders were so tense it looked painful, and – she snapped towards him, suddenly, one of those swords suddenly up and pointing accusatively his way. “This is the worst possible way this could have happened!”

The way she’d said it, it was almost like she blamed him for that. Like he’d decided that these should be the circumstances of their pre-ordained meeting. “…I’m…sorry?” He offered, weakly, looking back at the bristling affront that had come over her in that moment. She seemed angry, right then, but – then she saw the blade she was pointing his way, and it all crumpled away at once.

“I was going to kill you.” She said, voice tight and haunted, and she looked up at him blankly. Her eyes slid to his brother, still frozen motionless in the mouth of the secret passage. Quiet, she added “…I’m supposed to kill you.”

He swallowed. “Yeah, you said.” He acknowledged, remembering his terror when she’d said she was here to kill his brother, his absolute certainty that he could not allow it to happen. That felt so long ago, now. “You’re…an assassin,” he tested the words, looking at her, looking at the swords, the armour, the wiry muscles tense along her arms. He remembered years and years and years of seeing her write about her training. “You’re an assassin, and you came here to kill Ezran.” He tilted his head at her, a little solemn. “I guess whoever sent you probably wouldn’t mind if you got another human prince, too.”

She barked a harsh laugh. “If you got in the way? No. No, they wouldn’t.” Again, her eyes flickered to Ezran. She exhaled. Again, she said “I’m supposed to kill you.” It was strangely bleak, this time. Defeated.

Ez flinched a little, but Callum didn’t falter at all. Not anymore. He took a step towards her, and she rocked back on her heels as if to lean away from him. He stepped again though, with a confidence that surprised him, and said “You won’t.”

She didn’t move back this time. Just watched him, rigidly still, expression twisting. Her fingers clenched on her weapons. “You sure about that?” Her voice was low.

He stepped again, and again, until he was directly in front of her. Close enough for her to run him through with either blade. Close enough for her to reach out and break his neck. But she wouldn’t. “Yeah. I’m sure.” She watched him, so wary, so conflicted. There was something in her expression that made her look startlingly vulnerable. With utter certainty, he said “You’re not going to hurt us.”

She closed her eyes, then. Exhaled. When she opened them, her hands flexed on the weapons. He didn’t even flinch as they moved, convinced beyond the possibility of doubt that she would never threaten him with them again. And, sure enough, the way that motion ended was with the blades flipping away, melding by some mechanism back into their handles. Sheathed. Safe. “No.” She agreed, finally. “I’m not.” There was an edge of self-recrimination in her eyes as she looked away. “I couldn’t.”

Finally, Ezran seemed to sense an opening in that tension. Cautiously, he stepped out of the portrait hole, creeping a few steps forward until her eyes fell on him. He looked up at her, wary but interested, Bait held tightly in his arms. “You’re Callum’s soulmate,” he spoke, like he just needed to say it, to get it out there. “Rayla. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Her expression twisted, like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. “And you’re his brother. Prince Ezran.” Her hand went to one of the silvery ribbons she wore around her wrists. “I’ve heard plenty about you, too.” She exhaled, shakily. “I came here to kill you.”

Ezran crept a little closer, surprisingly confident, as if some of Callum’s certainty had bled into him. “Why?” He asked, curious and almost calm, as if this were some matter considerably lighter than one of life and death.

“You’re the son of a king who killed our king and his son.” She answered, bleakly. “We’re supposed to pay it back. Blood for blood. Justice for their deaths. Make it right.”

Callum hesitated, then reached out. His fingertips grazed her forearm; the first time he’d ever touched her. She flinched as though burned, eyes snapping to his. “Revenge isn’t the same thing as justice, Rayla.” He told her, quietly. “You know that.”

“Do I?” Her voice sounded almost tired.

“Killing Ez to make up for what happened to the Dragon Prince wouldn’t solve anything. Wouldn’t make anything better.” He looked at her, exhaling softly, and could finally speak a truth he had never been allowed to write: “Just like…King Harrow killing the Dragon King, to make up for what happened to my mom, didn’t solve anything.” He saw her recoil at that, and added quietly “Didn’t help me, and…didn’t help the world, either. Or you wouldn’t be here.”

“Your mother,” she whispered, like she was abruptly reconciling Callum the prince with Callum the soulmate. Like it had just occurred to her what that meant. “Queen Sarai. The – Dragon King killed her?”

A twist of pain gripped his chest. “Yeah.” He studied her eyes, her expression. “You didn’t know?”

