#making me want to write about azurine
Note
What style of pajamas do your OCs wear? Shirt and pants? A nightgown? Something else?
Harvey typically wears an oversized shirt, undergarments and nothing more, she likes the comfort and ease it provides
Akemi most definitely has several onesies of varying color, animal, etc., he likes the embrace it gives at night considering he gets cold easily (and onesies are hot)
Azurine sleeps in a short nightgown and she always has and she always will, it's convenient and she's paranoid
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A Knight Affair: Chapter 8 - Riot and Rage
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21064748/chapters/50591414
~~ ~ ~ ~
It was just after sunrise about a month after her lashings that Yellow stood looking over her shoulder at her back in the mirror in her chambers as she had done since returning to duty, two days ago.
Her back was a mass of still soft, bright pink barely healed scars that stretched from her shoulder blades to the small of her back, crisscrossing in many places. Some completely melding into others.
She scowled at the marks.
Blue had yet to see her back and Yellow was in no rush to change that.
The scars she had before were different. Battle scars, inflicted by swords and daggers and arrows… earned, honorable, but these?
No one would ever mistake them for anything other than what they were.
The mark of a whip. The universal symbol for servitude or punishment.
With a heavy sigh she pulled a dark tunic on, putting the scarrs out of sight and thus out of her mind for the moment.
She shrugged on the jerkin, tying it tight around her chest. The thick leather across her back provided a comfort it hadn't before.
She hated that she felt this way.
She shook her head and finished cinching the belt around her waist, sword at her side and headed off to make her rounds.
The guards posted along the entrances of the palace walls saluted her as she passed. She nodded in kind, keeping her head held high.
Many of these men had bore witness to her lashings. She could feel their eyes on her, certainly more than one was judging her… looking down at her.
Her jaw clenched as she stomped around the grounds before finishing there and making her way inside.
Walking through the grand hall, past the throne room she noticed that of the normally two guards stationed outside the door, today there was only one.
“Where is Ivers?” She barked, aggravated as she turned to the other guard, who gave a start at the captain's brusque tone.
“He didn’t show up to duty this morning, captain, and he wasn’t in the barracks either.” The man shrugged. The knight pursed her lips.
“If you see him tell him that I want to see him immediately.” She ordered.
“Of course, captain.”
That was the second missing guard in as many days. The other, from the western palace gate, hadn’t been seen two days.
Yellow stored the information in the back of her mind for now as she walked toward the grand staircase that lead up to the personal quarters.
She bypassed the second floor where her own room was, and headed straight to the royal chambers on the third floor. Standing at the top of the stairs she glanced around.
The hall was empty of anyone but her, giving her the perfect window to slip into Blue’s room.
The door opened and closed soundlessly and Yellow couldn’t help but smile, her sour mood melting away at the mere sight of Blue.
The princess’ back was turned to her as she sat at the writing desk sitting beneath the window. She seemed completely engrossed in whatever she was working on.
Silent feet padded across the stone floor till she was standing directly behind her. She leaned down till her lips were next to Blue’s ear.
“What is so fascinating?” She breathed against the shell of her ear.
Blue screamed, quill and ink flying across the room.
Yellow burst out laughing as Blue spun around, wide eyed. She frowned the moment she saw the captain.
“Yellow!” The princess scowled at her. “Don’t do that!” She hissed, slapping the knight in the shoulder.
“I couldn’t resist.” The knight grinned, wrapping her arms around Blue’s waist. She resisted, turning her head away, refusing to look at her. ”I’m sorry, forgive me?” Yellow tried. Blue looked at her out of the corner of her eye before sighing and turning to wrap her arms around Yellow’s neck and laid a kiss on her cheek.
“Very well… but please don’t… I’m a bit on edge today…” She mumbled, laying her head on Yellow’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” She ran her hands through the long, soft strands of hair.
“Someone tried to open my door last night.” She mumbled against Yellow’s neck.
“What?” Yellow hissed. Blue nodded against her.
“I had just laid down in bed when someone tried to open it, I could hear it as they pushed it. I’m certain it was my mother...”
Yellow’s grip on her tightened.
“It’s getting worse…” The knight growled. Blue could only sigh as she extracted herself from the knight’s grip, bending over to pick up the quill.
“Yes, more worrisome still, I’ve noticed that one of my favorite attendants has vanished. She has not been to breakfast the last two days and when I asked others and they all said that no one had seen her in three days…” She laid the quill back on her desk and looked at Yellow who had the most perplexing look on her face.
“What is it, love?”
“I’ve noticed that two of my men are missing as well and no one has seen them.” She frowned.
“That can’t be a coincidence…” The princess‘ eyes narrowed.
“Do you think it has something to do with your mother?” Yellow asked after a long quiet moment.
“I can’t imagine she would abduct two of her own guards and a servant…”
“We never imagined she was capable of any of the things she has been doing as of late.” Yellow reminded her.
“That is also true…” Blue rubbed her temple to try and ward off the oncoming headache. “Every day it’s something new.” She growled, whipping back to her desk and throwing the quill down atop the parchment she had been working on. “I can only mitigate so many of her disasters at once.” She sighed.
“It will be alright.” Yellow tried to soothe.
“Will it!?” She whipped around to face the knight. “Everyday the rebellion rages on, you were flogged, Pink was burnt, people disappear right under our noses and my mother roams the halls at night, rattling doors like a spectre!” She threw out her arms.
Yellow stared at her, wide-eyed.
“I…” Blue clasped her hands together tightly. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to yell at you.” She turned her back on the knight.
Two strides and Yellow was wrapping her arms once more around Blue, who went limp in the embrace.
“It’s alright…” She murmured.
“Nothing is alright.” She twisted in the grip and buried her face in the captain’s neck.
Cold, wet drops of water splashed onto the skin of Yellows neck.
Yellow held her tightly, whispering quiet assurances in her ear and running a gloved hand up and down her back in what she hoped was soothing.
After a while Blue pulled back, snuffling. The last few tear drops rolling down her cheeks. Yellow wiped them away with her thumb and cradled Blue's face in her palm
"I'm sorry…" Blue's words were thick. "Things have just been such a mess. I'm finally getting through all the things she's been neglecting but it's piled up in the last few months...and then there's Pink and you…" She trailed off.
"I shouldn't be one of your burdens, Azurine. Don't worry about me."
"You're not a burden, never, not to me." Blue glared at her. Yellow managed to suppress the smirk that threatened to rise.
"I only meant you have enough to worry about, you shouldn't be worrying about me." She corrected.
"I can't help it." Blue mumbled, resting her head back on the knight's chest and her hands resting on her back.
Yellow flinched at the touch and Blue was quick to notice.
She jerked back to look up at the knight's face.
"I'm sorry! Does it still pain you?" She asked, sad cerulean eyes boring into hers.
"Not really. It's just tender..." She shifted uncomfortably.
Blue frowned, pulling back to arm's length to look at the knight..
"Are you sure? Let me look at it…" she started to reach for the jerkin and Yellow took a step back, staring into surprised eyes
"Yellow…?" She questioned softly.
"It's fine, Blue." She assured.
"If it's fine why won't you let me see?" She questioned.
They stood in tense quiet till a soft knocking broke the intense atmosphere.
"Your Highness? I have the heated water for your bath." A servant called through the thick wood.
Yellow quickly hid herself behind the window's dark curtains before Blue opened the door.
She listened to them talk quietly before the sound of water pouring into the large metal tub drowned out any other sound.
She heard the door open and close. A moment later Blue beckoned her out.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong now?" Blue looked at her as she dipped a hand in the tub of steaming water.
"I told you, nothing's wrong." She insisted.
The look Blue was giving her said loud and clear that she didn’t believe her for a moment.
"Very well…" She said and Yellow started to breathe a sigh of relief before Blue began pulling at the ties of her dress, causing the whole thing to fall into a puddle of cobalt silk at her feet. Yellow choked on the breath. "Why don't you stay and relax with me than?" She suggested, gesturing to the bath.
Yellow swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.
"I… can't." it took a monumental effort to say and more still to keep her eyes on Blue's face. " I have duties to attend to…" She managed to spit out.
“If you still had duties that needed your attention than you wouldn’t have come here.” Blue crossed the room in a few quick strides, stopping in front of the reddening knight whose eyes were resolutely locked onto her face.
Long fingers reached up and took hold of the edges of the jerkin.
Quick as lightning Yellow snatched both wrists in her hands. Tight, but not painful. Never painful.
Blue looked up at her surprised, but Yellow was looking off to the side, face twisted up like she was in pain.
“Yellow…” She started.
“It’s ugly…” She finally whispered, making Blue blink.
“What is?” She tilted her head, trying to look into her lover’s eyes. Yellow met them, reluctantly.
“My back.” She hissed. The pain in those words made Blue’s heart ache.
