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chaozsilhouette · 3 years

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Moonlit Musings

The night is such a perfect time to face one’s darkest truths. Shrouded in the moon’s light what can one do but admit to their flaws. It can be a time of rejuvenation and rebirth, only if you let it.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

It was a quiet night.

The full moon hung high in the heavens accompanied by millions of stars. Not a cloud to be seen, an ideal night for passions to run wild. Normally people would be taking out their telescopes or arranging romantic picnics.

Sadly, nights like these only filled Sun Wukong with dread. It was a night like this when he was finally able to return after the Journey. That was the night he learned he had lost a precious treasure.

When he returned, he expected to be greeted by his subjects until Macaque showed himself. He expected to be strangled as the pale furred monkie admonished him for his recklessness. He expected to watch as fury transformed into tearful joy as they embraced one another for the first time in over five hundred years.

But that wasn’t what happened.

The moment he set foot back onto Flower Fruit Mountain, he sensed something was very wrong. Like his previous return trips, his subjects greeted him with loud celebrations. The new mothers showed off their infants. The young ones wasted no time climbing all over him, taking in the scent of their king.

The immortal elders, however, looked concerned.

That was when he realized Macaque’s scent on the mountain was far too faint. Even the magical signature of his clones no longer felt fresh.

Macaque was nowhere to be found. The monkeys reported Macaque had returned a few years after he stopped by the mountain earlier in the Journey but not as his usual self. He didn’t respond to any of their questions. He didn’t even take time to check in on the infants. He didn’t say a word.

He just entered the mansion, but no one saw him leave.

Entering the mansion, Wukong dashed to their room desperate for answers. Opening the doors, he saw the room was horribly empty, sure all of his belonging were exactly as he remembered them, but all of Macaque’s stuff was gone. Macaque’s closet was empty and all his books had vanished. Despite his desperate hopes, there wasn’t any signs of a struggle or hidden messages to be found.

Macaque left of his own free will, but why?

He couldn’t bring himself to sleep in the bed they shared so many nights together. Every time he dared, he awoke expect to be greeted with the comforting warmth of familiar presence, instead he opened his eyes to a cold emptiness.

The lack of answers broke his heart, but he didn’t have time to start tearing the landscape apart trying to find him. Now that he was back for good, he had so many responsibilities to catch up on. He was determined to be a good king for his subjects and that meant ughthinking things through. Plus, he wanted to spend as much time with his master and brothers as possible.

Then there was the concerning fact all his previous allies had severed their alliance with him.

Apparently after all the fuss with the Demon Bull King, word had spread that Wukong broke their alliance by disrespecting protocol and attacking the royal family. Plus, his new position as a defender of humanity annoyed more than a few respectable demons. Combined with the sheer number of powerful demons he killed on the Journey cemented the idea that having an alliance with him would only end poorly.

He was banned from court meetings and the other kings in the surrounding areas wanted nothing to do with him. The chaotic nature of his past had finally caught up to him and in the worst possible way.

He was still recognized as the Monkey King of the Sun Court but was effectively blacklisted. No one wanted to mess with him, but they also didn’t want to interact with him. Not good for his mental health to say the least.

Simians are naturally social creatures. Wukong was used to constantly being around other people and learning new things. His time imprisoned was not kind. His first year of freedom had him constantly climbing over his brothers and master just to reassure himself that this was real.

And now that he couldn’t reconnect with old faces unless it was through a battle to the death…It forced him to delve into old memories. Memories that while sweet only made the emptiness more pronounced.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Sun Wukong smiled as he watched Macaque’s reaction.

The six-eared monkie was furiously pinching the bridge between his eyebrows after he shattered a boulder with a careless headbutt as though it would make his life mercifully easier. “You’ll have to explain it to me again. What did you mean by ‘no longer under Yama’s jurisdiction’?”

“Exactly what I said. I was napping. Having some time to myself, when out of nowhere some idiots tried to take my soul to the afterlife.” Wukong explained as though having entities of death rip out your soul to drag it to the underworld was no big deal.

“Bet you weren’t happy.” Macaque couldn’t help but smirk at the flippant tone. He just made it so difficult to stay mad.

“Not in the slightest. I barged my way to the top brass, bunch of cowards called the Ten Kings (totally undeserved titles by the way) and demanded what the fuck was going on.” He was still ticked off even if the payoff was sweet. Seriously! Did immortality mean nothing to these cowards? They couldn’t even play it off as him dying in battle. He was in the peak of his youth! “Can you believe they tried to play it off as a misunderstanding? Should have smacked the loudmouth when I was there.”

“So, through a series of ridiculous events, you erased your name from the records of the dead.” Macaque could easily piece together the rest from there. No matter how ridiculous the odds. He learned never to bet against his friend when a problem could be handled with brute strength or intimidation. If it didn’t look like such an answer was possible, clearly, they hadn’t experienced the force of a determined Wukong. Something about facing a ticked off monkie of practically infinite strength and invulnerability left harden conquerors pissing themselves.

It was hilarious.

“Not just mine. In my infinite wisdom, I erased the names of several of the monkey inhabitants of esteemed Flower Fruit Mountain, including yours.” Wukong playfully booped Macaque’s nose.

Turning away to hide a light blush, Macaque scoffed to cover his embarrassing response. “Typical. I can’t leave you alone for five minutes without you doing something insane.”

“I know. I’m just that awesome.”

“So what? Are we now double immortal?” That was the question wasn’t it. Due to their master’s instructions, they were immortal and ageless, so what exactly would this give them? He didn’t feel any different. He couldn’t sense any new powers or changes in his instincts.

His counterpart, however, had other things on his mind. “Who cares. All I know is that those idiots have no control over our souls anymore.” And with that the King took his rightful place across Macaque’s lap as the other returned to his scrolls.

Wukong instead took the time to examine his friend, who finally gained enough confidence to fully drop his glamour and embrace his true appearance.

He still couldn’t believe Macaque actually had six ears. The weird part was how natural they looked, almost as if seeing him with only two was bizarre. The coolest part was how each pair softly glowed a different color. Blue. Purple. Red. Sometimes Wukong would just stare at them, imagining that he could see glittering stars emanating from that glow.

Suddenly those magnificent ears twitched. Macaque didn’t bother looking up from the bamboo scroll. “A trespasser...multiple, boar and vulture demon. Another hunting party”.

“Again. Ugh. Don’t these idiots ever give up!” Don’t get him wrong, Wukong loved a good fight. What better way to prove how superior you are to others than to steal what’s most precious to them? But even he was starting to grow bored with the sheer number of hunters that thought kidnapping his subjects was a quick cash grab.

After the fifth army he returned in pieces to the surrounding upstart lords, you’d think they’d take a hint.

Thankfully he wasn’t the only powerhouse on the mountain. “I haven’t tasted blood in a while. Why don’t I defend the kingdom while your highness enjoys a show?” Macaque set aside his reading material, eyes glittering with bloodlust.

Wukong returned the smirk with one of his own. “I’m always up for a good thrashing. One request: make it glorious.”

“Don’t I always.” Macaque joked as he retrieved his spear from his own shadow.

Wukong summoned his cloud and claimed a good vantage point. Once again, he marveled at his friend’s hearing. Judging by the distance it would have been at least three hours before he would have detected their presence.

Kicking back, he transformed some hair into a fruit platter and waited for the screams.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

To this day, Wukong knew Macaque was alive. Thanks to his efforts combined with the intense training, the monkie was double immortal. Besides, that monkkie was way too stubborn to die. He would survive purely on spite if he had to.

Macaque left, but why?

While he may have effectively isolated himself, that didn’t mean he didn’t hear about the other courts. A few centuries ago, he heard rumors about the formation of a new court by someone under the title of the Macaque King. Supposedly they were a powerful monkie who knew way more than he had the right to. For a brief moment, Wukong dared to hope it was his old friend, but it didn’t last. The few recounts he caught described him with black fur. Besides, he knew how much Macaque hated the title of King. Even when Wukong offered him the position as co-ruler of his kingdom, the pale monkie adamantly refused.

Still, he was curious.

For a few weeks he could have sworn he detected a familiar scent hiding underneath Mk’s. And he wasn’t the only one who noticed. A few of the immortal monkeys questioned him on the mango infused scent and what his plans were. It was almost too much to take in.

To think he returned to teach his student instead of showing his face. It hurt just to think about it. He chose to ignore the beckoning scent until it became impossible to ignore MK’s leap in progress. Then it just vanished like it hadn’t been testing his patience. Like it hadn’t brought him to the brink of shaking the kid upside down until he confessed where his old friend was hiding. The kid probably grew wise, or someone told him to change his bathing habits, and by the next training session it was all but gone.

Dragging his hand down his face, Wukong tried to reevaluate his thoughts.

Getting mad at the kid wasn’t going to solve anything. He knew he hadn’t been the most attentive master. Hell, the whole hammer exercise at its core was a desperate attempt to remove a painful reminder of better times. His master would be disappointed in how he was running away from his problems, but would encourage him to take the steps to be better. Zhu Bajie would be a sarcastic little shit, trying to get him riled up so the monkie would prove him wrong. Sha Wujing would sit him down and wouldn’t let him leave until they talked everything through.

He had to make things right with the kid. He deserved a better master. And this New Years he was gonna get one.

He spoke, praying the winds would carry his voice to his Warrior.

“Macaque. I know it’s been a while, but…I-I want to talk. I know you’re out there, somewhere I can’t reach. I miss sparring with you. I miss lazy days napping in the shade by your side. I miss defending the mountain as we held contests to see who could take out the most trespassers before their common sense kicked in. I miss you. Please come home.”

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

The moon was high in the sky. Stars danced in the heavens as the faintest hints of vibrations pulsed through the concrete from the late-night dance clubs. MK lay awake, his mind struggling to make sense of it all.

Ever since Macaque disappeared in order to remain undetected, he kept thinking about his relationship with the Monkey King. Sure, he was being trained and he was definitely making progress. The monkie was still on his case for supposedly cheating on him with another mentor. Nothing MK said or did could make the monkie think otherwise. Thankfully, he was no longer shooting him suspicious glares, but the underlying tension remained.

The sad truth is they just weren’t that close.

He would have expected to learn more about the Monkey King on a personal and emotional level, but he just couldn’t get past that wall. Their training sessions felt more like just the Monkey King arranged just to get it over with. There was no passion at all.

Okay, perhaps that last bit was an exaggeration.

When you peered past the arrogance and pride, you found one socially awkward monkie. It was similar to Red Son the more he thought about it, both seemed to find it difficult to talk to or relate to others in a friendly setting. Sure, Monkey King projected a friendly demeanor and called him “bud”, but if he didn’t know any better he could have sworn the monkie was afraid to take that final step.

The last few sessions had taken a bit of a turn in a positive direction as Sandy would say. Maybe Monkey King decided it was time to make a change? Maybe this was all a trick so MK would lower his guard and reveal Macaque’s identity? Maybe he was just tired and should have conked out an hour ago?