“No.” With that awful understanding on her face, he couldn’t doubt her. She shuddered and looked away, hands clenching on her sheathed weapons. When finally she looked back, she seemed so horribly uncertain that it made his heart ache. “Callum…” she said, finally, the first time he’d ever heard her speak his name. “What am I supposed to do?”

He hesitated, then. He wanted to say don’t murder anyone, but she didn’t need telling that, and…that wasn’t an answer to that question. Not really. She was here in the heart of the kingdom, and could have killed him, and could have killed his brother, and – surely, she wasn’t alone. Surely they’d not have sent only her. There had to be others, and that wasn’t something he knew how to answer.

Ezran, though... “You should follow me,” he said, plainly, finally approaching enough to insinuate himself beside them. “If this is about the Dragon Prince…” he nodded towards the open portrait hole. “Then there’s something you need to see.”

She stared down at him with obvious consternation. She glanced at Callum, as if to check with him, and he shrugged helplessly. “You sure, Ez?” he asked his brother, dubious, and received a very firm nod in return. He sighed. In a situation like this…he had to trust that Ezran wouldn’t mess around. “Alright,” he accepted. “Lead the way.”

‘The way’, apparently, was into the secret passage connected to Lord Viren’s study. Ezran and Bait climbed back into it, but Rayla hesitated before following. She went off to the side, picked something up, and pushed it into his hands. “You dropped this.” She said, quiet. “When I knocked you over.”

It was Harrow’s letter. Callum swallowed past the lump in his throat, and held it close. “…Thanks.”

Ever-so-briefly, and so lightly he hardly felt it, she rested her hand on his arm. Her eyes met his. Then she turned away, and walked off into the dark.

Callum followed.

---

Ezran had been right. They had needed to see this.

“The Dragon Prince is alive,” Rayla breathed, eyes wide, fingers shaking. “This – this changes everything.”

After a little discussion, though, it transpired that some of that ‘everything’ might be a little harder to change than the rest. “So there are more of you.” Callum concluded, voice tight, as she finally admitted that the ‘others’ would be coming.

“Five.” She agreed, voice just as terse as his . “I – was supposed to stay behind. I didn’t. I came early, so they wouldn’t stop me, but-“ She glanced up at the stone ceiling, as if she could see the sky even through a castle’s worth of rock and air. “But they’ll be coming once the Moon rises. When we’re strongest.”

“…Can we stop them?” He asked, carefully controlled. He’d known he had a Moonshadow elf for a soulmate for years. He’d done research. He’d asked people. He knew how powerful they were supposed to be at Full Moon.

She looked at him, uncertainty plain on her face. “If we show the egg to Runaan-“ She started, falteringly. “He…might call the mission off?”

He could see how unconvinced she was of that. “You think?”

She exhaled. “No. But I think we have to try.” She stood. “I know where he’ll be. We should get there as soon as possible.”

Ezran picked up the egg, and the three of them prepared to set off.

Except that was when Claudia arrived.

---

Not much later, with a primal stone in his hands and the exhilaration of magic still fresh in his veins, Rayla turned to him for a moment and smiled. It was a tentative thing, but- “Preferred that to all your sword lessons, didn’t you,” she observed, and he stopped short, strangely breathless. There was something about the reference to their history, to the things she knew because she was his soulmate, that – that was just – kind of amazing.

“So much,” he agreed, heartfelt, and felt his face break into a grin at her. She went a little pink around the ears, but huffed at him with a friendly sort of humour. She patted him on the shoulder.

“Well, magic’s plenty good for defending yourself, so just keep that spell in mind and you’ll be fine.” Her lips twisted thoughtfully for a moment. “Don’t suppose you know that lightning spell too? Looked proper useful, that one.”

“Er,” he said, eloquently, and thought. “I remember the rune. Is that enough?”

“No, you’d need the incantation too.” She frowned.

He tried to remember it, but…in the end, his memory was mostly only good for things he saw. “…Finalous?” He guessed, knowing it wasn’t right. “Culminus? No…”

She scowled at the wall for a second, holding up a finger to silence him. “Fulminis.” She concluded, decisively, after that moment. “I think.” She glanced back at him. “Try it.”

“Now?” He blinked, taken-aback. “Shouldn’t we be going to find your assassin leader?”

“It’s related.” Her teeth gritted a little. “Try it.”

He exchanged a glance with Ezran, then shrugged. “Alright.” He lifted the stone in one hand. Drawing the rune was easy; it lit up with sparks, magic surging at once, impatient for release. And then the incantation did turn out to be right, because saying “fulminis” unleashed a bolt of lightning from his fingertip that crackled loud and bright into the wall he’d aimed it at. He beamed.