“Let me see?” She implored gently. She pulled her hands out of Yellow’s now lax grip and ran her fingers down her cheeks.
When Yellow said nothing in protest, nor moved to stop her Blue reached back up and gently pulled loose the straps holding the jerkin closed and slipped it off the knight’s shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.
With gentle prodding to her shoulder, she bid the knight to turn and face away from her, Yellow did so, stiffly, if nothing else, glad she didn’t have to see Blue’s face when she saw her back.
The tunic was slipped over her shoulders and joined the jerkin on the floor.
The quiet in the room was deafening to Yellow as she stood there, torso bare and staring at the door across the room. Her jaw clenched as the quiet drew onward, the muscles in her back drawn tight.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when cool fingers were pressed to the warm skin of her back, gently tracing over one of the many long scars there, but still, Blue said nothing as she gently traced the thick, raised up skin.
The fingers vanished and Yellow was about to turn when she felt the telltale press of lips on her back. Goosebumps jumped up her arms and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end at the gentle touch of Blue’s lips and feel of her bare skin pressing against the small of her back as long delicate arms circled the knight’s waist, holding her close.
“Blue…” Yellow’s breath hitched, a shiver shot up her spine as those full lips dragged across the soft, newly scarred skin of her back, covering nearly every inch of the freshly healed wounds.
Finally those lips were pressed against the shell of her ear.
“There is nothing ugly about any part of you.” Blue’s hot breath in her ear caused fire to shoot through Yellow, pooling in her belly. “I’ll hear no more of such ridiculousness…” Her nails raked gently across the tight skin of the knight’s abdomen and she felt Yellow shiver in her embrace and smiled before trailing her mouth down the column of her neck, making the knight hum. She stopped only to sink her teeth into the flesh at the junction of her neck and shoulders.
Yellow let out a low keening moan.
Blue grinned, pressing a kiss to the now red skin.
“Now will you stay and relax with me?” She hummed.
Yellow’s jaw clenched.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pink was sneaking her way back inside the palace after spending the last hour in a hidden corner of the training fields with a straw dummy, practicing the dagger work Yellow had taught her.
The bandages had finally come off, revealing her now darker pink hands and wrists, splotchy and tender.
The physician had informed her that the scars were more than likely permanent, though the intensity of the pink might fade some over time.
She was more alright with that than she thought she'd be.
The dagger wore uncomfortably on the fresh new skin, cutting her practice shorter than she would have liked, but unlike her favorite mentor, Pink knew to stop if it hurt.
She tucked the dagger carefully into her riding boots, out of sight.
She was nearly through the courtyard when the rattling of metal and thundering of horse's hooves gave her pause.
Not a moment after stopping a squadron of palace guards went galloping out from the stables toward the eastern gate toward town.
The palace guards were only sent to town if anywhere, so what was going on?
Blue would know, and if she didn't, she could find out.
She jogged across the courtyard and up the steps, passing through the hall, past the lone guard standing watch in front of the throne room.
She bounded up the stairs, stopping briefly at the landing of the second floor before carrying on up to the royal wing.
Yellow was out attending to her duties somewhere.
She knocked gently on her sisters door but didn't wait before pushing open the door
"Blue!" The younger princess called as she burst into the room
"Rosaline!" Blue frowned, sitting up from her place in the metal tub, the water only up to her ribs.
"Oh, sorry." The girl grinned sheepishly. "I had to come and ask if you knew where all the palace guards were going? I saw them heading towards town." She pointed in the direction of the court yard.
"The...palace… guards?" Blue stuttered, clutching the side of the bath."No, but when I'm done we can find out. Why don't you wait in your room?" She nearly hissed out the last part.
Pink gave her an odd look but nodded and backed out, shutting the door behind her.
Not a second after the door slammed shut did Yellow break the water's surface, gasping for air and grinning.
"You're terrible!" Blue hissed, but the equally devious grin betrayed her.
"That's not what you were saying earlier." The knight managed between deep breaths, water dripping down her face and off her chin, back into the tub.
Blue just splashed her.
"What did she want?" She glanced at the door where the younger princess had been.
"Apparently some palace guards were heading toward town."
"I never gave any orders…" she frowned, brows dipping between her eyes.
"So my mother must have…" Blue sighed.
"We'll have to go check it out." Yellow said.
"I know…" she sighed, but rested her hand in the matted, wet blonde locks on the knights head and bit her lip.
"Finish first…"
~ ~ ~
Nearly an hour later Blue and Pink waited patiently for the knight in the library, in the small alcove on the second floor that the knight and princess frequently used to meet in secrecy.
“What’s taking her so long?’ Pink whined, pacing back and forth from shelf to shelf. Blue watched her quietly from the fainting couch.
“Patience is not one of your virtues.” Yellow huffed, stepping around the corner. The dark look on the knight’s face told Blue that Yellow had indeed found answers
“What did you learn?” She stood from the seat.
“The queen sent over half the palace guards into town to stop the riots that have broken out.” She scowled.
“Riots?” Pink questioned, looking up at the knight captain.
“Yes. The queen has been conscripting men from town and executing people she thinks are traitors. Not just the rebels.”
“Who else?” Blue demanded.
“Apparently it started this morning when a young man expressed ‘pro-rebel sentiments’ and on the queen’s orders, they hung him.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and Pink gasped as Blue sighed wearily.
“Should we go to town?” Pink looked up at her sister.
“Absolutely not!” The knight nearly shouted, lips pulled back over her teeth in a near snarl.
“If we go into town we would be in great danger.” Blue laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder and explained more calmly than her companion.
“So we just sit here?” The youngest Diamond shrugged off Blue’s hand, turning to face her.
“We wait until the riots have been suppressed. Than we can begin to clean up the mess.” Yellow growled under her breath, looking angrily out the window toward the town. Blue pursed her lips in silent agreement. She didn’t like it but their options were limited at the moment.
“One more disaster to alleviate…” Blue muttered bitterly.
“I’m afraid it’s more than one…” Yellow turned to her. “It was reported to me by another guard that the queen has been interrogating ‘suspected traitors’ in the dungeons for the last two days.”
“Suspected traitors?” She repeated, perplexed, this was the first she had heard any such thing, but really, nothing about that surprised her anymore.
“Yes, I’m going down there now too see who’s being kept.”
“I’ll come with you.” Blue nodded.
“Me too.” Pink jumped in.
“No”
“No, Rosaline.” Both Blue and Yellow were quick to shoot down the idea.
“This concerns me just as much as it does the both of you.” She threw out her hands and both of them couldn’t help but notice the bright pink splotches of her skin. They glanced at each other and Yellow sighed, crossing her arms and looked away.
“Very well…” She conceded. “Stay behind us.’ She warned, holding up a finger and looking down at the girl with narrowed eyes. Pink nodded, face set in the most serious expression she could muster.
The two royals followed the knight captain down to the first floor and then further still to the basement, where the servants lived. They passed the corridor of plain doors, even further down to the palace’s sub basement. The dungeons.
The guard stationed at the heavy door to the dungeons jolted at the sight of the knight captain and both Princess’.
“Captain…”He started.
“Open the door.” Yellow ordered before he could say much else.
“Right away…” He fumbled with the large ring of keys tied to his waist and pulled open the heavy door for them.
Yellow didn’t spare him another glance as she walked through the damp and dim corridor.
“My mother’s newest prisoners, the one’s suspected of treason, where are they?” Blue looked at him, voice sharp and cold.
“Last three cells on the left, Your Highness…” He stuttered. She only gave a brief nod before following Yellow, Pink right behind her.
Pink had never been to the dungeons before and looked around curiously.
The air was cool and had a certain dampness and smell about it, like copper maybe? The walls seemed to glisten in the flickering firelight of the torches set in the walls, she reached out and brushed her fingers over them. They were cold and wet.
Yellow pulled a torch from the sconce on her right and having heard the guard’s words made a beeline straight for the end of the dim hall, Blue and Pink only a step behind.
She stopped at the first of the three and shone the light through the heavy iron bars. Blue gasped.
Chained to the wall, clothes torn, dirty and appearing to have been beaten bloody, face near unrecognizable, was the servant Blue had been searching for.
“Gods…” Blue’s closed her eyes, the image searing into her mind. and Pink could only cup her hands over her mouth in horror. Yellow grit her teeth as she looked into the dimness of the other two cells and already knew what she would find there.
Breathing heavily through her nose she shined the light into the first of the two cells and clenched her jaw tight at the sight of one of her men, chained to the wall, it seemed by the blood running down his face and burns around his empty eye sockets that the torturer had poked out his eyes his eyes with a hot iron and finally cut out his tongue.
“Don’t look, Pink.” Yellow warned as the princess approached. She stopped short, seeming to hesitate before she heeded the knight’s command, shaking.
Blue however would not shy away from this.
She hissed through her teeth at the sight of the man.
Yellow wanted very much not to look into the last cell, but these were her men and she would not falter now.