Maybe.

Reality was so different from the legends. When Tang first introduced him to the Monkey stories, he was hooked. He loved listening to the tales of the infamous trickster that flipped off every major religious figure with unbridled confidence. Meeting the Great Sage in the flesh was like a dream come true until he was exposed to the King’s less pleasant tendencies.

Mk couldn’t help but wonder just how much confidence the Monkey King had in his training skills. Did he ever train someone before? Could MK talk to someone about this without appearing even more ungrateful than he already looked? Why didn’t he stop Red Son from unsealing his father when he was there? Why didn’t he simply seal the entire family when they were reunited? Why did the five times immortal sage decide that now he needed to train a disciple? Was Monkey King not telling him something important?

He had so many questions and not even the foggiest idea of where to start looking. Or perhaps he did?

The truth was he missed Macaque. The dark-furred monkie may have only taught him for a month, but the progress he made and the level of care he was exposed to made him feel as though he had finally unlocked the ability to fly.

He missed the regular grooming. He missed learning about the demon community. He missed learning new ways to mess with Red Son through appropriate court manners.

Watching the fire user freeze up at the term “honorable prince of the Iron Bull Court” just made him laugh, when his hair combusted it really matched his face. Now that he thought about it, were those horns starting to peek out of his forehead? And maybe the slightest hint of a tufted tail swiping the bottom of his coat? Seeing the demon frantically compose himself was a treat he didn’t know he needed. He still had the video saved as one of his favorites, didn’t hurt that Mei caught it at the perfect angle.

Oh yeah, he missed that.

With any luck, New Years would be the start of something better.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

On an island that remained surrounded by unquenchable storms, a single black-furred monkie sat cross-legged in a secluded part attached to the palace. All around him fruit trees and bushes bore a hefty bounty releasing an intoxicating scent of life.

Ears twitched.

Macaque opened his eyes, aroused from his meditation. It was odd. He had the faintest sensation that someone had been talking about him. Now that wasn’t exactly unusual, he made plenty of allies and enemies across the centuries. What was odd was that the voice sounded like someone he once cherished.

But that couldn’t be right.

The deceptive silence of his personal orchard gave him no answers. Not that he really expected it to.

For some reason he refused to identify, Macaque turned to the single peach tree in the grove. A tribute from his past and a reminder of his mistakes. But it was also a valuable resource once he learned the truth about the peach’s properties. He used its powers to protect many happy relationships, if only it could have helped him so long ago.

No matter.

He still had many projects to work on, including one successor just rife with insecurities. He honestly felt bad ducking out as he did. If things were different, he would have offered him a new life. His Stars were always happy to welcome a new member into their budding community.

As a bonus, his presence would have interrupted their constant attempts to set him up with new dates. He adored their efforts but being paired with partners who only wanted power or he would view only as friends was not something he enjoyed. Although watching them mentally destroy those they didn’t find suitable for him was quite entertaining.

Either way, New Years was coming up fast and he still needed to approve a few changes. His Stars were determined to make sure this event topped last years in every way possible, but they had to make sure they didn’t set the orchard on fire again. Or worse, they could launch the fireworks into the storm barrier. He wasn’t sure why or how, but the tornadoes and clouds turned different colors as explosions rang throughout the night.

It was beautiful but lost its charm after the third day.

#lego monkie kid au #Vanishing Shadow Au #sun wukong #mk #monkie kid #six eared macaque #liu er mihou #rainbow eared macaque #crazy family #Macaque!Dad

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vladdocs · 3 years

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Life of Dracula from age 7 to 14 - Part 2 By Lyzhina Svetlana Sergeevna (Лыжина Светлана Сергеевна) Original in Russian: http://samlib.ru/l/lyzhina_s_s/dracula_7_14_2.shtml Annotation: A continuation of the previous article. Here details Dracula's life after 11 years and primarily the events in the family - the birth of two new brothers, the death of his mother and the appearance of his stepmother, the sending of Dracula to Turkey. In the last article it was mentioned that Dracula's life changed abruptly when he was about 7 years old. The family moved from the house in Sighisoara to the palace in Targoviste, and Dracula and his brother began to be intensively taught various sciences. However, at this time not only Dracula's place of residence and the way of life itself changed - the composition of the family changed: first, Dracula's mother died, and her place was taken by her stepmother; and second, 2 new brothers appeared. New brothers and stepmother It was in Targoviste that Dracula had a brother, with whom he later had to go to Turkey - the same Radu. In some biographies you can read that Radu was born back in Sighisoara, but about Sighisoara it is a mistake. Radu was not born earlier than August 1437, which is confirmed by documents. The fact is that Dracula's father was in the habit of listing his sons by name in those charters that were donations. There is a charter of 23 August 1437, which lists only two sons - Dracula's older brother and Dracula himself. But the charter of August 2, 1439 listed three sons - the same plus Radu. This gives historians a reason to say that Radu was born between August of 1437 and August of 1439. No one can say for sure who Radu's mother was. However, there is indirect confirmation that it is the same woman (Princess Vasilika), who gave birth to Dracula and his older brother. This confirmation is contained in a charter of August 7, 1445, where Dracula's elder brother, Dracula himself and Radu are named as "first-born" sons. Nevertheless, the word "first-born" can be interpreted differently - either all three sons were born of the first wife, or all three sons are full heirs to the throne. Unfortunately, Dracula's father was not in the habit of indicating in the charters, from whom this or that son was born, so now we have gaps in the genealogies. The only certainty is that by 1445 Dracula's mother had already died, and his father married a woman named Colzuna, who came from a Romanian market town located on the Danube and called Braila. Apparently Colzuna was much less noble than Dracula's mother. Dracula's mother was the daughter of a Moldavian prince, while Colzuna was at best the daughter of a boyar or even the daughter of a merchant. Colzuna is known mainly because she caused Dracula to have another younger brother, later nicknamed "The Monk". Initially this brother was a monk, but then he was tonsured and began to reign, but it happened after the death of Dracula, and in 1445 Monk was a very young child, if he was born at all. In the charter of August 7, 1445 this Monk is not mentioned, but it is possible that he is not mentioned precisely because his father did not consider him a "first-born", i.e. heir to the throne, and decided to give him to God, i.e. to the monastery. In general, there is more speculation than fact, but there is nothing to be done about it. Paternal Wars When talking about Dracula's life from the age of 7 to 14, it is necessary to mention another important event that took place in this period - from about the age of 13 Dracula began to attend the Boyars' Council. Dracula was not old enough to fully participate in the meetings, so he was supposed to just sit near his father's throne and listen to what others were saying. About a year before that, the council began to invite Dracula's elder brother (also as an observer), so most probably from 1442 the brothers were present at the council together, and this very presence replaced the science of "politics", which according to the Byzantine system of education was supposed to be mastered

after the age of 17. Listening to other people's conversations, Dracula had to finally figure out how his father builds relationships with his neighbors, and these relationships are very confused. Back in 1431, Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg, admitting Dracula's father to the Order of the Dragon, entrusted the new member of the Order an honorary duty to guard the southern border of the Kingdom of Hungary, ie Transylvania, which (recall) is at that time the Hungarian territory. It was not just an obligation, but a condition of support for the claim to the Romanian throne. Of course, no one expected Father Dracula to ride along the border like a border guard with a small band of loyal servants. Dracula's father was expected to keep the Turks out of Transylvania by making his territory (the Duchy of Romania) something of a human shield. Dracula's father accepted this condition, but soon after ascending the throne he went to the court of the Turkish sultan, where he confirmed the obligations that the former Romanian prince had to Turkey. Essentially, there were two obligations: 1) to pay tribute, and 2) to participate in Turkish campaigns. The only problem was that the Turks were very often at war with the Hungarians, so Dracula's father willy-nilly assumed mutually exclusive obligations: on the one hand he was supposed to defend the Hungarian border, and on the other hand he was supposed to attack the same border with the Turkish army. It would be very funny if it were not so sad, and the saddest thing about this situation is that Father Dracula had no choice. Not to go to Turkey would automatically mean declaring war on Turkey, and war at the beginning of his reign would mean the end of his reign for Father Dracula. That is why a year and a half after ascending the throne, in the spring of 1438, Dracula's father came to Transylvania with the Turkish army, and when the Transylvanian inhabitants turned to him for protection, he replied something like, "Oh, you better not resist, or else it will be even worse. Naturally, the Hungarians were not pleased with such behavior of father Dracula, so in order to placate the Hungarian neighbors, in the spring of 1442, together with the magnate Janos Hunyadi, who was the de facto ruler of Hungary, he destroyed 10,000 Turks in Transylvania. This, however, was not enough for Janosz, and he demanded that Dracula's father participate in a great campaign against the Turks, an idea that Janosz had been hatching for several years. Dracula's father refused. The destruction of 10,000 Turks in Transylvania could somehow be concealed, but to participate in a campaign when one had to enter Turkish territory would be an open challenge to the Sultan. Janos Hunyadi was very offended by this refusal. He was so offended that he decided to put another prince, a certain Basarab, on the Romanian throne. Then Dracula's father turned to the Sultan for help... ... And here we come to a new interesting episode in the life of Dracula himself, who was a teenager at the time. Period of Freedom In the summer of 1442 Dracula's father went to Turkey to negotiate with the sultan and was stuck there for 8 months. An obscure Basarab sat on the throne in Targoviste, and Dracula and his brothers were hiding somewhere at the time. Perhaps one of the boyars loyal to Dracula's father had hidden them away - that we do not know - but it is unlikely that the boyar benefactor or anyone cared about the further education of Dracula and his older brother. There were enough problems as it was! It turns out that control over the brothers dramatically weakened, and just at this time (according to some historians) Dracula was experiencing the most reckless years of his maturation - he had already reached the age of 13. Oh, how coincidental! Of course, if Dracula was born in 1431, then nothing particularly remarkable could happen. What can you do at the age of 11! However, if Dracula was born in 1429 or 1430, the situation is much more interesting. From the summer of 1442 to the spring of 1443, the teenager was

unattended by his father and educators, so he probably took advantage of the situation to learn things that wise mentors do not teach. The only person who could have slowed Dracula down was his older brother, but he was the same teenager, only 1-2 years older... Further commentary is superfluous. Anyway, in the spring of 1443, Dracula's father returned from Turkey with the Turkish army, deposed Basarab from the throne and again engaged in the education of his older teenage sons, whose life went back to its old ways with all its austerities. Hostage in Turkey Contrary to popular belief, Dracula and his younger brother Radu were not sent to Turkey immediately after their father regained power. They lived in Targoviste for about a year, and did not go to the sultan until the summer of 1444. The Sultan was not concerned about the hostages at that time. He was preoccupied with military affairs, because on July 22, 1443 Janos Hunyadi began a crusade against the Turks, which had long been planned, and fought very successfully - the crusaders gained one victory after another and advanced very far into the Turkish territory. The only thing that could stop the crusaders' advance was the winter cold. The campaign of Janos Hunyadi was remembered in history as the Long Campaign and lasted till January 1444. Serbs, Poles, Czechs as well as German and French knights took part in the campaign. Dracula's father did not participate in the campaign with his army, as he was still at odds with Janos. In the spring of 1444, negotiations for an armistice between Janos Hunyadi and the sultan began. Dracula's father joined the negotiations, which resulted in a formal reconciliation between Romanians and Hungarians, with Janos agreeing that Romania could remain under Turkish influence. On June 12, 1444 negotiations were completed. The documents record the Sultan's demands to Dracula's father - "he must send us a pledge". By "bail" it was meant that Dracula and his brother Radu, who were about 14 and 6 years old respectively at the time, should come to the Turkish court. Dracula's father took his sons to Turkey no later than the end of July 1444, and what happened next is told in another article.