Rayla noted this with a sort of grim satisfaction, and said “Good.” When he looked askance at her, she exhaled, and admitted “He’s probably going to try to kill you.”

It took him a second to think of who she meant. “…Your leader?” He questioned, confused. “Because…I’d get between him and Ezran?”

“That too.” She looked away. “Mostly, though, because you’re my soulmate. My human soulmate. And we’ve only just met, so…” She glanced back at him, troubled. “Well, you know.”

Oh. Right. He could imagine how ‘human soulmate’ and ‘only just met’ might be a recipe for violence from a murderous, concerned-for-Rayla elven assassin commander. He winced. “Yeah. He’d…what, want to kill me before it’s ‘too late’?”

She scowled, expression tightening, and inclined her head. “I wouldn’t put it past him to think I’d be better off that way.” Her shoulders straightened, and she reached out to tap the primal stone. “So keep this handy. And defend yourself, alright?”

He swallowed, and nodded. “What about you?” He asked. She looked confused. “He’s – you’re Moonshadow elves. The mission is supposed to be everything, right? You’re supposed to act like you’re already dead, even, so it doesn’t matter if you die to pull it off?”

Rayla stared at him. “How do you know that?”

“He’s been reading about you guys forever.” Ezran offered, and her eyes turned his way. “And talking to anyone who’s ever met Moonshadow elves or knows anything. Aunt Amaya, Lord Viren, everyone.”

At her expression, he shrugged self-consciously. “I knew you were a Moonshadow elf. I wanted to know what that meant. And – you weren’t allowed to talk to me about that. So I had to ask other people.” He shook his head. “That’s not important right now, though. What I mean is – you’re going against the mission, right? You’re trying to stop him. So…” Carefully, he looked at her. “Are you going to be safe?”

She was quiet for long enough that the silence was an answer of its own. Finally, she said “Probably not. I don’t think he’d actually kill me. But…” She shrugged.

Callum set his jaw, and clutched the primal stone close. “I’ll be ready.” He promised grimly.

Rayla looked almost startled at that response, though he didn’t know why. Wasn’t it obvious that he’d try to protect her, if he could?

“We should go.” Ezran said, nervous, looking between the egg in his hands and the ceiling. He glanced around at them. “We’re going to the roof, right? There’s a pretty quick way there. Follow me.”

“How much time have you spent in the castle secret passages?” Callum asked, exasperated, already following.

Ez smiled a little, smug. “A while,” he said nonchalantly, and opened a hidden staircase in the corridor beside them like it was nothing.

They were in a doorway opening out to the castle battlements when Rayla stopped them, suddenly tense. “He’s out there.” She said, terse. “Or he will be soon. I-“ She hesitated for a moment, then said “I’ll try to get him to call off the mission. I might call you out to show him the egg. But if he won’t stop…” She exhaled, hands drifting to where she’d hung her sheathed blades. “I’ll have to stop him myself.”

Callum, meanwhile, was very resolved that she absolutely wouldn’t be doing any assassin-stopping by herself. Not if he had anything to say about it.

He fixed the spell into his mind, gritted his teeth, and waited.

---

End chapter.

Notes: also a cliffhanger! I guess! But the story wanted it, so. Who am I to argue.

Canon is going to get drop-kicked off of a mountain next chapter, FYI.

Thank you everyone for the response. It’s been flattering to hear from those of you who read this in the zine first, who are looking forward to the story continuing. I hope it continues to do justice to the concept!

Worldbuilding stuff of note in this chapter: if you’re curious about what Callum and Rayla meant about the ‘only just met’ and ‘too late’ stuff, the answer is: soulmate mechanics! Gonna tease this for a bit, but you’ll see what it’s about in ch4.

#rayllum #tdp fic #soulmate AU #tdp callum #tdp rayla #tdp ezran

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raayllum · 10 months

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insp by @jelzorz’s HC of ezran having a network of little spy animals in katolis and well, this drabble bunny of how it got started wouldn’t leave me alone

His brother has always been clever, able to look at things from a variety of angles, and while Callum’s ideas can sometimes be extreme or exasperating, they are almost always worth considering. But this...

“An animal spy network?” Ezran says, arching a brow. “Really?”

“You can never be too safe,” Rayla adds from her new seat on the council.

“And it would save the crownguard time on patrol,” Callum says, standing in front of his more familiar chair. “Our guards are good, but they’re not infallible.”