She shined the torch into the last cell and immediately turned her head away and bent over, heaving.
“Yellow…!” Blue whispered urgently. Pink ran up, looking desperately at the knight.
“No…” She finally managed when she got her breathing back under control. “Don’t look, Azurine.”
The eldest princess couldn't help but glance back at the cell, but the lowered torch only shined a fraction of its light into the darkness. Even with the low light, the large puddle of blood on the stone floor shimmered. Blue turned away, breathing heavily through her nose.
“This has become a nightmare…”
#bellow diamond#blue diamond#pink diamond#yellow diamond#white diamond#steven universe#knight!AU#fanfic
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[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9][Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13] [Part 14] [Part 15] [Part 16]
[AO3]
Last time, Lacey told Weaver she was going to Vegas for a funeral. Weaver realised she was lying through her teeth, found out her true destination, and decided to follow her. Mulan and Merida tag along for the ride.
x
Detectives Weaver and Fa, and Officer Dunbroch, took the first flight out that they could get, snatching what sleep they could during the trip. They landed on Friday morning, collecting the hire car that Weaver had booked and then grabbing a quick bite to eat while they planned their next move in solving the mystery that was Lacey.
“Her plane lands just after three,” said Fa, stirring her coffee. “If she’s meeting someone, we should check out the arrivals. We’ll need to be ready to follow them.”
“Any idea what she’s here for?” asked Merida, and Weaver shook his head, dipping a few fries into his ketchup.
“The only lead I have is that she has a tiny key that she stole from me, and a code,” he said. “No idea what the code is for, but the key means she needs a safe deposit box. Which means a bank.”
He shoved the fries in his mouth, chewing.
“Doesn’t exactly narrow it down,” said Merida. “Probably means we’ll be in the centre of the city, though.”
“Don’t suppose she has any sort of tracker on her phone?” asked Fa, and Weaver shook his head again.
“We should split up in case we lose her,” said Fa, putting a hand on Merida’s knee. “And don’t take this the wrong way, babe, but you kind of stand out.”
Merida shook her red curls, pulling a face.
“I can be inconspicuous when I want to!”
“You can’t even spell inconspicuous,” said Weaver bluntly. “You can wait in the hire car. Fa and I will scope out the airport.”
“Oh, and you think your wife will just breeze on past you without noticing?” demanded Merida. “Don’t be fucking stupid!”
“Both of you can hang back and keep your damn faces hidden as much as you can,” said Fa, in a tone that meant she had made up her mind. “I’ll follow Lacey. If I can get close enough, I’ll try to plant a tracker on her.”
“Don’t risk blowing the whole thing,” warned Weaver.
“Come on, I’m not a rookie,” she said, giving him a flat look. “If I can’t do it without her getting suspicious, then I won’t bother.”
“There won’t be much of a window in which to reach her,” said Merida. “What’s the plan if you can’t place the tracker?”
“If someone’s meeting her, they’ll need transport, which either means a cab or a car,” said Fa. “If we split ourselves between the hire car and the cabs we should be okay. Weaver can take the hire car, we’ll follow her in a cab. We’ll stay in touch, meet up wherever she goes.”
“Sounds good,” said Weaver. “I asked her to call me when her plane landed. We’ll see what she has to say for herself then.”
“You think she’ll call?” asked Merida, stealing some of his fries.
“Oh yes,” he said dryly. “She’ll want to keep up the subterfuge as long as possible, believe me. I’m gonna let her think she’s got me fooled.”
x
Lacey had slept poorly, worried about what lay ahead, and missing both Weaver and Tilly. She was thankful that she had caught the earliest flight possible, as it meant she could stop staring at the ceiling and at least keep busy with getting to the airport and boarding the plane. She managed to snooze a little on the flight over, but felt her heart sink as it came in to land. Whatever secrets Fiona wanted her to retrieve, they would be found in Boston.
She looked through her bag, finding her tickets, a passport and driving licence in the name of Isabelle French, and the deposit box key she had taken from Weaver. She was still unsure on the pass code she had taken pictures of. Neither Fiona nor Azurine had mentioned the code, and so she hadn’t either, holding onto a faint hope that there was still a piece of this puzzle they weren’t aware of.
As she hit the arrivals lounge, she pulled out her phone, wondering if she would catch Weaver. He answered on the third ring, his tone light.
“Hey,” he said. “How’s Vegas?”
“Just as dusty and overrun with gamblers as I remember,” she said, wincing as she lied to him yet again. “How’s Tilly?”
“Yeah, she’s fine,” he said. “Nolan suggested that we take a trip down the coast this weekend.”
“Oh.” She chewed her lip. “Oh. Well, good. You guys have fun.”
“She can tell you all about it when you get back,” he added. “Any idea when that’ll be? If you send me your flight number I can pick you up.”
“Uh - yeah, sure.” Guilt ran spectral fingers over her skin and twisted in her hair. “I’ll - I’ll call you.”
“Okay.”
A pause, in which she heard what sounded like a sigh. When he spoke again, his voice was more gentle. More desperate.
“Take care, Lacey,” he said. “We both love you, never forget that. Take care, and come home.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowing past the lump in her throat.
“Bye,” she whispered, and hung up.
She slipped the phone into her bag and ran her hands over her face, breathing hard to calm herself. At least they were safe. They were together, and they were safe. That was all that mattered. She dropped her hands, blinking rapidly to clear her eyes of the tears that still threatened to fall, and raised her chin. Time to move.
The arrivals lounge was busy, but she had only brought a small carry-on case on wheels, and so she was able to get through it quickly. She had been told to watch out for someone waiting for her, and sure enough, in amongst the cab drivers holding up signs with names scrawled on, was a tall young man with blonde hair and a secretive smile, a sign in his hands reading Schwartz. Lacey took a breath, stomping over to him.
“Guess you’re my ride, huh?” she said. “Where are we headed?”
“Longbourn Chartered Bank,” he said, in a lazy drawl. “Pleased to meet you, Ms Schwartz. I’m Felix, your chauffeur.”
“Let’s just get this over with,” she snapped. “I’m not looking for a guided tour of the damn city!”
He smirked and turned away, heading off towards the car park. Lacey followed, dragging her little case, and a short young woman with a heavy coat and a cap pulled down over her eyes barged into her, almost sending her flying.
“Sorry,” she muttered, not looking back, and Lacey glared after her, watching her dark ponytail swinging as she headed for the cafeteria.
“We’re on a schedule here, ma’am,” said Felix, and Lacey scowled at him.
“Yeah, okay, I’m coming! That bitch almost ran me down!”
She picked up the pace, and he led her swiftly from the terminal and into the car park. A sleek Mercedes waited, shining black panels edged with chrome, and Lacey put her case in the trunk and got into the rear seat, tossing her bag aside and putting on her belt. The sooner this was over the better.
It didn’t take long to get to the bank, and Felix pulled up outside, opening the door to let her out.
“I guess I’ll meet you back here,” she said, but he shook his head.
“I’m coming in with you,” he said.
“I’m not about to make a run for it, am I?” she snapped.
“Orders are orders, Ms Schwartz.”
Lacey rolled her eyes.
“Fine,” she sighed. “Just stay out of the way. I’m not in the mood for this crap.”
She breezed past him, trotting up the steps of the bank and into the main lobby. It was pleasantly warm after the biting wind outside, despite the high ceiling. The floor was tiled in polished cream and black, and her heels rang on the tiles as she approached one of the gleaming wooden desks. A pretty young woman in a crisp dark blue suit greeted her with a smile.
“I have a deposit box here,” said Lacey, hoping it was true. “I need to access it.”
“Of course,” chirped the woman. “We’ll need your I.D. Do you have your key?”
“Yeah.”
Lacey dug in her bag for the padded envelope she had containing the key and her identification. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see Felix hovering a pace or two back. The bank clerk was tapping away at her computer, and she looked up with a smile.
“That’s fine, Ms Schwartz,” she said. “If you’d like to follow me?”
She led Lacey to a door secured by an electronic keypad, and tapped in a code with flickering fingers. Felix had joined them, and the clerk glanced at him as she turned the handle.
“I’m afraid it’s key holders only past this point, sir,” she said.
Lacey felt like sticking her tongue out at him, but kept her face impassive, and he muttered that he would wait for her to come back out. She followed the clerk along a narrow corridor with thick carpet that softened their footsteps. Another door, another code, and she was let into a room with a single table and chair, and rows of small numbered boxes stacked two metres high. The clerk ran her eyes around the room, then walked swiftly to a box numbered 219 and put her key into one of the two locks there, turning it with a click. Drawing the box out of its slot, she placed it on the table in front of Lacey.
“It’s ready for you to use your own key,” she said. “Just knock on the door when you want me to let you out.”