#vlad iii #vlad tepes #vlad dracula tepes #vlad the impaler #the life of vlad the impaler early ages #history

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moonlit-mizukage · 3 years

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Chapter ten: Is he not fucking dead?

Summary: Y/n and Tendou are deeply in love. Living on the other side of Tokyo now, the Monsters are still up to their old shit. They even opened a few businesses for Tax reasons. Even though it’s been almost three years later, Y/n still has never been able to understand how they have avoided the law several times. When Tendou’s Mother reappears in his life, Y/n is confused as Tendou claimed she is dead. Finding out Tendou is being forced to take over the family business by his Mother, she soon learns the truth behind Tendou’s reason he never gets in legal trouble is his family business. His mother is quick to decline Y/n as his future wife and tries to set up Tendou with someone she sees more fit. What will happen to Y/n and Tendou? What will happen to Tendou’s “family business”? What does this mean for the future of the Monsters?

TW: Swearing, mentions of kidnapping, traitor, mentions of past violence. mentions of future manipulation

An> Sorry I am a mess mbvfhdvbsh I am uploading the last horror chapter from a week ago in a few hours and some more intros soon!! The links will all be fixed by tomorrow at 9pm est as well!!

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Third person POV (Sugawara and Daichi side)

Arriving back at the headquarters of the north side's base, the two were greeted by the leader's right hand man.

“What the hell happened to you Daichi? You look like you got roughed up.”

“The fucking monsters found out it was me who ordered the hit on Kenma.” Daichi said.

“What the fuck how?” The man asked in front of them.

“I think Kenma did, Kageyama.”

“Is he not fucking dead?” Kageyama slammed his fist into the wall.

“Guess not. They have a pre-med student on their side so I can only guess he stitched them up.”

“Fuck we need information and we need it now. With these new members they may actually pose a threat to us. Call Tanaka and Nishinoya and tell them to get the fuck back now. We need to have a group meeting.” With that kageyama stomped away.

“You have to tell him about the informant Suga.” Daichi said.

“I want to wait till we are in the meeting. He gave me a run down on the new 8 members besides himself.”

The two called the others and headed into the main hall where they held their meetings.

After everyone arrived but the boss and Kageyama, Sugawara looked around. A loud chatter could be heard as Kageyama slammed open the door.

“Shut the fuck up!” He yelled as he sat down. Right behind him Hinata came into the room and slammed the door shut.

“Boss you are back. Good to see you again.” Asahi spoke up.

“How was brazil? Bang any hot chicks sir?” Tanaka asked.

“Shut up. None of this is important right now. I had to come back early as you can see. The south side Yakuza has become too powerful and has a chance of wiping us out. As you can see I called only the people I trusted to come here only. It seems the leader is stepping down and her son is taking over. Sugawara and Daichi went to high school with a few of them so I want all the information you have on them. Nothing is too small.”

“Sir, if I may.” Sugawara spoke up. Hinata nodded for him to know it was okay for him to continue. “I have gotten someone to switch over to our side from their close circle.”

“How do we know they won’t fuck us over you idiot!” Kageyama yelled.

“Well, I took something that is of importance to him, and he is the one who informed me about Kenma.”

“So what did you take from him first off and how do you know something like this would even work?”

“Easy, he already gave me a way to get the leader to crack AND how to go through with it. I took something precious to him, don’t worry about it okay?” Hinata chuckled.

“You really are not that weak fuck I met two years ago are you?” He laughed again. “So what is your plan after all Sugawara?”

“Tendou is their new leader as we know. He’s the son of the current leader and also the one who was the leader back in high school as well. He runs a money laundering bike shop down on the corner of main street I guess. I found out he has only one week spot and we need to use that against him.”

“Let me guess his mom?” Tanaka said clearly bored.

“No, it’s definitely not his mom. It’s his Fiancé, Y/n. I was supposed to take her on a date back in their last year of school but they hijacked my date.”

“Okay but Y/n is dating Tendou, so it’s safe to assume she’s also a little crazy you know?” Asahi spoke up.

“But that’s where Hinata comes in.” Hinata glared at him, “Sorry I mean boss comes in. He’s still quite new after the death of Ennoshita, may he rest in peace, but Boss has only been seen in Brazil and he does play a good role as a soft sweet guy often. Y/n works at a restaurant so we send Boss and Asahi in as they both play innocent roles almost too well. You befriend her, gain her trust, then we get Tendou to come get her for a price, but we kill her in front of him.” Sugawara said.

Hinata stood up and walked over to the window to look out dramatically.

“One day this city will be my kingdom. With police in my pocket over the south we already have a head start. Plus with Tendou’s weakness being put out on the line, well that’s another advantage point for us.” Hinata turned around now looking at the other six men around the room. Daichi, I will need you to find out every bit of information on Y/n as possible from the police system. Sugawara please find out when Y/n works and more specifically where. We start this sting operation in one month. We need to space it out so no one gets suspicious of why two kind strangers want to befriend a student at a random restaurant.”

“Should I let the informant know our plan then?” Sugawara asked Hinata.

“No, just in case he crosses us, we keep our side secret, we just want his cooperation right now anyways. If he finds out we are after Y/n and has been feeding us false information, then we will get caught before we start.”

“He said Tendou’s mom doesn’t seem to fit on y/n being his fiancé.” Hinata gave him a sadistic smirk.

“Well we can’t have that old hag interrupting our plans now can we?” He let out a deep laugh as Kageyama stood up and marched over to Sugawara. He grabbed his collar as it pulled him from his seat making the chair slam onto the cold floor.

“Who the fuck is your informant? Why are you not telling us?!” He spoke with poison dripping from his words.

“Hanamaki Takahiro.”

_______________________________________________________________

Previous | Masterlist | Next

AN: Not Hinata being the mafia boss HVDBHVLC I jut thought buff dom personality Hinata was to hoy not to add uwu

Taglist: @satan-ruler-of-hells @atria-avior @freakydeaky226 @ems1des @idontknow-whatto-callthis @maer-333 @bruh-kill-me @elianetsantana @tanakasimpcorner @babyshoyo @ash-levi @ifilosemyselfagain @wisteria-wooseok @ashytoes101 @fantasycantasy @angstyclowns @johnnysactualgf @putmeinyourdeathnote @sunflow3rbab3 @black-rose-29 @sageinlove @mykuronekome @mus1caln0tes

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu mafia smau #haikyuu mafia au #haikyuu mafia #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu x you #tendou x reader #tendou x you #tendou x y/n #tendou smau

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violethowler · 3 years

Text

False Analogy - A(nother) Meta on the Galra Empire

A common theme I see in discussion of Voltron: Legendary Defender is people comparing the Galra Empire to the Fire Nation from Avatar: The Last Airbender, to the point where every ATLA AU I’ve ever found has cast the Galra and part-Galra characters as Firebenders.

It’s not as if the comparison is completely unexpected, given the potential for the production staff to take influence from their previous work. And there actually are one or two similarities. Both civilizations have spent a long period of time conquering the setting of their respective franchises and have all but taken over everywhere by the time their stories properly begin. The current rulers during each show are power-hungry tyrants who abuse their only sons.

But those are pretty much where the similarities end. And fans would do well to remember that the production staff having worked on ATLA does not obligate them to recreate Avatar Season 3’s look at civilian life in the Fire Nation in an outer space setting.

And the biggest things that separate the Galra from the Fire Nation are the motivation for their respective wars and the stability of their civilizations.

“The Avatar and the Fire Lord” established that Fire Lord Sozin began the war during a period of wealth and prosperity, with Sozin’s specific goal being to expand the Fire Nation’s power under the guise of “sharing their prosperity with the world.” The Fire Nation at the start of the war is experiencing a period of plenty, and none of the resources and materials seized in their conquest are shown to be used to benefit their civilian population back home in any way.

That’s why it’s easy for the Fire Nation to instantly stop the war after Aang defeats Ozai and Zuko becomes Fire Lord. While the situation with the colonies in the Earth Kingdom takes a while to resolve (see: the comics), stopping hostilities and military engagements abroad causes very little change to the lives of civilians in the homeland.

The Galra Empire, on the other hand, is an entirely different beast.

Season 1 of Voltron: Legendary Defender shows us through multiple examples that the Galra Empire uses Quintessence as the primary energy source of the empire. In the present day, quintessence is mined from planets and taken to processing facilities like the one seen in “Collection and Extraction”, where the Druids use what I assume to be a bastardized variation of Honerva’s alchemy to process the Quintessence into usable fuel.

Before the war began, the Galra’s main source of Quintessence was the Rift on Daibazaal, giving them access to an unlimited energy source. The rift staying open on Daibazaal was damaging the planet over time, and after Alfor destroyed the planet to close the rift, the Galra were abruptly cut off from their primary energy source, and a significant chunk (if not the entirety) of their population was now homeless.

The Galra people were scared and uncertain, and Zarkon gave them a convenient target to blame for their displacement when he declared war against Altea and the other planets of their solar system.

But once the system was securely under the empire’s control, the Galra still had to contend with the loss of their biggest stable energy source. The medic tending to Honerva during Lotor’s birth outright tells Zarkon in “Shadows” that their civilization cannot survive without a way to obtain more Quintessence.

This is what Ulaz was referring to when he says in “Shiro’s Escape” that “we thought expanding the Galra Empire would bring stability.” By conquering more planets, the empire gained access to new sources of Quintessence that would prevent the complete collapse of their civilization.

But as we see with the Balmera in Season 1, the planets the empire conquers are not unlimited sources of Quintessence. Eventually, the planets they harvest from will run dry, and they’ll need another source. Not only that, but the more planets they conquer, the larger their infrastructure becomes. This means that they now need even higher quantities of Quintessence to account for the increase in scale. Which leads to more planets being conquered, and the whole process repeating itself over and over again in an endless cycle.

Where the Fire Nation was stable enough that their government and infrastructure could keep going after a regime change, the Galra Empire for millennia has perpetually been one succession crisis away from collapsing into anarchy.