“His Highness has a point, Your Majesty,” Marcos says quietly, shuffling uncertainly. He’s here at Callum’s request, but he’s always a little nervous when he’s around—“The castle would’ve never known of the oncoming attack if Princess—” Rayla clears her throat. “Lady Rayla hadn’t let me go.”

“The animals of the kingdom already know you and love you,” Callum says pointedly. “We might as well use it.”

Ezran scowls. “And how exactly will they know how to identify ‘threats’? “Anyone whose an elf? Anyone who looks out of place or different?”

“Anyone travelling through the Dark Grove behind the castle at night with weapons,” Callum says flatly. “You’re making it more than it is, Ez.”

“And you’re being paranoid and wasting my time—”

Opeli slides in, voice soft. “King Ezran, with all due respect, you are being a tad unfair to Prince Callum. I understand that you are hesitant and worried about the possibility of using the animals in some manner, but all rulers must consider the benefits of espionage and security, no matter how underhanded it feels.”

The truth lurks underneath — that everyone is still scared from the latest assassination attempt a month ago, an extremist from Del Bar that had made it as far as the castle before getting apprehended thanks to the enchantments Callum had wrapped around their home. Callum had wanted the man executed, in his fury.

Ezran had pointed out who he’d married, who he’d set free from coins despite Ezran’s misgivings years ago, and sent the man back to Del Bar begrudgingly in chains.

“Yes well, Callum’s very good at being that,” he mutters.

Hurt flashes across his high mage’s face for a second, but Ezran doesn’t let it deter him. Callum says jerkface things all the time. Ezran can let something slip just once.

(Later, Rayla cajoles them into talking, and Callum admits he’s scared, and Ezran agrees they can consider a network for the animals intelligent and willing enough to participate.

“I just don’t want to lose you,” Callum says.

Ezran looks at his brother, and their portrait next to their father and Viren, lined up side by side. Sometimes, he wonders if Soren sees the shadow of his father in Callum’s face — in his posture, in his ways — too, or if it’s only Ezran’s imagined ghost. Only his tangible fear, too.

Realistically, he knows that he needs this counter balance.

Someone has to be like Opeli, and consider the angles that Ezran cannot or doesn’t want to. Someone has to keep him and Rayla from constantly throwing themselves into the latest crisis. Someone has to watch their backs, keep a skeptic eye on the lookout, talk around double meanings, know what magic to use and when.

Callum is a much better man than Viren, in every way imaginable — except for one — I will do anything to protect the king; I hope you will understand — and worst of all, Ezran doesn’t even think Callum knows it.

Ezran hugs his brother. “I don’t want to lose you, either.”)

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illustrator-dani · 3 years

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My only contribution to @raayllum Hiatus Hoadown! Hope you enjoy this fluff/crack fic.

Also happy birthday to the sassiest moonshadow elf we know and love, Rayla.

"Daddy, what does momma like for her birthday?" Eliot asks, tugging on his fathers coat as they walk back to the castle. "Uncle Ezran says that she loves adoraburrs but there aren't any around here."

Callum chuckles at his five year old sons statement and squeezes his hand. "Well, what does she like the most?"

"You and me."

"Yes and?"

"Uncle Ezran, Soren, and family!"

"Yes, would you like to draw the family portrait this year?" Callum asks, hiding his smile as he sees his little boys face light up.

"Yes daddy!" He squeals when Callum picks him up and head towards his office where he stores his paint supplies.

Silver hair, small horns, and green eyes, Eliot is everything that Callum could've wanted. What started as a fight for his life, ended up being a second chance for Eliot to become something greater, someone greater.

Even though he no longer had arcanum inside him, little Eliot has been loving bows and bonding with Grandpa Runaan. Despite what Callum feels about his little boy running around with a bow an arrow at five years old, he wouldn't have it any other way. Having his son and wife with him everyday is everything he has ever wanted.

"Daddy, mommy is coming back!" Eliot shrieks in his fathers ear and the mage lets go of the boy to let him run over to Rayla. Callum follows and watches as Eliot dives for Rayla's legs and was amused when she scoops up the child instead. "Ahhh, mommy nooooo! You messed up my stealth practice!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Mommy won't mess with your training again." Rayla says, glancing at Callum who shakes his head in amusement. "What were you doing with daddy, Eliot? You know he is very busy this time of year."

Eliot frowns and looks over at his father for help. Seemingly forgetting about his many duties and promises of helping Ezran have a successful harvest festival this year had him on the verge of panic. Still, today is important and they can wait.