She left, closing and locking the door behind her, and Lacey eyed the deposit box nervously. Staring at it wouldn’t help her get out of the situation she was in, and so she inserted her own key, turning it in the lock and hearing a click. She opened up the lid, pursing her lips at the contents. There was a portable hard drive, one of the old ones from years ago that would fit on a tiny flash drive these days. She lifted it out and set it aside. That was what Fiona had asked her to get. Underneath it was a letter, a thick cream envelope with her old name written on the front. Isabelle.
Licking her lips, she picked up the letter, slitting it open with a thumbnail and pulling out a sheet of paper that had been carefully folded into thirds. She opened it up, eyes scanning the page.
‘My dear Isabelle’, it said. ‘I’m writing this to you now in the hope that you will find it before any of the others. I know what’s happening to me. I know what the future holds on that front, and so I wanted to reach out while I still can. I have asked Mr Heller to track you down, and if you are reading this, he must have done so. He is a good man at heart, seeking to carry on the work of his late wife, and as soon as he finds you, I will be sending him the means to help you, and thereby help him to protect her legacy.
Perhaps my dearest wish will come true, and Mr Heller will bring you to me while I can still move and think and speak. Or perhaps this is all in vain, who can say? All I know is that I have to try to make it right. I’m sorry for the family your mother was born into, the family that I was a part of. I’m sorry about the man she married, the man your grandfather treated as his own son, as his heir to this great fortune built on misery and suffering. I’m sorry for everything you had to witness, for everything that happened to you. I’m sorry that I was too weak to stop it.
I’m more happy than you know that you were able to get away from that life, and I hope you can go on to find your own path and put this terrible past behind you. Your stepmother smiles and speaks of you fondly, as though she misses you, but I know you were fooled by her no more than I was. She will want what I have left for you in this box. I leave the decision on what to do with the contents to you.
The true prize is in my private safe, in the library at home. Look in the alcove behind the statue you always liked. You’ll find the safe there. Inside is all the evidence that your mother collected over the years when she was a doting wife, but could not find the strength to use. Evidence against your father and his businesses. Evidence against your stepmother. Perhaps it will be enough to let you be free of them. There must still be some good people left in the world, some officials yet to be corrupted by greed and self-interest. Alas, I never met one.
I offer you this evidence, dear Isabelle, in the hope that it will never be needed. In the hope that you will live your life happily without them ever finding you. If they do, though, perhaps this will give you something to use against them. I realise that I am trying to ease my own conscience as much as help you, but we must all find our courage where we can. God knows I have little enough of that.
Take care, dearest girl, and be assured that I wish you every happiness. Your loving Grandma.’
Lacey lowered the letter, chewing her lip as she blinked away a tear or two. Her grandmother had been the one person who had been a comforting presence, but she had not realised until that moment how trapped and helpless she had felt.
“Find your courage where you can,” she said quietly. “Guess I’ll have to try, huh? Do the brave thing?”
She dropped the letter back into the box, not wanting to take it with her when Felix was waiting outside. Slipping the hard drive into her bag, she locked up the box and left it on the table, rapping on the door for the bank clerk to let her out.
As she had suspected, Felix demanded that she hand over her bag as soon as they were outside. A cab had pulled into the space in front of them, two women on the back seat leaning in to hold one another. One of the women had very red hair, pulled into a tight bun that was coming loose, her face hidden as they hugged fiercely. Lacey waited with a bored expression on her face as Felix searched through the bag, pulling out the hard drive and opening every pocket.
“Is that it?” he asked.
“That’s it,” she confirmed.
“Okay,” he said. “Then I guess we head to Vegas.”
“I’m going to Storybrooke,” she said firmly, and he frowned.
“My orders are—”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about your orders!” snapped Lacey. “My grandmother is dying, okay? I’m going to see her, and I don’t care what you say about it. You can hold onto what I took from her deposit box - hell, you can take it to Vegas yourself, if you like. But I’m going to Storybrooke, got it? If you won’t take me, I’ll get on a damn bus!”
She stomped around to the trunk of the car to retrieve her case, and he growled something under his breath.
“Fine, get in,” he sighed. “I guess a day or so wouldn’t hurt.”
She sniffed, snatched her bag from him, and got into the back of the Mercedes again. The cab ahead was still parked up. Clearly the two women were taking their time saying goodbye. Good for them. Felix pulled away, heading north, and Lacey shrugged out of her coat and settled back on the seat with a sigh. Around four hours to get to Storybrooke. Perhaps she could even get some sleep.
x
Some way behind her, Weaver was following in the hire car. He nodded grimly as the Mercedes followed the signs to I-95, and glanced at his phone seated in its cradle on the dashboard. A few flicks of his fingers called Merida.
“Looks like we’re heading north,” he said. “Where are you?”
“We’re about four cars back from you,” she said. “Stay out of sight.”
“Understood.” He frowned, keeping an eye on the traffic in front of him. “I think I know where they’re going. The cab fare is gonna be a fucking fortune.”
“Then you’d better be prepared to get your wallet out, hadn’t you?” she said. “First time for everything.”
“Bloody cheek!” he said, as she chortled. “Did Fa manage to put the tracker on her?”
“Coat pocket,” said Merida. “She still has it. Why don’t you pull over and we’ll get in your car? Not like you don’t know where she’s going, right?”
“Alright. Next place I can stop.”
He rang off, glancing in his mirror before pulling over. The cab pulled in behind him, and he waited impatiently, fingers tapping on the wheel as Fa paid the driver and she and Merida hurried to his car. They piled into the back seat, a little breathless.
“Where are we going?” asked Merida, as he pulled away again.
“Maine,” he said. "Should take us four hours or so. Look for Storybrooke on your phone, let me know where we're heading when we get a little nearer."
“No problem.”
Weaver increased his speed, overtaking the vehicle in front as he tried to catch Lacey, no easy feat in the heavy traffic. The Mercedes was easy to spot, but he kept half a dozen cars in between them and shifted in his seat, getting ready for a long drive. It seemed that Lacey was going home.
x
It was after nine in the evening when they reached Storybrooke, a small town nestled on the coast of Maine. Weaver’s eyes were grainy from lack of sleep and intense concentration, and he followed the Mercedes through the town, keeping well back. It turned off up a quiet road lined with trees, and he slowed his pace as Fa and Merida studied the map on Fa's phone.
“Pull over,” said Fa. “That road’s a dead end. There’s only one place they could be going, and it’s gonna be pretty obvious if you follow.”
“What’s at the end of the road?” he asked.
“Avonlea Manor,” she said. “Kill the lights. We’ll wait here, see if they come back out.”
“The tracker?”
“Still ahead of us.”
He turned off the lights, rubbing tired eyes and sighing.
“There was an inn back in the town,” said Merida. “We could get a room for the night. Maybe some food. Definitely a drink or three.”
“Just as soon as we know what the hell’s going on, yes.” He peered through his fingers at the road ahead. “Fuck it, I’m going up there.”
“You are not,” said Fa immediately. “Just wait. I didn't come all this way to haul your impulsive ass out of whatever fire you want to jump into.”
He growled under his breath, but nodded. Time seemed to crawl. The night was black as pitch around them, and he tapped on the steering wheel, itching to drive to wherever Lacey was and kill whoever threatened her.
“Stay where you are,” said Fa, seeming to read his mind, and he rolled his eyes.
“For all I know she’s buggered off somewhere else!” he snapped.
“No, she’s still there,” she said. “She’s - wait, she’s coming this way. Get down!”
Headlights appeared around a bend in the road, and Weaver ducked his head. He heard a car pass, and looked up again, red tail lights visible in the rear view mirror.
“Only one person in the car, but the tracker was in there,” said Fa. “Perhaps she left her coat on the back seat.”
“Perhaps she was in the trunk,” said Merida ominously, making Weaver swallow hard.
“Right, I’m going up to that manor house to take a look around,” he said, starting the engine. “You two follow that car once I’m gone, got it?”
They argued, as he had known they would, but eventually agreed. Weaver followed the road around a sweeping bend, the woods opening out to reveal a large, sprawling mansion of red brick, large gardens beyond spreading out towards thick woods. The house was oddly dark and silent, lights on in only a few rooms, and Weaver stopped the car, getting out and checking his weapons. Fa took his place in the driver’s seat.
“Call us,” she said bluntly. “When we’re done tracking that car, we'll be at that inn we passed. If you need help, just fucking call, okay? And don’t get your ass shot.”
“Yeah, you too.”
They drove off, and Weaver followed the road around to the rear of the house, moving quietly and hugging the red brick wall. There seemed to be no security to speak of, and he wondered at this large house in the middle of nowhere, and the secrets it might contain. Was Lacey inside?