We see that happen in Season 7 because after Zarkon’s death and Lotor being left in the Rift, Haggar stopped giving a shit about the day to day running of the empire. Once she dismissed the Druids and they started going after the Blade of Marmora, the rest of the Empire was suddenly faced with having no way to process all the harvested quintessence into usable fuel, putting them right back where they started 10,000 years ago.

With no central leader, no stable energy source, and dwindling resources, the empire fell apart as warring factions fought each other for the Quintessence they had left, and innocent people on both free and conquered worlds were caught in the crossfire. This is what Lotor was talking about when he told Lance in “Omega Shield” that transitioning the empire toward peace wasn’t as easy as freeing planets until he could offer an alternative to the empire’s current methods of operation.

While stopping further invasions and working to transition conquered planets back to independent government after however many years under Galra rule so that the inhabitants could work with the empire on equal footing were things that could be accomplished relatively easily, the empire immediately shutting down their Quintessence mining and pulling out completely like the Fire Nation did with most of their younger colonies in the ATLA comics was not possible from a logistics standpoint.

Because that would leave the Galra with a dwindling stockpile of processed fuel and no way to refine the unprocessed Quintessence that’s already been harvested, putting them right back where they started 10,000 years ago.

Now course, actually going out and subjugating quintessence to fuel the Galra Empire’s need for quintessence was entirely unnecessary and peaceful means of obtaining Quintessence would have likely been worked out had Zarkon and Haggar stayed dead after the Rift (assuming the next emperor was someone who genuinely had the best interests of their people at heart and wasn’t a power hungry tyrant looking to take advantage of the chaos for their own gain).

But Lotor’s line “the universe can no longer doubt our strength” during his speech at the start of Season 3 shows how easily the Galra’s “victory or death” mentality can be twisted by survival-of-the-fittest rhetoric into a belief that the Galra have to earn their right to security and survival. This is something Lahn reinforces in “The Prisoner’s Dilemma”, when he says that Allura “never had to earn power.” With a convenient scapegoat and a narrative of betrayal, it makes sense that Galra civilization would so readily accept a philosophy that their survival hinged on taking from others to prevent the same thing from happening to them.

And unlike the Fire Nation, most of the Galra Empire’s population is involved in the war to one degree or another. Where civilians in the Fire Nation were comfortably isolated from the reality of the war by both distance and propaganda, Galra civilians did not have that luxury. With their entire home planet destroyed, non-military Galra would have been on the same ships as everyone else. Combine that with the fact that they were already demonstrably a warrior culture in the vein of the Mandalorians in Star Wars, and it’s no surprise that we don’t see very many Galra in non-military positions within the Empire.

Which isn’t to say that there aren’t any civilian Galra within the empire. “Space Mall” introduces notable examples in Varkon and Vrepit Sal, plus we see a few civilian Galra in Omega Shield. But from what we see the majority of the Galra population is connected to the empire’s military in some capacity.

If anything, most of the civilians we’ve seen within the empire’s territory have been non-Galra. The first flashback to Shiro’s time in the arena during “Return of The Gladiator” clearly shows a diverse array of sentient species sitting in the audience for the gladiator matches. Varkon is even the only indication that the otherwise mundane Space Mall is located in the empire’s territory. Even a glimpse of the so-called “labor planet” where the Omega Shield is based shows both Galra and non-Galra carrying supplies during Lotor’s speech.

This all communicates that due to strategic value, lack of viability for quintessence mining, resisting invasion successfully enough to be offered a treaty that annexes them into the empire on their terms, or some combination of the above, there are a not-insignificant number of planets within the Galra empire where the native inhabitants are on something close to equal footing with the Galra, despite Zarkon’s views about the superiority of his species. Despite the suffering and subjugation being inflicted on other worlds, these planets are able to live relatively peaceful, mundane lives away from the front lines of the empire’s conquests.

Which of course is why the Paladins were performing their shows at places like the Space Mall in “The Voltron Show!”. The planets that had already endured slavery and oppression like the Balmera, Puig, and Olkarion didn’t require much convincing to join forces with Voltron. It was the planets where people had largely been able to live mundane, safe lives that needed to be persuaded to cut ties with the empire and join the Coalition.

I understand why people enjoy the look at civilian life in the Fire Nation that we get during the first half of Avatar Book 3. Not only does it further reinforce that the Fire Nationals (yes, that is the canon term for people from the Fire Nation.) aren’t all maniacal monsters that enjoy burning and killing, but that kind of information is just fascinating to know from a worldbuilding perspective. Knowing what life in this universe is like for the average grunt or the people far from the front lines is prime fanfic fuel.

But people wanted so badly for Voltron to copy it that they missed the larger purpose of those elements from a story perspective.

From the very beginning, a major focus of Avatar was showing us the very real, painful realities of war in as much detail as they felt their target audience could handle. The whole point of seeing how people in the Fire Nation lived was to show us how the Fire Nation’s war effort was affecting people on the home front. We see the factories used to power their war machine poison rivers and harm communities. We see just how much propaganda that Fire Nation children are fed in school to indoctrinate them into thinking the war is justified and good.

Even leaving aside the completely different scenarios, the reason we don’t see similar episodes from Voltron is because Voltron was telling a completely different story.

That story, much like the titular robot, is ultimately about people overcoming their differences and uniting around a common, mutual goal. We see this theme repeated throughout the series time and time again. The Paladins learn to work as a team in order to combine the Lions into Voltron. The different rebel groups and freedom fighters from countless liberated planets come together to fight back against the tyranny of Zarkon’s rule. And our heroes learn to work with people they initially thought were their enemy to bring about a peaceful end to the empire’s conquest and expansion.

Narratively speaking, Avatar needed to show civilian life in the Fire Nation and how isolated its people were from the reality of the war as a contrast with how much Zuko’s experiences have chipped away at the lies he used to believe about the world outside his home.

But an in-depth look at Galra civilian life was never necessary with Voltron because that was never the kind of story that Voltron was telling or the kind of civilization that the empire was.

The Fire Nation was a prosperous country that waged war on the rest of the world out of a belief that their neighbors needed to be saved from themselves, whose population lived in relative comfort and isolated from the reality of their nation’s actions.

The Galra Empire was a civilization on the brink of collapse whose leaders directed their fear and need for security at outside targets in a never-ending fight for resources out of a belief that they had to earn their right to survive despite never truly achieving the stability and safety that they longed for under said leadership, and few of whose population had the luxury of avoiding the reality of the empire’s actions.

TL;DR: Despite their similarities, the Galra Empire is not just The Fire Nation Recycled In Space, and it’s unfair to both Voltron and Avatar for fans to act as if one not copying the other is inherently a bad thing.

#voltron legendary defender #voltron meta #galra empire #fire nation

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ktheist · 4 years

Text

saving grace | 3

muses. duke!yoongi x lady!reader

universe. arranged marriage / minor traces of magic in history

concept. driven into a corner with the new king, seokjin, offering to marry you off to a prince in a foreign land and a persistent mother who would seize the chance of a lucrative marriage for her daughter, you’re forced with the only other option to secure your freedom ‒ enter into a beneficial agreement with the man who reaped the seeds of war, the duke of cralon, yoongi min.

words. 5.3k

warnings. mentions of war, it’s cliche and cheesy all in one package

index. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / finale

yoongi doesn’t explicitly say it - and you don’t dare inquire as to the reason he’s accepting the circumstances forced into his hands but the more you ponder on it, the more the plausible answer seems to be the cause of your palpitating heart.

“we’ll attend the party together,” his breath had felt warm against the back of your hand but its the callousness of his touch that rooted yourself to the ground.

yoongi is doing this because he can’t let you ruin yourself. call it the gentleman in him. nothing more. nothing less. and because of that, you couldn’t allow yourself to be the one to rope him into a loveless marriage in the name of politics when it’s been clear that he wants no part in this game of chess.

“leslie,” you speak into the darkness, fingers pulling on the strings that tie the cloak together.

“yes, my lady.” a figure steps out of the shadow in your periphery.

“i need you to pay a visit to the other informant guilds and see if they have something on what the nobles that are to attend my party, have been doing in the last three months.”

not like they’d have anything you don’t but you can’t rule out the possibility that they’d have even the littlest detail that could be of great help.

“three months, my lady?” leslie quizzes, you can’t see her face in the dark but you can just picture her blinking and cocking her head to the side at your prescribed timeline.

three months is a gamble but enough to establish a routine. whether it’s walking by the park everyday and then stopping to chat with a man in black from head to toe once on every 25th. or whether it’s for attending gatherings, only to keep the 16th fully empty.

“yes and prepare a carriage to go to the royal palace today.” with that, the shadow shifts as though bowing.

“i shall let felix know promptly. since you’ve just returned, would you like to take a short nap first?”

your gaze slants to the slightest gap between the curtains that you just slipped through, amber light pouring in a sharp stripe over the floor, “no, i’d like to take a bath and prepare for the day - did anyone come to my room while i was gone?”

“the madam came last night,” the maid informs, hands folding the cloak that she helped took of your shoulders, “but i told her you were sick and wanted to rest.”

“did she believe you?” walking over table, you plop into the chair with a sigh.

“she left after i told her you were asleep.” she disappears into the closet after you wave a dismissive hand, possibly to store the cloak in the secret compartment within the innermost corner of the walls.

knowing your mother, she probably saw through leslie’s lies but it’s not as if it’s the first time nor will it be the last. as long as you made sure to hide your face and avoid any rumors of count ___’s daughter’s sightings in the middle of the night in the rougher part of town, it’s fine.

a panting and disheveled jungkook bursts through the towering doors engraved with intricate carvings of a roaring lion and a crown. his eyes widens when they met yours like they usually as though seeing a ghost. you thought his timid nature would go away over time but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“lady ___!” he calls in a hurry after you walked past him and down the familiar hallway lain with blazing red carpet, “h-his majesty is busy! you have to give the palace a month’s notice for an audience before-”

“jungkook.” the abrupt twirl almost sends the boy smashing into you but he manages to stop just inches away, sighing a sigh of relief that only lives for a split second at your words, “his majesty ordered for the rumors to be spread.”

when you take one step forward, he takes another backwards, “you’re his closest aide so he must’ve told you to do it and not some ordinary maid-”

“n-n-no! i-” he sputters, eyes glancing over his shoulders as though seeking for a knight to call for help but the goddess must be in your favor today because no other soul can be seen.

you’re not sure what kind of face you’re making but you doubt it’s a smile but the fact that all colors seem to drain when he looks at you again must mean something, “it was lady jung! his majesty called for lady jung and after that, the rumors started spreading!”

“krystal?”

a sigh escapes the black haired boy when your feet roots itself into the ground. the jung family had been part of the aristocratic faction who tried to push for their daughter and krystal’s eldest sister to marry the crown prince, seokjin’s brother and heir apparent.

but only those who secretly swear allegiance to seokjin could attain an exclusive invite to the palace and jungkook had explicitly mentioned that it was seokjin who called her over, not the other way around.