"I can manage a day off to celebrate my wife's birthday, don't you think Eliot?" Callum asks earning a small smile from the little boy.

"That reminds me! Daddy, distract mommy so I can finish her present!" Eliot yells and proceeds to push the two adults out of Callum's office. With the door shut and lights in, the five year old was left with paper and paints.

What chaos can a five year old create without adult supervision?

A lot.

Never will Rayla leave Callum alone with Eliot ever again. No painting without supervision. The staff were hard at work to clean up Eliot's giant picture of his family on his fathers wall. Not only was the paint hard to wash out, it was directly in front of a window overlooking the kingdom.

Eliot, with paint in his hair and face covered in paper cuts, laughs at his mommy who was trying to rub paint off his knees as gentle as possible. Callum helped by providing rain for all three to soak in. They were in the forest for privacy reasons, it also may not be because Soren and Ezran were laughing this butts off at the couples circumstance.

"Happy birthday mommy!" Eliot says, beaming at his mother who stares at him with horror when he wraps his little arms around her. She smiles at Callum and his face goes white.

"Eliot, wanna hug daddy with paint?" She says smiling.

"YES!"

Callum, Rayla, and little Eliot had to take a bunch of baths to get the paint off their skin and out of their hair. Turns out moonberry juice helps a lot to get xadian oil paint out of one's hair.

Bonus:

"What do you mean we used all of the moonberry juice that Katolis had gotten six days ago? You mean that we used every single drop to get the paint off!" Rayla screams at Soren who attempts to keep his face straight.

"Yep." He says with a smug smile as the elf takes out her swords with a sigh.

"Time to smuggle some from poor Runaan and Ethari. They wouldn't mind if I come dragging the body of my husband right?"

"Umm, probably the-"

"That wasn't a question, Soren."

#rayllum #rayllum child #Eliot #the dragon prince #tdp fic #this turned into a crack fit #fic #anyways my one and only contribution to Raayllum month #rayllum month #Rayla's birthay #hiatus hoedown

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iwillhaveamoonbase · 4 years

Text

The Long Game ch. 4

Rayla watched on as Ezran and Callum argued. “I’m telling you; I can talk to animals!”

Callum folded his arms. “It’s the raccoons all over again.”

“Callum!”

“No. This is why you don’t have friends!” Rayla’s eyes went wide at that.

“Callum! Stop it!” She wasn’t even sure how they had gotten in on this bizarre argument. One minute they were enjoying their free time between lessons and the next Ezran was talking about how the horses were complaining about kissing in their stalls. Callum hadn’t taken kindly to it, calling Ezran a liar and now, apparently, Ezran could talk to animals. Rayla felt a headache coming on, but she also knew Ezran didn’t lie. “Just hear him out.” Rayla bent down to look Ezran in the eyes. “Ez, can you prove it?”

Ezran nodded. “The mice saw you two having conversations on your balconies. Every night, you two talk.”

Callum shook his head. “You could have easily overheard that. My room is right next to your’s and you have a balcony, too.”

Ezran groaned. “I’m sorry about the raccoons, OK?! I didn’t know they were all liars, but I’m not lying!”

Rayla put her hand on Ezran’s shoulder. “I know you believe this, Ez.” She looked at Bait in his arms. Ezran had always seemed hyperaware of Bait’s feelings….She took Bait and walked over to the stacks, ignoring Ezran and Callum asking what she was doing. “OK, frog. I’m going to tell you something nobody in this castle knows.” Bait looked up at her with his grumpy face, but croaked in acceptance, at least, she supposed he did. When she looked behind her and saw that the boys were still far behind them, she picked Bait up and whispered close to where she assumed his ear hole was. “My parents names were Tiadrin and Lain. My adoptive fathers called each other ‘My Heart.’”

Rayla turned back to Callum and Ezran, walking back with Bait. She had no idea what Bait was capable of communicating, but she figured, if Ezran could understand any of this, it would convince her. Rayla handed Bait to Ezran, and gestured for the glow toad to talk.

“What’d she do, buddy?” Ezran sighed. Callum raised a brow, clearly wanting to know himself. Ezran looked up and smiled. “That’s adorable.”

“What is?” Rayla asked.

“Your dads calling each other ‘My Heart.’ That’s so romantic!” Rayla’s eyes went wide. Callum looked at her, waiting for her to speak, she was sure.

“He can talk to animals,” Rayla said. Before Callum could ask, she walked away. She was going to have to be even more careful. If Ezran could hear the mice…she couldn’t say anything out loud. Nowhere was safe. Rayla’s eyes went wide as her breath came out in harsh pants. Had she slipped at any point? Would Ezran be able to understand her mumbles to herself? Rayla but her hand to her chest as she felt her heart beating loudly. “Oh, no…oh, no.”