He reached a door, and opened it quietly, slipping inside and closing it behind him. Warmth flooded over him, and he glanced around, taking in the empty room with its heavy range and gleaming steel pans. He appeared to have found the kitchens. A teapot sat on a heavy pine table, white glazed pottery with a chip in the rim of the lid. The teapot was steaming, a cup and saucer next to it, and Weaver figured that whoever the tea was for had to be around somewhere. He slipped across the room, heading for the door that led into the main house. A dark corridor opened up before him, a set of stairs at the end, and he flexed his fingers, focusing his energy on the door at the top. Perhaps Lacey was beyond. Perhaps he would finally get some answers.
“Hands in the air!” A stern voice made him freeze. “Hands in the air or I’ll shoot!”
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General Thoughts on Forever Royal
It was so good! Everything I could have asked for, and even some things I didn’t know I needed, with a few things I didn’t think were ever going to happen at all thrown in just for good measure.
I don’t even know where to begin with this one, there was so much I want to talk about. So to start things off, my favorite background prince, The Prince in Brown, finally got a name!
Yes, he is Prince Mike. (Also I just noticed Miss Nettle in the background. I guess now that she’s a “good” fairy, she made her peace with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather).
There were so many callbacks in this special! The rubies from Cedric’s Apprentice, the reprise of Royal Prep from Once Upon a Princess, Sofia and Amber landing on the pirate ship treehouse from Baileywick’s Day Off, and plenty more. Of course, the best one was the line “we’re sisters” coming back. I also like how they managed to get in all the main recurring characters, even if someone of them just had very quick cameos (most of the RPA students). And they even squeezed in one more new amulet power before the end.
We also got a lot of answers to questions fans have been wondering about for a long time, such as what happened to Sofia’s dad, and what Roland’s wish was (a little anticlimactic if you ask me), and we saw James and Amber’s mom! I 100% did not see Sofia getting sucked into the amulet coming, but it gave some insight into what it was like for Elena for all those years. And we got to see the first Storykeeper, although I don’t think anyone was curious about him, but again, it gave us some answers about the Secret Library and how it came to be.
I really liked Roland’s priority 1 being getting the kids safe and promising to fight Vor once they are, and Miranda being all “You are literal children” when Sofia, Amber, and James want to go back and fight. Then at the end after Sofia becomes a fully-fledged protector, Miranda asking just what a protector does, with the inflection that she knows she isn’t going to like the answer. And Tilly’s response of it being a huge honor while adding “and only occasionally life-threatening” under her breath.
There were also a lot of heartwarming moments involving the parents, like Miranda and Sofia going back to their old home at the beginning. And Roland mentioning holding Amber and James in his arms during the first song, then actually seeing that during the Secret Library’s flashback.
Speaking of, all the songs were amazing. I loved the way the first song built and built, and included everyone in the palace. The slow reprise of Royal Prep, as I already mentioned, was a sweet callback. Vor’s song is ridiculously catchy and I love the animation on her during it. So many good expressions! Plus it gave us more of Wormwood singing. For One and All, like the first song, built into something truly epic by the end, and Vor and Sofia’s confrontation song was so, so good, a truly fitting last song of the series.
I was kind of right and kind of wrong about Vor. As I predicted, she was just using Prisma to get the Wicked Nine (which turned out to be about getting her ring), but she didn’t technically betray her. She promised to make Prisma powerful, and she did, but by using her body. I wonder, though, whether Vor was completely in control, or if she just kind of melded with Prisma. Specifically, I’m wondering how much of Vor’s personality was from Vor, and how much was from Prisma. Because Prisma has always had a flair for the dramatic, so it wouldn’t be outside of the realm of possibility for the spirit of Vor to just be the evil and vengeful parts, and the rest to be Prisma. If that makes any sense.
Regardless of whether Prisma had any part of it, Vor was a great series-ending villain. I really had no idea how they would defeat her for good (though I still don’t quite get how Sofia’s love light got rid of her, spirit and all, but I guess we can chalk that partly up to Maruvian magic, which tends to do things that don’t really make sense, but are very powerful).
Craig promised us that Cedric would be a big part of the finale, and we were not disappointed. From making Sofia a tiara, spiffing up the decorations (you know he was just waiting for someone to say “magical” so he could do his thing), helping defend against the crystal army, being part of the charge to head back to fight Vor, and casting the final spell that saved Sofia, he was all over this special from beginning to end. And he finally was recognized as Cedric the Great by none other than the king himself. Giving Sofia back her amulet was the perfect cap to his character arc.
We got confirmation of what I’ve suspected, that Amber’s had to cover for Sofia going off on her protector mission, since she was the only one who knew about them and her amulet’s powers. I’m glad that both of those were finally revealed to everyone (but especially the parents), even if there wasn’t time to see the full implications of everyone knowing.
Okay, but that climax. Sofia getting sucked into the amulet, everyone thinking there’s a chance they’ll never get her back, and then all her friends and family rallying together, giving their energy to get her back. So powerful, and it hammers home how many lives Sofia has touched over the course of the series.
I had a few quibbles with this episode, but by the time I finished writing all this out, I’ve forgotten them. But I do really wish there had been a scene of Azurine and Prisma making up, especially since Prisma was so remorseful at the end. But other than that, this was a practically perfect way to end the series.
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Attention Sofia the Fandom! Beta readers wanted!!!
Hello!
Just thought I would let you all know about my current project, which is essentially a fifth season of ‘Sofia The First’.
I am in the outline stage right now, which I will admit has been challenging due to a few factors, but I think I finally have a general idea of where I want to go and what I want to do.
As the title says, I’m asking for beta readers. Once I finished my outlines, I’m going to start with the actual writing. I hope to be finished with my first story within the next few weeks, with the next two to follow shortly after. After which, I will send off to my beta readers. I’m asking that you be able to check for grammar, spelling and any continuity errors that may exist. also to ensure that the characters do not go OOC, or at least not drastically so.
Anyone interested in being a beta reader can message me.
As for my stories themselves? Well, here’s an idea of what to expect!
We’ll get to see the Wicked Nine again! PLUS THE VILLAINS!!! Because let’s face it; that was some lost opportunity there!!!
Prisma is going to be featured and play a significant role, because seriously; she had lots of potential as a character. Yes, it’s a redemption arc and it will NOT BE EASY but most isn’t. It will be much harder for her than it was for Cedric, that’s for sure.
We’ll meet the rest of Prisma’s family, namely her parents. The mom was ESPECIALLY fun to write.
Sofia, Amber and James start at their new schools and face new challenges. Including a classmate that grows increasingly hostile towards Sofia, much to her confusion.
How Goodwyn and Winifred met. (Because seriously... HOW did THAT happen?!)
THE ORDER OF THE WAND RETURNS
We’re going to learn a LOT about life in the Mystic Isles, especially on the Isle of Crystals.
Azurine’s character will be explored. Not all is necessarily perfect with her, either.
Cedric... dates. Yes, you read right. Our favorite sorcerer is FINALLY diving into the dating pool. With floaties. It will be fun... for us ;)
Prisma makes a very unusual, yet very special friend. They are an OC of mine and are crucial to her arc. (As a note, this OC is solely responsible for helping me get the ball rolling on this project. You have no idea how thrilled I am and I absolutely ADORE him and hope you will, too)
Another OC of mine that will play a significant background role, but will make their presence very much felt throughout the season. I will say, they share a very close connection with the Amulet of Avalor. (Nope, not Elena or any of the princesses. )
Also TROLLS!
And Hugo!
And Callista and Cordelia!
And witches!
And MORE!!!
And that’s all I’m telling you right now!
I’ll be putting together a FF.net page sometime in the next week just for these stories. I’ll post a link when it’s ready. I hope to have the first stories ready and posted sometime in March.
See you all soon! I can’t wait to share this new, expanded world of Sofia The First with you!
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Fights and Promises
For @the-azurine-pele who suggested Vancat. I don’t know what it is, but since I’ve asked for a ship with writing angst I’ve written 4 short fics in 2 days. Like this is unlike me. I’m not going to be able to keep this going so if you want your heart broken with your fave ship, send something my way. But for now, enjoy!
~•~
“Promise me we’ll never fight?” Evan asked Tyler. They lay together, tops of their heads touching and one set of hands tangled within each other.
“How do you explain this?!” Tyler shouted, throwing the jacket at Evan’s face. He just stood in the door’s entrance at a loss for words. “What were you expecting me to just forgive you?”
“It’s not what it looks like.” The Canadian pleaded. Tyler rolled his eyes, his body along with it.
“You slept with LUKE!!”
“It’s exactly what it looks like.”
“I can’t. That’s too optimistic. How about you promise me we’d always make up when we fight.” Tyler proposed, running his free hand through Evan’s midnight black hair. “Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Did you even think of me? When you curled up against his big muscular body? Did you?!” Tyler was right up in Evan’s face, trying to read any sign of remorse off it. The latter refused to look up at the taller.
“Hypocrite.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Evan raised his voice, looking with determined eyes right in Ty’s face. “You think I don’t notice all the late nights you were out fucking BRIAN! All the days you said you were ‘working late’ when really you were out with your own boy toy!”