“lady ___! please!” jungkook’s cries echo somewhere behind you, almost drowned by the series of questions that begin to flood your head.

“your majesty!” your hands ache from having to push through the oak doors after jungkook orders the knights to stand down at your arrival, which meant they had no obligations to announce your presence nor push the doors open for you, “you’re throwing yoongi and i into a cage full of wolves!”

“oh you two are calling each other by first names now?” the way seokjin's eyes glazes over you does nothing but pour oil to the flames burning inside your stomach, “regardless, i thought we agreed to cease this act of prancing around in the palace like you own the place.”

a thud echoes off the walls as your barely recovering hand slams down on his desk, but judging from how the stack of papers stood still, you doubted it’d made the desirable impact, “if you knew i was lying, why didn’t you call me out?!”

“i can’t say i didn’t fall for it in the beginning but weren’t you the one who told me that information can be gathered and used like a sword?” seokjin’s steel gaze settles on you like a blanket of winter snow.

“that...” thrown off by the your own words used against you, a pause lapses before you manage to speak again, “i may have made a mistake by involving yoongi but this ends here. call off the party i- i’ll marry the 12th prince.”

a scoff.

“to think you swore to be the shield you’re now holding against me because of that brute cousin of mine.”

“my promise remains the same,” you stand straighter, hit by the reminder of your ordeal, “i'll support you for as long as you stay a just ruler but not if you start a war within cearis by this reckless action of yours.”

his eyes bore into you for the longest moment, searching for a hint of your faltered promise.

there is none.

to think it would come to this. when you agreed to help seokjin become the king, you knew you have vastly contrasting ideals but the end goal was the same. to bring peace over cearis and end the previous king’s tyrannic reign.

the previous king hadn’t directly committed murder but the increasing tax rate had slowly caused the economy to be sucked dry. the people couldn’t even afford basic necessity and the rich buying wheat and grains and storing them with the intention to resell them once the price sky-rocketed. up until last year, only nobles were able to still live comfortably.

the thought of the hollowed cheeks, tattered clothing and skin and bones of the people in the streets whenever your carriage passed to get to the tea parties and gathering, still sends your body shaking with rage.

and if a civil war broke out between the two factions, history might repeat itself.

“i’d wanted you to rule by my side as my queen.” seokjin’s blunt confession causes you to almost stumble backwards, as though hit by an invisible brick.

“what-”

“but that’s simply absurd.”

he gingerly chuckles at your apparent reaction, “at least pretend to be disappointed ___, i didn’t want it too- the thought repulses me but since we’ve always been so much alike, we could at least make a political marriage work, right? but when you rejected me so directly, i couldn’t help but want to push you a little. i wasn’t going to go through the marriage with the 12th prince.”

“so all that trouble to get the duke to become my fake fiance... was because your fragile ego couldn’t handle being rejected by a woman?” you force through gritted teeth.

“i-i didn’t say such a thing,” the king’s eyebrows furrow in undue frustration, face reddening, “plus it’s you, we’re talking about. how could i be-”

“your majesty...” a hiss slips out of your mouth, causing the man to physically flinch at the realization of how dire the circumstances are for him. for one there are no windows to avoid assassination attempts but also means he can’t escape you through any other way but the door - assuming he could get past you at all, “you’ve caused duke min and i a great deal of hardships. it’s something money alone cannot fix, do you not think so?”

“c-calm down, ___,” he begins to sputter whilst the table begins to turn, gaze thrown over your shoulder - perhaps, he’s calculating his chances of survival if he made a beeline to the door,“jungkook! jungkook, let him in!”

almost as if on cue, the muted thud of footsteps fill the air before the door swings open. you have absolutely zero interest if it was an assassin he’d prepared beforehand, knowing that you’d barge your way to the palace. with this distance, even an assassin couldn’t get-

“the house of min greets the sun of the kingdom.”

your heels twirl on their own before you even manage to register the deep voice that echoes off the falls, eyes landing on the owner of the silver locks that begins to straighten up after a bow.

“yoongi.” the man’s name falls off your lips involuntarily as he spares you a chiding glance. almost as though he’s not pleased with your rash decisions of meeting with seokjin without consulting him.

yet despite that, he comes to stand next to you, his hand brushing the back of yours. and in his own way, it feels as though he’s saying i stand with you.

the sound of someone clearing his throat brings you back to the matter at hand. seokjin seems to have regained a semblance of his composure. though, he fails to hide the rise of his eyebrows for the briefest moment at the unusually close proximity for two people who claim to feign being lovers. “as you know, the the min lineage has extraordinary senses. i summoned yoongi over to wait for me in the next room but your crassness has delayed the duke’s audience. and since the walls are thin, i don’t know how much he’s heard.”

your lips twitch in contempt.

it doesn’t take long for you to piece two and two together. no noble family has expressly supported seokjin and with the two aristocratic and royal factions’ internal division, you suspect another faction would rise in support of seokjin, the son who the late king never even spared a glance at.

having aided seokjin in the shadows since his time as an outcast prince, you were never told of the other families that shared the same shoes and chose to support him until the time is right to step into the light. you swore to be his shield and the min family had always been known to be the crown’s loyal sword.

you catch yoongi’s deep eyes before meeting the king’s,“so the min family is one of the noble families who supported you as well.”

it isn’t a question but seokjin nods anyway, his eyes now hold a sort of burden that ages him ten years, “i know your reason for supporting me are too far glaring and what i’m asking you requires a great sacrifice that’ll affect your children, but can i count on the two of you for this?”

seokjin meant you might actually have to get married to yoongi legally. at the engagement party, you’ll be showing up as supporters of the king and shift the unending feud between and within the factions. those who have been supporting seokjin in the dark will be your allies while those neutral, like what your house had appeared to be, will not need much convincing to join the new faction - the king’s. though, those who are against his forceful succession won’t stand still.

“it’s getting late so we should stop here but i’ll be visiting soon to finish our little talk, your majesty,” you didn’t miss the king’s shoulder line jolting as you shot up, letting a few seconds stretch in suspense before dipping into a formal bow.

“um, that’s quite fine. you don’t have to-” the man’s mouth clamped shut at the glare you shot over your shoulder before trudging out of the room, the click clack click of your heels bouncing off the walls while you faintly caught seokjin stammering out a plea for help to the only other person left in the room and receiving a ‘you dug your own grave with this one, your majesty’.

yet you couldn’t deny the agreeable course of direction you should take to single out the wild flowers from mere weeds being through a garden party. that’s where politics takes place and where one would usually work out connections. halting in your steps, you found yourself letting out a sigh, the chin you’ve kept so high now lowered to the ground.

after this, there will no longer be an aristocratic and royalist factions - only those who opposes seokjin and those who supports him. the first bunch would no doubt go after you and your family since they can’t touch the duke, if you got divorced within five, no - ten, maybe even twenty years of your marriage. though there have been politically arranged marriages that lasts for a lifetime. while some of the couples seem civil to each other, there would always be speculations of their happiness lying in the arms of their lovers outside of their marriage.

your parents are no exception. though they never quite opened up to you about their past or even present. the only time you ever recall your mother’s heart breaking was when the bells of the palace rang across the capital, signaling the previous queen’s demise.

“how could i not have noticed which faction he’s in...” you trail off, staring into the darkened ceiling where the chandelier would have been and the paintings of a great tree that symbolizes the foundation of your house.

“my lady,” leslie’s fluttery voice chirps from somewhere next to you “get up! today is the day for the duke’s formal visit!”

it’s been a week since your visit to the palace and having been driven to a corner yet again by seokjin. for some reason it didn’t bother you as much as the revelation of that the house of min had always been by the king’s side as a loyal supporter.

yoongi had escorted you to the carriage silently. and you would have left without exchanging a word if not for he gloved hand that grasps onto you tightly and the eyes that bores into your soul. almost imploring you to please, say something.

“since we’re pressed for time, i’ll have the contract sent to you to be reviewed in three day’s time,” was all you said.

your ankles are shackled with invisible cuffs. it takes everything in you not to drag your feet as you strut down the hallway with your chin high and shoulder line dignified.

“right,” you murmur to yourself, pushing yourself up only to have your hand dragged by the maid all the way to the bathtub where warm water has already been filled and waiting for you.

the other maids are already waiting for you with dresses in their hands and jewel boxes littered on your otherwise neatly kept vanity, chattering to themselves about how exciting it is for the only and eldest daughter’s official engagement. granted, your mother has been bugging you about the lack of rock on your finger when every other noblewoman would be showing off their engagement ring as soon as the news breaks out in high society.

but when you step out of the room, donned in an extravagant but elegant dress, you did not expect the overflow of people you’ve never seen before walking towards the main parlor that’s much larger than your mother’s and reserved for entertaining guests. the servants who seem to be carrying boxes and wrapped dresses bow at the sight of you.

“leslie, what’s all this?” you quiz the ever smiling maid on your side even though you have a good hunch already.

“these are the duke’s gifts to you, my lady.” there’s a certain tilt in her voice - the closest indication you’d get of leslie being excited.

“gifts?” you echoe.

the plan was for you to review the other’s contract, make necessary amendments and exchange them in secret.

that is, until yoongi sent a letter to your father, to notify his visit and ‘entourage’. but then again, the duke has always had a knack for downplaying important matters. otherwise, you would have caught on to where his loyalty lies.

before the maid could elaborate further, you’re already in front of the parlor and whisked away by your mother as soon as she sees you.

“___!” she grasps your hands tightly, “how i was mistaken about the duke. his grace was waiting for the siren’s heart to arrive from raefetia!”

colored diamonds are especially hard to get due to the different component and temperature required for its formation. the siren’s heart is said to be a rare jewel that was lost after the siren’s lover was killed on land and the diamond that was with him got sold in the black market.

how yoongi got a hold of it, is not entirely a mystery but the impact of the entourage he brought to your manner and the two jewelers who confirmed it to be the real siren’s heart will, without a doubt, spread throughout the kingdom within a week.

“are these all bought by the duke?” you manage to pull one of the workers who you’d confirmed to be from whitlace, into a corner when your mother is busy salivating over one of the many boxes of jewels that seem to sparkle and call for her.

“th-the duke ask for the jewels to be sent to my lady’s manor and pick whichever my lady’s heart desires,” the slight tremble at the mention of yoongi shouldn’t have come as a surprise to you yet it does. he just hasn’t been looking at you with eyes that could kill.

“is your manager here?” you don’t plan to let the woman be ridden with worry any more than she already is.

as soon as she leads you to a tanned woman with an elegant air around her and the finest jewels adorning her ears and neck, you know that it isn’t just the manager but countess wyvner herself who’d come here.