“Rayla! How you-you OK?” Rayla looked up to see Soren, staring down at her. “You look like Callum when he’s having an anxiety attack.”

Was that what was happening? Blood was rushing in her ears. She had already failed and now…what if they figured if out and locked her up? They would kill her. Callum….Callum would hate her….Why did that hurt more than anything else? Rayla felt tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. “I’m fine,” she whispered. She couldn’t let anyone see her be weak. She was not weak. She was strong and brave and she would not fail in her duty.

“You don’t look fine. Do you want me to take you to your room?” Soren wrapped an arm around her shoulder, lifting her up. When had she sunk to her knees on the floor?

“I said I’m fine!” She pushed him away, putting her hand on the wall to steady herself. “I’m fine. Thank you, Soren.” Soren backed up, nodding at her.

“Do you want to, maybe, talk about it? I can be an ear for you if you want.”

“No. I’ve got it. Just learned something that shocked me.” Rayla walked away from Soren, ignoring his disappointed face. She didn’t have time for his flirting, even when he was trying to be kind. When she made it to her room, she settled on her bed and laid against the bed. She tried counting backwards, tried working through it. She tried a Big Feelings Time in her head, but nothing was working.

The tears of frustration came hard and they came fast. She was going to fail, just like her parents. She was a failure. This is why the guild had sent her. They had sent her to fail, get rid of her and end her miserable bloodline. She could feel herself spiral down deep into corners that couldn’t possible be true, but certainly felt true in the moment. Or was it true? Did they think she was doomed to fail?

She heard knocking on her door, but ignored it. She didn’t want to see anyone. “Rayla?” She turned her head to see Callum, his soft eyes staring right at her. Rayla turned away. She didn’t want him to see her like this. “Soren said you were upset.”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“Leave me alone,” she whispered in her pillow. “You wouldn’t get it.”

Instead of him leaving, he sat on the bed next to her. “You’re right, I probably wouldn’t.” She turned to look at him. He smiled down at her. Softly, hesitantly, he stroked her cheek and ran a hand through her hair. Rayla’s breath caught in her throat. “When my anxiety gets to be too much, I imagine my mom. It’s been so long since I’ve seen here, but she’s this calming force in my life. I miss her, all the time. I don’t remember my father, at all. I just know I have his eyes and talent for art.” Callum removed his hand, moving to the art journal he kept at his side at all times. “Do you want to see something?”

Rayla nodded, sitting up. She rested her head on his shoulder, taking in his scent of rosemary and balsam. He flipped through the pages until he finally landed on a picture of Sarai, Harrow, him, and Ezran. “It’s beautiful.”

“I draw this picture every year. I want to remember us from back then. My mom can’t grow old anymore, but I want us to have a family portrait every year anyways.”

“You look so much like her.”

“Thanks. It’s always a compliment when people say that.” He was quiet as he slowly flipped the pages for her to look through. “You missed the Jerkface Dance.”

“I did?” she whispered.

“I did the trick you did, with Bait. Ez now knows something really embarrassing.”

“What?”

“NOPE! It’s bad enough he knows.” Rayla didn’t push it.

After a few moments, she sighed. “I felt trapped by the fact that Ezran understands the mice. If he does, does that mean we don’t have secrets here?”

“I felt really upset about that too. Ez said he ignores the mice and has asked them to be quiet when they know he’s there. At least, about the things they hear around the castle. It’s too much of an invasion of privacy.”

“He’s a good kid.”

“He is. I felt really bad for saying that’s why he doesn’t have friends. Ez has always been a weird kid. But, that’s not fair, is it? He’s the future king. No matter what he does, people are going to look at him differently.”

Rayla raised her head, turning Callum’s head to look at her. “You’re both just doing your best. It’s too much burden for one so young. It’s not just him; everyone looks at you differently, too. I heard Viren offered magic lessons.”

“Claudia did. Primal magic since she has a primal stone. I’m gonna learn sky magic.”

Rayla smiled. “Do you promise, no dark magic?”

“I promise. It’s a shortcut and all it leads to is disaster. My mother…maybe she would still be alive if dark magic hadn’t been an option in the first place.”

“Maybe. Maybe it was her time. Who’s to say?”

Callum stared in her eyes. “It gets worse when I look in your eyes.”

“What does?”

“That tingling something’s off.” Rayla turned her head away, letting him go. “I’m sorry! That was rude!”