“I was his wingman to help him ask out David out! It took much longer than expected because he’s a pussy!”
“Bullshit.” Evan spat.
“And after we fight ...” Evan added. “When everything settles down, that we have to tell each other we love them.”
“That’s good. I like that.”
“Did you even love me?” Tyler asked, tears now streaming down his face. There was a suffocating silence that both of them were in. “EVAN!!”
“I think it would be better if you just left.” Evan said, his voice steady. Tyler blinked, but didn’t hesitate storming out of the apartment. He made sure to slam the door on the way out, letting the slam echo throughout the apartment. It was then and only then that Evan broke down, crashing to the floor in a whirlwind of emotions. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, dialing one of the few people who always knew what to say. He answered on the third ring.”
“Promise we’ll always be together?”
“Forever and always.”
“Hello?”
“Jon, I fucked up. I fucked up really really bad this time.”
“Woah, hey. Just breathe, okay. Breathe. You don’t have to talk about it until you’re calm.” His voice was concerned yet refreshing and was always what he needed when he was stressed. They talked a little bit about random things until Evan was calm enough to tell him what happened.
“I screwed up. Major league screw up with Tyler. And I don’t think he’ll be able to forgive me this time.”
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Social Media Standards?
Hey there! It’s Ninna. I’m honestly not quite sure of how to go about this blog post, so I’m just going to impulsively write about whatever appeals to me as of the moment. “Simulacra” – to briefly explain the concept of Jean Baudrillard, I will relate it to my fascination with the word: façade.
The concept of the word “façade” fascinates me, because I am amazed with how people are able to portray a certain image of themselves to mask another part of them – which they may not exactly be proud of. Think of the stereotypical bully: they hide their fears and insecurities of being weak by acting tough and aggressive towards people they consider to be weaker than them.
Now, how can I relate this concept to social media? Have you ever come across a very personal Facebook post that made you cringe and question why they posted it? Did it ever occur to you that if you had encountered that same post on any other social media site, you might have reacted differently?
Why do we consider it more tolerable or acceptable when people tweet about their lives or frustrations on Twitter, but stigmatize similar posts on Facebook? Is it because of the 140-word limit that prevents us from getting into detail? Or are you guilty of having innate standards on what to post on specific social media platforms?
I won’t deny that I am guilty of this. By now, it should already be common knowledge that everything we see, hear, or read isn’t always completely true. Different social media platforms allow us to share parts of our lives with other people, but what people often overlook is that what we post is not our entire lives – but only bits and pieces of it.
Personally, I make use of snapchat to share how enjoyable or amusing my life is. In my snap story, I try to limit myself to sharing only the happy or funny moments of my day. I want the people who view my story to think of me as a bright and cheerful person. In addition to that, I also aspire to brighten their day with whatever I post. In contrast to that, it is only on Twitter where I allow myself to openly express how broken I feel inside. I limit my tweets to personal thoughts which I consider relevant, and worthy of being shared. I avoid tweeting “how I feel”, but rather, express ideas which I think others may be able to relate to. My tweets are a reflection of my thoughts and how I view the world; but in regard to how I feel, or what I may be going through, that’s up to you to consider.
Facebook and Instagram are usually platforms for (if not sharing, then) long posts/statuses – which express gratitude, important announcements, or milestones. Facebook is usually seen as the general platform – where you’re connected to acquaintances, from relatives to people you’ve only met once. So this is considerably the best platform to advertise or “fish” for likes. Instagram may be considered as more personal or “private” – because you can manage who follows you, without having to follow them (or view their posts) back. Facebook is more of a family or “professional” setting, while Instagram caters more to “friends” than relatives. Which is why it’s amusing to note of the millennials that post certain photos on Instagram and not Facebook – or make use of Facebook as a “photo-dump”, while carefully choosing photos to add to their Instagram feed. #feedgoals
Without a doubt, we have our reasons for posting what we post, and where we post them – but it’s important to note that what people post is merely glimpse through a keyhole. What they post does not completely define who they are as a person; people post ONLY what their willing to post – there’s always something people keep hidden or “unseen” by the naked eye. It is up to us to be conscious of how we interpret other people’s posts, and how we allow this to affect the way we view them. Be careful not to mistake this portrayed image of themselves, as everything they are as a person.
---
For additional information on Baudrillard’s concept of Simulacra and Simulation, you may visit the following site. If this post intrigues you, you may find me on Twitter with the handle: @karayagan
This is Ninna Azurin, signing off!
#simulacra#façade#stereotypes#socialmedia#DontJudge#SocialMediaStandards#Dramaturgy#snapchat#twitter#instagram#facebook#keyhole
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A Knight Affair: Chapter 11 - To Ashes
For two days, the guards tore the palace and all the surrounding area apart searching for the queen’s assassin. No stone was left unturned, no possible witness left unquestioned, but because so many of the guards had been away and the servants didn’t venture to the third floor without reason, no one had seen or heard anything.
After two full days of searching, the knight captain finally called it off, declaring they had escaped and further searching would only leave the remaining royals vulnerable, to which the men agreed.
Word spread quickly that the queen had been assassinated by an unknown assailant and the people of the empire could only guess and wonder who had killed their lovely and wise queen?
A queen who had been conscripting men to fight in the still trudging on rebellion.
A fact that had seemed to vanish from the memories of the people as the news of the murder spread across the land from the empire proper to the sprawlling territories it had brought under its heel. Towns and villages all across the empire kept their heads bowed as they carried on with their days
The empire was in mourning, from peasants and servants to the remaining members of the royal family. To lose their monarch while still fighting the rebellion raging in the east was a hard blow to take.
The night the search had been called off, Yellow dismissed them for the rest of the night and made her way quickly to Blue’s quarters and slipped silently inside.
The soon to be queen was sitting at her writing desk with her back to the knight. A single candle at her side illuminating whatever she was working on as her quill scratched at the paper under her fingers. She was dressed in her sleep wear, probably heading to bed soon.
Yellow waited quietly for the scratching to stop before she spoke.
“What are you working on?” She asked quietly. Blue jolted, turning to look at the knight over her shoulder. Her shoulders dropped, relaxing as cerulean eyes landed on the knight’s armored form.
“Just some final preparations for the coronation." She sighed, setting the quill back in the pot before turning to face her completely.
"How goes the goose chase?" She cocked a brow in amusement.
"It has been long enough that I finally called off the search." She pulled off her helmet with a relieved sigh. “Is everything ready for tomorrow?” She cast the other woman a meaningful look.
“Yes. We shall send her off at noon.” Blue sighed, thinking about the large pyre that had been built in the field just outside the palace over the last day.
"And Rosaline?" She asked as she worked to take off her armor,putting it away before climbing onto the bed and plopping face first into the goose down mattress.
Blue had taken full advantage of the situation announcing to the guards and servants that due to her mother's violent death and that the perpetrator had not been caught, the knight captain would be staying close.
She had the knight moved into the room next to hers, one that had been empty for many years and unbeknownst to most had a secret passageway that connected the two, hidden behind matching paintings of the northern shore.
A turn of events that suited Yellow fine.
"She's alright… still coming to terms with what's happened." She toyed with the blue diamond pendant hanging from her neck.
A nervous habit that Yellow picked up on right away, even from her place laying almost completely face down in the pillows.
"Did something happen today?" She pushed herself up on one elbow to better look at her.
Blues lips pressed into a thin line, gaze drifting off to the side.
"Azurine…" Yellow prompted softly.
"We had a… disagreement this afternoon… voices may have been raised." She finally admitted, turning to look away from the knight
"You fought." Yellow corrected bluntly, resting her face in her palm, elbow holding up her tired head.
"Yes…" the soon to be be queen huffed, still refusing to meet the knight's gaze.
"What were you arguing about?"
"The rebellion. I informed her of my plans to pull the troops from the southern border and send them to the east and finally bring this to an end. She did not agree." Blue reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. “She wants all the bloodshed to stop immediately. She wouldn’t listen to reason.”
“For once I may agree with her.” Yellow hummed, making Blue turn to her.
“You think we should just let Aarde go? After all that’s been sacrificed to keep it?” She asked in disbelief.
“That’s not what I said.” Yellow held up a hand. “I understand that we can’t just pull back now, but everyone is tired of the constant death.”
“I don’t relish the idea of yet more fighting, but what else can be done?”
“You could grant them autonomy. They would be beholden to the empire and pay taxes but would in truth be sovereign.” Yellow suggested. Blue hummed, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
“That would be the most widely acceptable solution… How did you get so smart, love?” She asked with a grin.
“Believe it or not, before I would meet you there, I spent my time in the library reading.” She snarked making Blue laugh.
“My apologies. Perhaps I should make you the head scholar rather than knight captain?” She suggested blowing out the candle and casting them both in near complete darkness. A sliver of moonlight was slipping between the curtains, casting just enough light once her eyes had adjusted that Blue could make her way across the room.