“lady ___, it’s an honor to meet your acquaintance,” she smiles, her deep brown eyes gleaming with a sort of observance fitting for a woman who runs one of the most high end jewelry store in the kingdom alongside her husband.

“countess,” you say after bowing, “thank you for preparing this on such a short notice.”

a slot itself needs booking at least for one month prior, you can’t imagine how much trouble and setbacks in their schedule they’d have to suffer because of yoongi’s whims. you’d only come to a realization that you’d have to legally marry each other last week. let alone have enough time to prepare for such grand proposal.

“on behalf of my husband and i, it’s an honor to serve the duke and future duchess,” she has a sort of pleasant tone that makes the lady in you listen to anything and everything she says.

you let out a low chuckle, “my, that does put me in a difficult situation.”

the countess blinks in surprise, “how so, lady ___?”

“you see, countess, i specifically asked for the duke to not spend so extravagantly for me,” you lament, a sigh escaping your lips, “as the money could have gone to charity work and helping those in need.”

“ah yes, the house of ___ has been well-known for their generosity since your father’s time,” she agrees, as though recalling a long-lost memory.

it takes several more praises and teetering over the fine line of offensive and modest before you can finally convey your wishes for the jewels to be brought back and as a compromise, the countess will leave only the best, hand-picked diamonds for you to at least look at.

not even five minutes after your conversation with the countess ends, the butler approaches you, informing yoongi’s arrival.

“alright, thank you aiden,” you dismiss the butler, eye skimming the mannequins and dresses piled into the room. whichever store these are from, you’lll have to deal with them later, “bring him to mother’s parlor.”

“your grace, thank you for coming,” you greet the man with a bow, noting how his eyebrows threaten to pull together at the title yet only silence follows your greeting.

neither of you say anything as the maid sets down the baked goods you requested to be made for this meeting. the smell of lavender fills your senses as you pour the drink into the white teacup with deep violet flowers engraved around them.

“your grace,” that is possibly the last straw when you see the man’s heavy frown, as though the first time might have been a mistake, but the second time couldn’t have been, so you let out a soft sigh, “i shall address you formally for what i’m about to say involves the state of affair of the kingdom.”

when no word of protest seem to come from the duke, you continue, “i trust your grace has read the contract and made the desired amendments on your part?”

as though recalling the purpose of his visit, the man’s eyes flit away from you. it’s expected for him to behave so, especially when all you’d agreed on at the beginning was a simple hoax to trick the eyes of the beholders.

out of the frying pan and into the fire.

“that... yes.” he mindlessly mumbles, pulling out the contract from the inside pocket of his jacket and placing it in front of you in a manner that told you he couldn’t be bothered with it for a minute longer.

yet if that was truly the case, he could have sent someone to deliver the contract after the review instead of a notice informing you of his visit. the letters on the contract almost seem to blur together as you mull over his reasons for sitting through a one hour ride just to get here until you catch the insignia of twin dragons and a shield.

“your grace,” your heart almost jumps in your throat when you look up from the paper only to meet a pair of crimson ones that seem to already be staring, “none of the content seem to be modified. is there nothing you wish to add?”

contracts are made to give both parties an equal standings. you’d only included your terms which you made sure weren’t excessive but not potentially harming to you in an event there would be a talk of divorce in the future.

“no, there isn’t.” he answers simply, eyes reverting to the brownish golden liquid before hey flutter close just as he nears the cup to his lips.

all of a sudden, you’re brought back to the sunlit office of his. your hands had trembled and your heart had felt like a dead weight was pulling at its strings until the duke pulled you out of that darkened crevice and kissed the back of your hand.

the act alone had been reserved for lovers who’d sworn their souls to the other. but it’d also been done by noblemen in respect for noblewomen of higher ranking. but the fact that you were a mere count’s daughter and he was a duke rendered the latter interpretation null.

yet he’s acting so indifferently to you now.

“your grace, i implore you to take this matter seriously as it concerns not just the ducal house and ___ house but also cearis.”

no matter how prepared you are, there’s no telling what would happen once seokjin’s plan is set in motion. but even if you’re both nothing but chess pieces, your lives worth something. perhaps, yoongi hasn’t much to lose - but you’ve held out this long to avoid being tangled in an arranged marriage. you need a guarantee for your future and if yoongi refuses to pay his due attention-

“___,” the familiarity of your name rolling off his tongue is unsettling yet comforting at the same time, “isn’t everything that caters to your needs and wishes all in there? why are you displeased?” though the color of his eyes reminds you of burning flames, his gaze sends icy shivers down your spine. as opposed to the way he used to search for the secrets beyond the windows of your soul, this time, he seems as though he’s studied every crevice of it.

it takes you a moment to register that he’d read every line of the terms. and it isn’t a question needing mulling over nor do the flood of memories from your first meeting up until now, is unforeseeable. and you couldn’t help the little prick of betrayal that buries itself to the hilt in your heart,“did you know?”

his stare doesn’t falter. almost like a culprit brought to trial and knows of his innocence even though others don’t, “no- you know how secretive the king is but with the way you’d been behaving at the mention of him... i thought you’d been lovers instead of just subject and monarch.”

in other words, if yoongi knew - which he did have his suspcicions, it was because you’d exposed yourself. the realization hits you like a brick as you recall the many times you almost called seokjin by his name and the one time you actually did.

you figured he’d believe you when you said it was because of your house’s just upbringing but suspicions couldn’t just be shrugged off just like that.

“we’re not.” is all you say, your shoulders threaten to sag with the lifted weight yet the noble blood in you forces you to keep your chin up. those deep eyes bore into you. it’s no secret that even the seemingly indifferent duke of cralon would be curious of how you came to be acquainted with the king when he was just a prince.

truth to be told, it isn’t so much as a mysterious tale as it seems to be. your family’s territory doesn’t harbor fertile lands nor is it strategically situated near the shores for a harbor to be built and attract merchants. it’s a bit far off from the capital but not entirely suitable for planting corps either. and because your family’s refusal to join the royalist faction, the previous king had cut off the supplies and funds for your family’s territory.

your father had to buy food from merchants at a high price while you were in charge of distributing them all to representatives of each family. in the midst of it, at the age of 16, you’d met seokjin. every time you’d see him, he’d donned the same tattered clothes that didn’t seem to fit his smooth, honeyed skin and noble mannerism.

you didn’t question his motives for always being there to lend another hand to distribute whatever supplies your father could get and leaving without accepting so much as a slice of bread. it was some few years later, after you’ve talked to too many people and remember too little of their faces, did seokjin finally told you about his lowly maid mother and the parents she’d left in pursuit of a job in the capital. it took another year for you to realize his high official dad was the king and by then, you’d sputtered far too many insults at the second prince in your fits of rage.

but if you’re being honest, it possibly had something to do with your mother’s tens of hundreds of letters addressed to the palace, pleading for the king’s good graces. she’d attended social gatherings to obtain funds for charities that went to orphanages, managed to allocate budgets for the supplies and still maintain an appearance fitting for a noblewoman. you did help with pointing out which house had the disadvantage you could use and which could be recruited under your fold but it was mostly your mother - a useless information that yoongi didn’t need to know.

“we started getting more supplies and to shift the suspicion of our family’s support leaning towards the new crown, seokjin started distributing more supplies to noble families of neutral standings,” the thought alone warrants a well needed pause as you sip on cold tea, “after he proposed to me and promised to make me queen, i tried my best to avoid letting the two meet especially at banquets held in the palace.”

“that bastard...” a sharp cracking sound hits the air as you watch the tea ripple within the small confines of the now cracked teacup within the duke’s grasp, “...really had the nerve to propose to you, huh.”

“well,” you set the cup on the saucer gently before standing up and walking over the man who watches you with a mix of curiosity as to what you’re doing and subdued rage for the king.

sitting down, you place your hand on his gloved one. it takes a moment for him to realize the damage he’d done before he releases the poor ceramic and allow you to twine your fingers together. when you meet his gaze, it’s already soften with something you can’t pinpoint as you suppress the rising heat on your cheeks, “i believe seokjin was telling the truth when he said he was doing it because he had to. at that time, he most likely didn’t know of any other young ladies around his age though there’s no telling for sure just who and how many people was already under his folds,” the hard crimson stare does little to unnerve you though they still make your heart restless for a completely different reason now.

yoongi laughs dryly, almost like a swords mater defeated in his own game, “so we’re merely tools for his disposal.”

that, you can’t deny but no matter how deep you’d pondered on the man’s actions and how much you’d have to sacrifice-

“yet we still trust him like blind fools.” you say.

“fools won’t know what they’re getting into before it’s too late,” he rasps.

words of protest bubbles in your throat as his hand falls away from you but the way he stands up only to fall on his knee, makes your breath hitch.

“we’re no fools, you and i,” his eyes that capture you in a garden of red are glaringly contrasting to his fair complexion and naturally soft features, “___, i do not wish to be married to you only on paper.”

note. that’s all for the third chapter, hope you guys enjoyed it!

taglist: @ayujmi

#bts smut #yoongi smut #yoongi scenarios #bts scenarios #bts fic #bts fanfic #yoongi fic #yoongi fanfic #yoongi imagines #bts imagines #bts fanfiction #yoongi fanfiction #bts au #yoongi au #bts x you #bts x yn #bts x reader

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thecowardwrites · 4 years

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Fifty Shades of Gwaine Part Three

Part Three: The Feast

One more part uploaded! I know it doesn’t take long to transfer one piece at a time, but linking everything takes some time (and I don’t want to overwhelm peoples notifications or dashboard with a shit ton of random writing)

Summary: It’s finally time for the feast, and once again Sir Gwaine is slinking his way into your thoughts.

Warnings: None

Words: 3.2k

<><><><>

In escaping Sir Gwaine and the butterflies, which happened to invade your stomach the two times you seemed to meet him, you were left wandering around the corridors and guessing at which direction to take. Usually, you were never left without a “guide” when you were commissioned for noble families. You did suspect, though, that was more for their comfort than yours. In other words, they wanted to make sure you didn’t have sticky fingers and steal something from them.

“I should’ve asked him where to go,” You mumbled to yourself after taking another wrong turn, leading you back to the entrance of your room. “I’m such an absolute imbecile.”

“That seems rather harsh,” A familiar voice piped up. You glanced over to where Merlin was leaning against your bedroom door, apparently you hadn’t noticed him standing there. Probably too distraught at having gone around in a giant circle to take notice of the serving boy waiting for you.

“Oh, thank goodness,” You breathed a sigh of relief, “Can you tell me how to get to the banquet hall, I had to have been wandering around for hours. How late am I?”

“You’ve only been walking around for the last forty-five minutes according to the guards that saw you leave,” He chuckled, “And, consequently, you’re only about ten minutes late.”

You cringed, realizing you could have just asked the guards stationed in every hallway where to go. “I gather that this won’t be a very good first impression, will it?”

Merlin pretended to think about it for a moment, tapping a finger on his chin in faux thought. “I’d say it makes you more fashionably late.” He grinned at you after making his decision on what to say.