“No, it’s fine,” Rayla wrapped her arms around herself. For a second, she had forgotten the spell was there. He had looked at her like she was everything…stop, Rayla. Just stop. She couldn’t have him. She turned back around, Callum still looking at her. “Thank you. I feel better after you told me that Ezran doesn’t heed the mice.”

“I thought that was it. But Soren wasn’t sure. And, since he watches you so much…”

“He needs to stop. I’m not interested. Not my type.”

“What is your type?” It was so quiet she wasn’t sure she had heard right.

Rayla looked at him for a few moments. “Smart, willing to admit when they’re wrong, loving, kind.” She gulped. “A massive dork. Come on, we have lessons still.” She couldn’t give him time to think about what she had just said. If they did, what if he felt the same? Would she throw everything away to be with Callum? Rayla turned her head to look back at Callum, hand still holding her’s. Yes, she would give it all up if he loved her back as much as she loved him. She could never give him a chance to.

-------------------------------------

Callum huffed as he did his fifth fulminis. “Claudia, isn’t there any other spells?”

“You’re not ready, Callum,” she muttered. She was watching him with a critical eye. “You’re very quick with a primal stone, honestly. It took me weeks to get to this level. Dark magic was always easier.”

“Maybe I’m destined to be a sky mage?” Callum asked. The possibilities would be endless.

Claudia shook her head. “We were born with nothing. That’s why we need dark magic and primal stones. Come on, try dark magic. I’m sure you’d take to it right away.”

“No thanks,” Callum stood firm. Claudia was always trying to tempt him with dark magic and dates these days. He didn’t get it. The dark magic, he could. Claudia didn’t see just how dangerous it was yet. But the dates, that made no sense.

“OK. You wanna go get some jelly tarts?” And there was the date.

“No thanks.” Claudia nodded, not looking too torn up. “Is Viren asking you to ask me out?”

Claudia’s back straightened, turning away from him. “No?” It came out as a question. “I just think you and I would be good together.”

“Yeah, while I’m in love with Rayla and you’re not even attracted to me.” Claudia was quiet for too long. “You know I’m in love with Rayla, right?”

“So is Soren. Soren would be a good choice for her. He’s always trying to impress her and his sword fighting skills are pretty good.”

Callum looked down at his feet. That was all true. Rayla was too cool and pretty for him. She was his teacher and his friend, nothing more. There’s no way he could convince someone like her that he was even an option. “I know. I just don’t want us both to be miserable with each other.” Callum walked out of the room, heading towards the grounds. It was almost time for his lesson with Rayla. He saw her facing off against Soren. As always, it was clear as day that Rayla was the superior one with a weapon. She dodged and flowed like it was a dance, sweeping the leg effortlessly when she got bored of the match.

Callum saw that the crown guards around them were nursing injuries of their own. Rayla had probably gone through the lot of them. She finally swatted Soren’s sword out of his hand, putting the tip to his chin. “I win.” Her voice was crisp and clear, turning to look at the lot of the other guards. “He lasted longer than all of you. Do not forget that he is the head of the crown guard for a reason. You all need to stop making jokes about how a tiny girl keeps beating him. I think I remember Queen Sarai being the former general and incredibly skilled with a spear. Also, isn’t General Amaya a woman?”

One of the guards looked disgruntled. “You’re a slip of a thing and you’re so good.”

“I’ve got a lot of toned muscle. I prioritize speed over bulk. It’s not that complicated.” Rayla looked over at him, as if she had known he was there the whole time. Had she? “I’m doing the same with Callum. Making a move faster is just as important as might.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Rayla walked away, handing the sword to a random guard and grabbing two spears. “Good, you’re here. Let’s get this session underway. They were a good warm-up.” Callum followed before her, in awe of just how cool she sounded. They went to their more secluded grounds and went through the warm-ups of stretches and following basic spear-holding positions. “Eventually, we’ll get you doing swordplay again. Just to please everyone. How was your lesson with Claudia?”

“She suggested dark magic again.”

“And you said ‘no’?”

Why did she always sound so concerned when she asked that? “Of course. I have no interest in it.”

“Good.” Rayla turned away for a moment. She quickly spun the spear in her hand and turned to face him, moving to strike. He blocked her, trying to hold her ground as she added power behind her moves. She moved around him, trying to teach him how to keep grounded on his feet. “Better! Stand firm. No matter what, you cannot lose your balance. It’ll all be over if you do.” Callum nodded, bending his knees a bit. “Bad choice,” Rayla whispered. Callum couldn’t stop her from using her spear to sweep his legs out from under him, knocking him flat on his back. “You reacted to what I said in an obvious way. If you had waited, maybe I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“You’d have noticed. Don’t act like you wouldn’t have.”