The bed shifted as Blue climbed in beside her, practically forcing Yellow onto her side to better snuggle against her, forcing the knights arms to encircle her.
A faint chuckle and warm breath against her face let her know that the knight captain had no objections.
Blue’s hands slipped up the back of the knight’s tunic, fingers running over the raised scars that covered her skin. She felt Yellow shiver as he cool rands skimmed over the warm skin of her back.
It pained her still, knowing how she had suffered, for them. She traced each of the fifteen long scars. She would never forget that day nor the pained look on Yellow’s face after every strike. It would be seared into her memory always.
“I’ll never let anyone hurt you like this again…” Came her quiet promise in the dark.
She could feel more than see those amber eyes trained on her in the darkness of the bedroom.
“It wasn’t your fault.” A calloused hand reached up to find her cheek even in the dark.
Blue took hold of it and turned her face to press full lips to every pad of those scarred and hardened fingers.
“Yes, it was.” She mumbled between lavishing affection on the knight. “I should have taken action before, when she began to become unstable. Before any of this happened. I could have saved you and Pink and our people so much suffering.”
“Azurine…” The bed shifted and the sliver of moonlight was now splashed across Yellow’s face, letting Blue look into those shining amber eyes. “All you would have done was get yourself killed.” She hissed.
“I…” She started and Yellow’s grip around her tightened, pulling her flush against the knight.
“No. We both know that’s what would have happened.” Her voice was a deep rumble in her throat, a mix of suppressed anger and something Blue couldn’t put a name too.
The reflection of glittering moonlight in her narrowed eyes gave Blue pause.
”I promise you, I would gladly take another lashing if it meant keeping you with me.” Her voice was low and guttural in Blue’s ear.
The soon to be queen’s breath hitched as a tide of emotion welled up in her chest, threatening to overflow.
“Aurelia…” Was all she managed for several long moments. “I love you.” She finally breathed, burying her face into Yellow’s neck. Long fingers tugged her even closer if possible and lips pressed firmly against the top of her head.
“And I you.” She mumbled.
~ ~ ~
The morning leading up to the old queen’s final farewell was a bright and sunny one outside, but dark and dreary in the confines of the palace.
Blue was already sitting at the long dining table when Pink finally came down.
“Good morning, Rosaline.” She greeted with a small smile. The princess looked tired, not that Blue could blame her. It had been a hard two days, Especially for Pink.
“Morning” She nodded sitting in her spot next to Blue. She didn’t seem eager to talk this morning, no doubt a multitude of things weighing on her mind today.
“I talked with Yellow last night, about our… disagreement from yesterday and she agreed with you.” That seemed to perk up the girl.
“She did?” She turned to look at her.
“Partially, but yes. She agreed that more bloodshed was not the answer, so I decided that I won’t be sending more troops to the eastern border. I’m going to send an envoy to the rebellion’s leaders to work out a new solution that I think will benefit us all.” She explained as there food was set in front of them.
“That’s great.” Pink smiled, but it wasn’t as enthused as it might have been were today any other day. Blue didn’t have to guess at what was bothering her but she had no idea how to ask.
“I hope you are both well this morning?” They both looked up as Yellow entered the dining hall in full armor, helmet held beneath her arm.
“Good morning, captain.” Blue smiled at the knight as she stopped a few feet from the table and bowed. “Your Majesty, Your Highness.”
“Captain…” Blue smiled brightly. Pink couldn’t help but roll her eyes, glad there weren’t really any servants about and wondered how they had managed to keep their secret for five years with the way Blue always lit up when the knight captain appeared.
“Hi, Yellow.” She turned back to the knight captain. “Where have you been?”
“Checking on all the guard posts, I want to make sure that everything goes smoothly today.” She turned to the girl.
“Right…” Pink nodded, turning her eyes to her lap. Yellow shared a look with Blue before kneeling down to be face to face with the princess.
“Pink” She said quietly, drawing those pale rose colored eyes to her. “I know that you must still feel… uncertain about what happened, but I am proud of you.” She said. Pink’s eyes popped open.
“Proud?” She repeated in disbelief. The knight nodded. “But I…” She began only for Yellow to shake her head.
“You protected yourself.” She insisted. “If you hadn’t acted you would be dead, with your sister and I not far behind.” She assured. Pink looked away from the intense amber stare to look at her scar covered hands in her lap.
“I…know that everything is for the better now that she’s…” She stopped herself from saying it. “I still feel bad about it.” She mumbled, looking back up at the knight sadly.
“You will, for a time.” She gave a slow nod. “I will never forget the first time I had to kill. I hated it, as I hate it still, but it was necessary if I wanted to live.” She patted the girl’s knee.
“In that vein…” She dug into her left boot and pulled out a sheathed stiletto dagger and held it out to Pink.
The sheath was black with gold fittings and had roses carved into both it’s high polished wooden sides. The hilt was twisted black iron with spiraling thorned, vines etched into the metal. The pommel and crossguard both were golden and polished to a mirror’s shine.
Pink blinked at the weapon owlishly for a long moment before looking up at Yellow, the question unspoken.
“I’m afraid I can’t return the other one to you, for obvious reasons, but I assumed you wouldn’t want it back regardless. So, I took the liberty of acquiring this for you, so you could protect yourself if you need.” She explained, still holding out the dagger.
Pink reached up slowly, hand hovering over the hilt.
Yellow said nothing, just held it out patiently.
Finally the blotchy scarred hand grasped the hilt, taking it from the knight.
“I… don’t know, Yellow…”
“I do.” She stood back up and looked down at the unsure princess. “You’re capable and what happened was awful, but you shouldn't let it cripple you. You are stronger than that, Rosaline.” The knight’s tone did not brook for argument. It usually didn’t.
Pink’s grip tightened on the dagger as she held it close to her body and nodded.
“Thank you, Yellow.”
The knight nodded and happened to glance at Blue who was smiling adoringly back at her. Her face flushed as she looked elsewhere, trying to avoid the saccharine look being directed at her.
Blue knew she must be awfully transparent at the moment but he couldn’t help it. The showing of affection between her sister and the gruff knight filled the would be queen with an intense feeling of joy and peace she hadn’t felt in some time.
Pink glanced between her smiling sister and the flushed knight and couldn’t help but chuckle.
~
At nearly noon the noble families and the representatives from the northern, western and southern territories began to arrive, gathering around the pyre that had been built in the middle of the field.
The once queen’s body had already been laid upon it that morning, guards standing watch should anyone get any ideas they would be quickly dissuaded.
The black veil over Blue’s head kept her face shrouded in shadow, hidden from everyone as she and Pink made their way by foot through the field, Yellow followed only a few steps behind with two other guards, each carried a torch. Most of the gathered nobility assuming it was to hide her tears, but the reality was it was to hide the fact that there were no tears.
She and Pink had cried, cried long and hard, mourning their mother.
The mother they had lost long ago but not realized until the stranger with her face lay dead in the courtyard in a pool of blood and shattered crimson glass.
Their mother was dead long before she had ever died.
Pink had been quiet the majority of the morning. Blue supposed that was to be expected all things considered. Her mood had been a little brighter after the talk she and Yellow had this morning in the dining hall though.
She was still keeping an eye on her, she knew Yellow was as well.
At noon exactly the head cleric moved to the front, a bright spot in the crowd in his high collared white and gold robes and tall cone shaped hat. He began to give a long mournful speech, expounding the many great deeds and virtus of the late queen, whipping many of the assembled into frenzied fits of tears and wailing.
Blue remained rigid, hands clasped at her waist and eyes dry. She had no grief to give for the corpse laid out in front of her. All her pain had been laid bare already, now she was numb, the rawness already fading.
The girl at her side was not of the same mind.
Pink’s shoulders were shaking with her barely controlled sobs. It was moments such as these that reminded her that Pink was still just a girl. One that only until recently had lived a relatively sheltered life, unaware of how terrible things could be.
How bloody.
She would be no different if it hadn’t been for Yellow, exposing her to the harsh realities of life that existed beyond the palace walls.
Gently she took hold of Pink’s shoulders and pulled her back against her. Pink let herself be pulled into the cloaked embrace, letting herself sink into the comforting shadows, shielding her from the many eyes all around them. Blue’s arms wrapped securely around her had always protected her, her and the knight she knew was always close at hand.
Yellow watched the two from beneath the visor of her helmet and sighed silently, wishing there was more she could do for the two of them at the moment, but she had to maintain her distance, and they understood that.
Finally, the cleric, red faced, with tears running down his own cheeks finished his impassioned speech and turned to look at the knight captain.
Yellow nodded and she and the two guards at her side stepped away from the two mourning royals toward the pyre.
The torches were dipped into the bundles of straw, quickly catching in a burst of fire.