“Well then, good sir,” You exaggerated your voice into an overdramatic, posh accent, “Would you do me the absolute honor of being my escort to such a prestigious event?”

“Of course, Madam,” Merlin attempted a deep bow but wavered, making it look more like he was stumbling. When he arose, his face was plastered with a lopsided, goofy grin, and you couldn’t help but laugh with him.

After taking a moment to compose yourselves, he juts out his elbow for you to take. Which you accepted by linking your arm through his. It wasn’t so much of a dainty hold, rather than having your arms hooked together by the elbows. It was friendlier that way, you thought, made it feel more equal.

“Who all will be there again?” You asked him as you approached a grand door that you could only assume was where the feast would be held.

“Just the king, the queen, the five knights of the round table, my mentor Gaius, and your favorite person in the world and savior. Just a hint that’s me, Merlin.”

“I’m so glad you’ve claimed that title for yourself, Merlin.” You grin, “Without that clue I would have never known who my favorite person in the world is.”

“All in a day’s work, my fair lady.” The two of you stopped in front of the ornate doors of the throne room, turned banquet hall, and waited for the guards to allow you to enter.

“Before we go in, I must ask,” You tugged on his arm slightly, “If you’re my favorite, then am I yours?”

“Well,” He sucked in a breath and cocked his head to the side, “I’m afraid that has to go to Gwaine right now, I promised him he would be for the week.”

“Next week then?”

“No good, reserved for Leon.” The guards had started to open the doors for you now.

“Put me at the next available week and then let me know,” You chuckled before the two of you were finally entering the room you had searched an eternity for. Okay, it wasn’t really an eternity – it wasn’t even an hour, but it was long enough to make you elated to finally be inside.

“Ah, finally Merlin has finally done something useful,” King Arthur exclaims, standing as he sees the both of you, “Welcome, again, Lady Y/N, to Camelot. We are excited to have you here.” The rest of the room following suit to stand as their king did.

“I am very excited to be here,” You announce with a grin as you approach the open seat next to the queen that King Arthur had gestured to. As delicately as you could, you took to your seat while the rest of the room took theirs as well.

“I hope your room is to your satisfaction.” King Arthur spoke as Merlin bounced over to fill his goblet.

“It is amazing, your majesty. I thank you for accommodating me so well.”

The queen, Gwen, responded while Arthur was taking a sip of the wine that was just poured. “It’s no problem. We have more than enough space.”

“Plus,” King Arthur added after, “You are forced to look at my men’s mangey faces for months on end. I feel as though I should be apologizing for asking you to do this.”

You simply laugh at his words along with the few surrounding you, as you take a chance to look over the men that were sharing the banquet with you.

The seven men (including Merlin and Gaius) that the king trusted the most were in this room. It sounded like so few people to trust fully as a ruler, but at the same time the knights made the grand room feel full. Their laughter echoing off the walls, the way they threw themselves around while telling stories and joking about. It seemed like they were more like a family than just a king and his knights.

Glancing around, you took notice of one closest to you who seemed a little less comfortable than the others. The boy was quite a bit younger than the rest of them, and you even. He had dark, wavy hair and the brightest blue eyes you’d ever seen. He wore the same chainmail and cape as the knights - he wore the uniform well. Yet, you could tell he felt slightly left out. Maybe he was the last to join their circle, maybe his age made him somehow separate from them. Maybe he was a secret agent that works for the moon, you never know.

Next to the boy, was an extremely tall man. His arms, apparently too large for the chainmail, were bare and looked like they could tear boulders in half. His hair was cropped close to his scalp, and his face looked as though it was sculpted of stone. If you hadn’t seen him here, smiling and laughing boisterously with the others, you would think him a brutal, frightening man.

You continued observing each of the men in the room. The knight with a mop of curly hair, the one who struck a striking resemblance to Gwen, the old man with locks of white hair and eyes that drooped, and, finally, your eyes fell to Gwaine. The way he threw his head back when he laughed, and how his hair seemed to blow in some imaginary wind. Funnily enough you also heard angels singing which was weird?

As if Gwaine sensed your eyes on him, he stifled his laughter and looked in your direction. He had no shocked reaction to finding your gaze already lingering on him, in fact, he seemed pleased to know that he had drawn your attention. You were sitting almost directly across the table from him, so it was an easy enough excuse to say you had zoned out and your eyes happened to rest on him. But the excuse was (already) futile, especially when you had no way to explain yourself in the loud room.

“He has been looking at you all night,” Gwen leaned over and whispered to you.

“Who?” You tore your eyes away from Gwaine to look over at the queen.

“Sir Gwaine,” She stated, “I think he’s been showing off a bit more than usual, too. Perhaps he has a little crush on our lovely painter.”

Your cheeks flamed up at her words, “Surely not. We’ve barely met.”

“But you have met?” She took a sly sip at her own wine and looked at you from the corner of her eyes. You could tell by the way her lips quirked into a small grin that she was enjoying teasing you. You, in a less dignified manner, began opening and closing your mouth like a fish choking on air.

“He saw… saw me in the town square. We just kind of introduced ourselves from there.” Your neck and ears began heating up with your words. They weren’t lies, but it wasn’t the full truth. It’s not even like you had met in a scandalous way, either. You – for whatever reason – just couldn’t seem to bring up exactly how you had met. Maybe the embarrassment of how you’d wrongfully accused him of trying to arrest a child had been more brutal than you thought, or maybe it was the way he shamelessly flirted with you and how that made you run away. Who knows?

The queen just let out a knowing hum before her focus was drawn away by King Arthur starting a conversation about something that seemed important. You drowned out their words, and once again, looked back towards Sir Gwaine’s, now empty, chair.

Puzzled, you looked up and down the long table, wondering where he might have moved but he was nowhere in sight. You grumbled to yourself, trying to balance the disappointment of his disappearance with logic. The logical side of you was telling you to stop fawning over a man you had seen maybe four times, while the part of you that was fed way too many love stories wanted to believe that he did have a crush on you. Though, as adults a crush seems like a silly thing to get excited for.

Brushing away thoughts of the dark-haired knight, you turn towards… another dark-haired knight.

“Hello,” You interrupted the boy’s thoughts, “I’m Y/N.”

“Mordred.” The boy gave you a small smile, “I’ve seen some of your work in another kingdom we had to visit a few months back.”

“Oh?” A wave of calm washed over you. You knew how to talk about work and if that’s what Mordred wanted to talk about, then you were more than pleased to oblige. “How’d you like it? Be honest.”

“I’ve never really had an eye for anything like that, but you’re pretty good.” His cheeks tinted pink a little as he spoke. Assuming it had to do with not talking to people very often, you continued on.

“Thank you, I think. I’ll take it as a compliment even if it wasn’t.” Your light laughter filled the space between you and Mordred’s tension began to melt away slightly.

The rest of your dinner was spent in between conversations with Mordred and Gwen. It was a relief to have a few people by your side that you felt at ease with, and, as Merlin eventually joined the three of you, your brain was completely void of a certain knight that had seemed to be your subject of infatuation for the day. Perhaps tomorrow you would have forgotten all about him.

<><><>

The following morning, you awoke to the bright sun pouring in from an open window and the sounds of birds chirping happily in the trees. Had it not been for your wine-induced headache and the incessant clanging of metal that accompanied the sun and the birds, you might have had a truly peaceful lie in. However, that’s not what the gods had planned for you that day.

Rolling out of your (extravagant) bed, you place a thin robe over your nightgown and move towards the window that was somehow opened now. Even though, you were sure it was closed the night before.

Leaning against the rock window frame, you glance down at an open, green arena. It was lined with wooden dummies with armor placed haphazardly on them, and various weapons resting along the fence. Upon further observation, you also noticed a dozen or so men sparring in one section of the grassy area.

They were obviously Knights of Camelot, that much your hungover brain could put together, but why they were up so early and disturbing your sleep was something that could hardly be forgiven. But, standing by the window had let the sun melt across your cheeks, and the warmth that followed it was so welcoming, you couldn’t bring yourself to move from your position.

With a satisfied sigh, you slowly dropped into a chair by the window, lay your head in your arms on the frame, and watch the knights as they did their early morning training. Perhaps you had been too quick to mentally snap at the way they trained first thing. It provided you with entertainment while your face basked in the sun on an early summer’s day.

You had dozed in and out during your morning show. Sometimes waking up just enough to catch a glimpse at a shiny knight win his spar, and other times completely imagining an entirely different world as you once again lost consciousness.

“Y/n!” The voice was distant, and you assumed it was another dream. So, you let the voice lull you back to sleep. Afterall, it was just as warm and smooth as the sun felt dancing upon your skin. It must’ve been a dream.

You heard it again, “Y/n!” The voice just begging you to stay asleep for five more minutes. Just a few more moments before reality came crashing in.

The third time your name was called, however, is what drew you out of your slumber. Because you knew that voice. That wasn’t the sultry sound of a fantasy. That was reality.

Picking your head up from its position on the windowsill, you glanced down where the voice was coming from. There, below you, stood Sir Gwaine. He had on a white cotton shirt that clung to his shoulders and his abdomen with sweat. You could tell that his hair was curling with moisture, and he was heaving from the morning workout.

“Enjoying the show?” He shot up at you, a lazy smile transfixed on his face.

“I was,” You yelled down to him, stifling a yawn, “But it seems it’s all over now.” The rest of the knight were not to be seen, as you assumed they went back to do some knightly duties of some sort. You weren’t really sure what they did during the day whenever they weren’t training.

“How did you sleep?”

“Oh, just fine,” Your voice quipped with sarcasm, “Until these rowdy boys and their metal swords woke me up.”

“I wish I could do something to fix your burden,” He shifted from one leg to the other as he spoke, looking strangely energized for someone who should be ready to drop with exhaustion, “Alas, I am but a simple man with so little control over the king’s schedule.”

“A schedule you don’t seem to follow regularly.” You added.

“What do you mean?”

“I know for a fact you weren’t there first thing this morning when training started,” Your face held a smug smile, happy that you had caught him slacking off and giving you something to tease him about.

“And how would you know that, Lady Y/n? Were you,” He paused to purse his lips, “Were you looking for me?”

Your lazy demeanor had completely vanished. Previously, he was the one at fault. Albeit it was just because he was late to a sparring session, but he was the one under the spotlight. But, as he looked up at you with an innocent pout adorning his face, claiming that you were the one that had their hand in the cookie jar, you wished you had never crawled out of bed.

“I – I was not!” You claimed, but it was too late. “Not looking for you, specifically.”

“Oh?” Gwaine placed his hand on his heart, “Then who were you looking for?”

“I… I wanted to see if Mordred was down there. I think I’m going to sketch out his portrait first today.” You silently praised yourself for a quick (though not smooth) save, “I just happened to notice you were not among the original men I saw.”