“True.” Rayla stared down at him before offering her hand to help him up. “You are getting much better, though. I’m proud of you.”

Callum flushed at her words. It had been a little more than a year since she had arrived, crashing into their lives and disrupting his heart in every way. She now had to look up at him as his growth spurt had started. He watched as she spun the spear in her hand again, moving like it was a dance partner. Everything she did was like a dance. Perhaps, in another life, she was a dancer for a theater troupe. “Thanks.”

She smiled back at him. “Dinner will be soon, Your Highness. Go wash up.”

“What about you?”

“I want to stay here a bit longer. The peace and quiet does me good.” He nodded, leaving her behind. When he turned back for a last look, he saw her looking back at him, a soft look on her face. What did that mean? It reminded him of how his mom had looked at Harrow back when she had been alive. But, he couldn’t hope for that from Rayla. Someone like her was made for far better than him.

#rayllum #rayllum fanfic #tdp #the dragon prince #au #the long game #moonbase fanfics

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kradogsrats · 1 year

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The portrait dominated the room, still set on an easel until it could be framed and hung. It would no doubt be copied hundreds of times, into miniatures and engravings, to immortalize the royal family in the hearts of Katolis. For now, it mostly just made moving around the space awkward—the paint on it was barely dry, and it still smelled slightly of turpentine.

"You look so happy together," Lissa said. The artist had captured the ease with which Sarai stood beside King Harrow, the way they turned toward each other even as they looked in the same direction. She smiled, correcting herself. "You are so happy together."

Sarai laughed. "I don't know—I think we look a little stiff. Harrow hates standing still for these, and it shows. And I don't think she got my nose right." She scrunched up her nose, as if comparing it unfavorably with the one in the portrait.

Lissa looked at her. "How were you able to—how did you find it in you to move on, after Callum's father?"

She suddenly remembered she was speaking to the queen and flushed, looking away. Sarai had a way of putting her at ease—King Harrow would always be King Harrow, but Queen Sarai frequently slipped into being just Sarai. "That was too bold, forgive me. You don't have to answer."

"No, it's fine," Sarai protested. She hesitated for a moment, but the pause was thoughtful, rather than uncomfortable. "I loved him completely. I still do. I was a wreck, when he passed—I certainly wasn't setting out to find a new partner, after."

She studied the portrait, her eyes on Callum's small, serious face. "But I knew I wanted Callum to have a second parent, if anything ever happened to me. I knew I wanted more children. I suppose I just... left myself open to love."

Her face softened. "And love found me. It has a way of doing that."

Lissa remembered the dizzying rush of falling for a man with quicksilver eyes and magic sparking in his beckoning hand—how the course of her life had been irrevocably altered from what she'd always planned it to be. How it had been worth it. How it would never be worth it.

"It certainly does," she said.

"Why do you ask? Are you thinking about finding someone?" Sarai grinned mischievously. "Should I comb the Crownguard for particularly dashing individuals to send your way?"

"If you start trying to set me up with a Crownguard, I will teach Callum every Del Barian drinking song I know," Lissa threatened. She looked sidelong at Sarai, trying to keep a straight face.

Sarai cracked first, her face contorting with mirth before she burst into laughter. "You're not serious."

"I am absolutely serious," Lissa said, laughing as well. "I'll start with the bawdiest ones, just try me."

A tentative cry came from the other room, followed by a louder, more emphatic wail. Sarai sighed. "Someone's hungry."

"Or soiled, or gassy, or—," Lissa ticked the possibilities off on her fingers, smiling.

"No, that's the hungry cry. I'd know it anywhere." She pulled Lissa into a quick hug, kissing her cheek, then began to edge around the painting toward the nursery door. "Go home. I'll see you tomorrow. This thing should be out of the way, by then."

"That'll be a relief."

"And Lissa?" Sarai poked her head back around the portrait. "Maybe think a bit about staying open to love? For me?"

She retreated again before Lissa could respond—off to tend little Ezran, who was now crying with gusto. Lissa looked at the portrait again and sighed. The perfect family.

"I'll try," she murmured.

#the dragon prince #sarai #lissa #neither crows nor eagles au #aka the one where viren is dead #sarai also survives so this isn't as sad as it sounds #anyway like i said i will DIE ON THE HILL of this friendship #kradogsfic

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