Flames licked across the large logs and bundles of straw sandwiched between them, blazing to life.
The wood groaned and shifted as the fire ate at it.
Blue held Pink tighter against her as the flames caught the long white gown draped atop the wood, the silk material going up in the blink of an eye and soon the old queens form was obscured by the ever higher rising flames.
After a while, many began to wander away, back towards the palace till only the two royals and the guards remained, watching the flames slowly eat away at the pyre.
It was nearly dark, the sun only just dipping behind the horizon, lighting the sky brilliant shades of yellow, pink, red and orange when the flames finally began to fade, leaving only smoldering embers and ashes.
“Azurine…” Yellow’s quiet voice at her side finally breathed life back into Blue. She turned to look into those worried amber eyes and nodded to the unspoken question.
With a gentle tug she pulled Pink along with her as they turned and began the walk back toward the palace, the setting sun at their backs.
The thirty year reign of Queen Winea Diamond was over.
#bellow diamond#blue diamond#yellow diamond#pink diamond#white diamond#knight!AU#fic#steven universe
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Sofia The First: Season Five Ideas
This post is a little later than I would have liked, but this is just a rundown of ideas and scenarios I would have loved to see played out had there been a fifth season of Sofia The First.
There was just... SO MUCH POTENTIAL that wasn’t taken advantage of! So many storylines that could have been explored further. So many characters that we could’ve dug deeper into, given more screen time and gotten to know better.
So, I’m going to share my ideas. Anyone who wants to add on, please do so. I really want to write more on some of these characters and I have a few OC’s and headcannons (some of which will be mentioned here).
Here we go with the list.
The Order of the Wand
I think we can ALL AGREE that the Order of the Wand was TRAGICALLY underused. I mean, Grimtrix gets all these sorcerers together to overthrow their respective kingdoms and basically become High King over them all and it’s JUST. One. EPISODE.
I mean, COME ON!
THIS, more than anything, had the potential to become SO MUCH BIGGER than just ‘Day of the Sorcerers’. The whole season could have had them as an underlying threat in contrast - or even in conjunction- with Prisma and her hunt for the Wicked Nine. Grimtrix would have made an excellent competition for Prisma; possibly even tried to persuade them to join up and help each other.
For Season Five, I could easily see Grimtrix either getting out of prison himself or being broken out of prison and promise revenge on Cedric -whom he’s FURIOUS to learn is a great hero now- and Princess Sofia.
This would tie into my other plot idea...
The Wicked Nine
Of ALL THE PLOT POINTS and potential for something bigger, THIS is the one that really screams ‘WASTED!’ To me. I mean, you have ALL THESE MAGICAL OBJECTS, all belonging to the MOST VILE, depraved and sinister villains to exist... and DON’T USE THEM? Sure, we saw Grimhilda’s Crown, but that was once and what about the rest of them? What about her heart box? (That is some SCARY ASS potential there with that. I’m thinking that she doesn’t physically take your heart, but takes your soul and traps it inside and she can take possession of your body. Talk about nightmare fuel.)
My idea? Season Five sees every one of these villains resurrected as a result of Vor. (Don’t ask me how). They’re confused AF, but they don’t care. They’re alive, kicking and want to raise as much trouble as possible. They get out of the Mystic Isles while all the confusion with Vor is going on and the Protectors don’t notice until later. Needless to say, the three Good Faries are FURIOUS and scared of all the trouble they KNOW Maleficent will bring. So now there’s THIS worry on top of the Order of the Wand. Who team up with the Wicked Nine. Nice.
I’m just trying to picture all the banter and potential for conflict, rivalries and the like between these villains. The potential is just too insane and even hilarious. Example, Dr. Facilier gets along well with Gothel and eventually Greylock. Lady Tremain considers them so BASE and associates with them as little as possible, preferring the company of Queen Grimhilda and possibly Jafar, who understand how ‘the rabble’ can be. Shan Yu gets along well with Mor’du, which is no surprise given their love of bloodshed. Only Shan Yu is calculating and planned. Mor’du’s is naturally random and without warning. Shan Yu is the only one who can keep him in line and assures that he gets fresh kill.
Grimtrix is reluctant at first, but decides to join up as long as he can get back at Cedric, the sorcerer who turned on him for the friendship of a princess.
Prisma
This is a character that, despite being crucial to the storyline of season four, was woefully under explored as a character. She was someone I actually felt truly sorry for in regards to her motivations, even though her actions were wrong. As we saw with Cedric, being in the shadow of someone like a parent is no easy thing. In the shadow of a sibling? That had to have been a nightmare. I can’t help but feel we really missed out on exploring the culture of the Mystic Isles when it comes to things like being what and who you are. Watching ‘Undercover Faries’ gives me an idea of what it must have been like for Prisma. Only MUCH worse.
My problem lies with how her resolution was handled; I was SO GLAD to see her express remorse and accept responsibility for her actions. I honestly saw it coming. But my problem is, there was very little exploration into her background to give that apology more weight and meaning. If you’re going to make a character remorseful at the end, you need to give them a little more substance to them to make that apology feel more ‘real’. I wanted to look more into who Prisma was and who she is. What happened that made her snap and try to cover the Mystic Isles with crystals? What made her crystals ‘subpar’ in the first place? Were they or did they have properties that no one thought to explore that haven’t been seen in crystals either before or in a very long time?
In season five, I would love for Prisma to get a shot at redemption. (Remorse is not redemption . It just opens up the potential for redemption). How she would obtain it would be hard but I have a few ideas there. Also explore her family background and how Crystallar culture functions.
Her relationship with Azurine would be explored in depth more. Were they always like this or were they, like Cedric and Cordelia, closer as children? At least before people started going to Azurine for crystals and pass Prisma over? I think Prisma would want to apologize to her sister, but it would be hard for her and Azurine? I think she’d want to but they would have a LOT to talk about.
Prisma’s primary motivation for gaining power for herself was to gain love for herself. Her sister, it appears, got all the love and appreciation growing up in part due to her prowess as a Crystal Master. She saw her sister being loved like that and wanted to be loved, too. But because she was dismissed with her crystals deemed as inferior in comparison, she saw her sister as competition. I have to really question where their parents were. Which brings me to...
Prisma’s parents: my headcannon is her mother was a narcissist. She treated her children like gold until their Crystal powers became clear. With Azurine, her affection intensified. With Prisma, she became distant and made a point of showing her where she stood in not just Crystal Master society, but in her eyes. She’s a combination of Gothel and Tremain but even worse, in some respects. She dressed Azurine in bright colors ‘appropriate for a TRUE Crystal Master’ and forced Prisma to wear drab colors like brown. Telling her that it wouldn’t suit Prisma to wear bright colors like blue. It was a way of telling her that she was ‘dirt’ compared to the ‘sun’ that was her sister.
Prisma’s crystals aren’t subpar but have a power that hasn’t been utilized or even seen in crystals. At least, nothing seen as useful. But it is. Figuring it out would be part of how she helps Sofia and the Protectors stop the OotW and the W9.
Prisma ends up in Enchancia under the charge of Cedric, who is reluctant but is willing to try given his own history
Prisma is naturally unsure and doesn’t know where she fits as she tries to make friends and fails at first. She eventually befriends Lucinda and meets her mother Marla, who is happy to talk to her and offer guidance. They become BFF’s. This scares Cedric (in a funny way)
At some point, she finds a baby barn owl and cares for it in secret because she doesn’t know how people will react. Sofia finds out and promises to keep her a secret because it’s clear Prisma loves her pet and is glad to see Prisma opening her heart.
Wormwood and Twitch
Let’s face it; the series wouldn’t be complete without these two. I could easily see them escaping the Protectors Tower and ending up with the Wicked Nine. Wormwood would be utterly taken by Maleficent, who would gladly accept him. Twitch would be useful and we could explore his own background more. These two would bicker, but be seen as useful.
Wormwood has extensive knowledge of everything involving the Royal Family of Enchancia that could easily be used to the advantage of their enemies. Secret entrances and ways to get in and out of the castle unnoticed. Including a few secrets of the Royal Family and Cedric, of course that could be useful.
Cedric
Now known as ‘Cedric the Great’, his reputation has skyrocketed and he’s now loved and respected across the kingdom. His confidence is up there and he’s pretty happy.
Which leads to the eventual offers of courtship from women, mostly sorceresses of important families. He’s flattered, elated and overwhelmed. Eventually, the attention gets to be too much and before long, he’s hiding in his tower again and has to be persuaded out.
Cedric is going to help Sofia, naturally and is going to be involved with helping stop the bad guys. He is understandably wary of Prisma, but is reminded by Sofia how HE once was, so he helps her find her footing and they slowly gain each other’s trust and by and by, become friends.
Wow, that’s a lot...
I would LOVE to see what you all would want from a season five from Sofia the First. Please share your ideas! I’d love to hear them! I’d love for this to be a project of sorts.
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