You could tell he didn’t believe you; even from twenty feet in the air, you could see the disbelief painted across his face. Though, it didn’t matter as he dropped the subject.

“I’ll let him know you’re looking for him,” He turned around to head back into the castle, before shooting one more phrase your way. “While I like your hair like that, if I were you, I’d check to make sure an animal didn’t nest in it while you were sleeping.”

With a disgruntled squeak, you slam your window shut and rush over to the mirror to check how bad your bed head truly was. It was pretty bad, and you swore you could hear Gwaine cackling from outside.

It took the better part of an hour to detangle and plait your hair, get dressed, and head off in search of Mordred with your sketchbook. It wasn’t an extravagant book: loosely bound with twine and leather, some pages were stained a dark yellow from wear, and it was only half full. But it was a gift and you cherished it deeply.

Just as you had opened your door, you were almost hit in the face with a fist. Basically, throwing yourself back, you look at the person standing in front of your door absolutely horrified.

“I am so sorry,” Mordred gushed, “Gwaine told me you wanted to talk to me. I didn’t realize you were opening your door-“

“It’s okay,” You reassured, letting out a breathy laugh, “I wanted to know if you were free so I could get some sketching done for your portrait.”

“I’m sure I can spare an afternoon.” He grinned.

“Perfect! I just want to get a few angles of your face drawn and planned out so I can see what the best pose for your portrait would be.”

“It sounds like a good plan, where should we go?” Mordred followed you as you strolled out of your room and down the stairs that you learned lead outside.

“Anywhere that has good lighting at this hour,” You skipped down the stairs, excited to get to know more of a Camelot while also learning about Mordred. You’d hoped he would become a friend during your stay here. If anything, your conversations from last night seemed like a good starting point.

“I think I know just the place then,” Mordred gave you a small smile before throwing open a side door and leading you through the courtyard of the palace.

You followed him between a few shops in town and through a bit of shrubbery until he stopped. Using an arm to sweep a tree branch obscuring your view of the spot, Mordred let out a “Here it is.”

You could only say one thing:

“Wow.”

<><><><>

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treeni · 4 years

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Approaching the Flame

Day 8 - The temperature of your chest gets hotter when you are closer to your soulmate and colder when you move further away.

Loceit,

Mentioned: remile, moxiety, and remusxtoby

Wordcount: 5238

TW: Swearing, a dubiously consenting kiss

Summary: The princes were always inherently competitive, refusing to even share their knights as they each kept their own order. However, that was nothing compared to their captains. Captain Janus of the north is always cold, except he gets pretty heated when he faces up against his rival, Captain Logan of the south.

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“We should approach from the south. They won’t be expecting us if we cut around from the opposite side.”

“Except that would leave Grenlia open for attack.”

“Yes because we should absolutely prioritize a small village that isn’t even a part of our kingdom over our own knights.”

“They’re on the border, it would be impossible for reinforcements from their kingdom to defend them in time.”

“And that is our problem how?”

“They’re our trade allies!”

“Oh yes, because trade with them is so necessary since we started getting sea imports from the west.”

“Sometimes looking past your own self-interests has a greater impact in the grander scheme of things. Plus, those sea imports are unreliable. Tell me, what happens if just one of those ships sinks?”

“Because we have an absolute shortage of people willing to work on constructing another.”

“And where will we get the materials if not for allied villages like Grenlia?”

“Not from one of our many other allies.”

“Why would they trust us if we’re so willing to abandon them?!”

“Okay!” Royal advisor Patton cut in, tugging on the sleeve of a very heated captain of the guard. His counterpart, Emile, mirrored his actions with the other captain as well “I think maybe we all need a break to cool off, doncha think?”

Janus wasn’t certain when he and his co-captain Logan had gotten so close, but he would be damned if he backed off now.

“Awwww, Robro, your advisor ruined all the fun, I was just about to get snacks,” Janus’ prince, Prince Remus, whined.

“He’s probably right to end it before it turns into carnage,” Roman, the prince who presided over the southern half of the kingdom, said and sighed.

Like the princes themselves, everything in the kingdom came in a set. The princes ruled side by side, one brother mainly presiding over the harsher lands in the north and one brother mainly dealing in the gentler climates of the south. Before their parents’ lives were taken in the previous war, they made a proclamation. Instead of choosing between their twins for a crowned prince, they declared the first one to produce viable offspring would be the ruler and until such a time, they were to simply jointly rule.

They hadn’t seemed to consider the possibility that both brothers were gay.

So the two equally shared their rule, each having their own advisor, their own army, and their own captain of the guard. While both princes had a smaller castle located centrally in the territories they ran, they also each made regular visits to larger castle they grew up in for political discussions between the two kingdom halves. Surprisingly enough, the kingdom only seemed to thrive under this arrangement as the two rulers acted as balances for one another. One was more peaceful, chivalrous, and considered the individuals in every decision that was made, while the other was more war-hardened, bold, and pushed for the greater good of the kingdom as a whole. Though the differences led to a lot of bickering, they ultimately brought about solutions that accounted for more aspects of a problem than either brother would have on their own. However as much the brothers squabbled, it was nothing compared to the captains of their guards.

“Of course, because we are uncivilized brutes with no self-control,” Captain Janus deadpanned, crossing his arms.

“Well, at least I am not,” Captain Logan countered, crossing his arms.

“OH!”

“OkAy!” Patton said, laughing nervously as he pushed himself between the two knights. “So about that break?”

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eak8753 · 4 years

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May 11: Royalty/aristocracy/feudal AU

Damian Wayne was the heir to more than just one crown. His Father, Bruce Wayne, was the king of Gotham. While his Mother, Talia Al Guhl, was a princess of Assassins. From a young age he was to rule over the Assassins, then everything came crashing down when he turned ten. His Mother and Grandfather had been killed, and he was sent to live with his Father. At first it had been difficult to adjust to life in Gotham. No one, not his Father or adoptive brothers, seemed to realize that he had grown up on the outside his entire life. Had seen and done things most of them couldn’t comprehend. Eventually this led to him leaving in the middle of the night.

Now his Father had known where he had gone, but realized that he would come to him in his own time. Now, with his eighteenth birthday approaching soon it was his time to take over the crown. Despite having three older brothers the burden of becoming king fell on the young man's shoulders. While his brothers were able to refuse the crown, and did so quite quickly seeing what it had done to their Father, he wasn’t able to refuse as it was his birthright. He didn't want to be king, not after he had lived as a civilian.

“Damian'' was the first thing he heard that day “Damian Wayne, you open up this door immediately” he heard banging on the door. He looked around at his surroundings, not remembering a thing that happened the previous night. He looked over to the other side of his bed only to find a naked woman laying next to him. Looking at himself he realized that he too was undressed. It didn't take a detective to figure out what had happened. He had a pounding headache and the banging on his door didn’t help, so he just laid back in bed, pulling the covers over his head to block out the sunlight.

The next thing he knew the covers were ripped from his face, revealing his body from the waist up. What greeted him were two dazzling amethyst orbs looking down at him. He scoffed and turned around. “Go away demon” Raven, the young girl he had directed the comment towards, chuckled softly. At the sound he sat up to look at her. He loved hearing her laugh, it was light and breathy. “Come on damian, in a few days you’re gonna be the king while I'm gonna be at the bar drinking away the heartbreak of never being able to see you again” the violet haired girl said with so much seriousness in her voice that he almost believed her, but he knew better. So instead of responding to her he fell back into bed with a thud, waking the women in his bed up. She sat up using the blankets to cover herself, looking up at Raven. Slowly Raven had turned her head towards the future king, raising her brow. “You didn’t kick her out? That's a first” all the response she got in return was a glare.

Sometimes he wondered how they had ever become friends, of course he knew the answer to that. Just like him she had left her family, who lived in The Undergrounds, for a different and more understanding life. The Undergrounds was a few kingdoms away. No one knew anything about them -except that their future ruler had disappeared a while ago- and very few people were actually allowed to leave. From what he knew Raven had left illegal. Of course when he first met her he didn’t like this. However, as time went on he realized that unlike him, who left his home because he felt misunderstood, she did it to escape an abusive household. She told him that the king of The Undergrounds was an evil dictator.

The lady narrowed her eyes at Raven and looked at him with a pout and started batting her lashes. “Oh Damian, shouldn’t you kick this wrench out-“ she said looking at Raven “-so we can continue where we left off?” she started to touch his chest and was leaning in for a kiss when he had stopped her. He never understood women like her who thought that they meant more to him then a meaningless fling. As cruel as it sounded, he would only hook-up with someone when he was shit-faced drunk, and he always felt guilty about it afterwards since he knew that it was just driving a wedge between the one person he’d actual pursue a relationship with. He got out of bed, making sure he kept the blankets to his waist. He asked the lady to leave and after a couple minutes of her throwing a tantrum she finally did. “Well as fun as that was to watch” Raven started up. “Hurry up and get dressed” she told him, walking into his kitchen so she could make some tea.

He was eighteen, he had been for awhile now, and was forced to live with his Father again. He wasn’t allowed to leave the castle and if he was, then he had two guards by his side at all times. He wasn’t allowed to go out and do frivolous things, which meant he wasn’t allowed to visit Raven. His coronation was in a couple of weeks and he had somehow managed to get his Father to agree to let him bring a plus one. He assumed his father meant for him to bring a princess, or a person of royal blood at least. But he decided that his time would be spent better with a friend. So he had bribed his guards, which was surprisingly easy to do, and they let him go do anything he wanted, still being by his side of course.

He had walked into a bar that he came to be fairly familiar with. Knowing Raven was here, his eyes scanned the room. She was being hit on by some guy, she didn’t seem very comfortable though. He wanted to march up to him and tell him to back off but apparently he didn’t have to. The guards had yelled for everyone to leave or they would be punished, and he was the first one out the door. While everyone was rushing to leave, including the bartender, she was looking at him. Taking her sweet time to finish her drink. By the time she was done there were only a couple of people left in the bar, all of them gathering their things to leave. After putting her glass down she looked at him one more time before grabbing her jacket off of a stool. “Stay” Damian's voice broke the silence. She looked up at him for a moment before she sat at a table, motioning for him to do the same.

“So…how have you been?” He asked, trying to lighten the mood. “Six months Damian. I haven’t seen you in six months and you wanna know how I'm doing?” She said with a face of disbelief. “Look Raven, I know that you’re mad at me but I have a favour to ask” he said looking at her sheepishly. “If you ask me to dress up as a jester I'm going to punch you” she told him with a raised brow. “You know I'm your future king, correct” “you know I don’t care” he glared at her, knowing that she wasn’t afraid of him.

“I need a date for my coronation ball on Friday” he said, not being able to look her in the eye as he did it. “If you want me to hook you up with one of my friends then you’re out of luck” was it bad that he was relieved? Seeing as the one he wanted to go with was sitting across from him. “Besides, shouldn’t you be taking a princess?” She questioned. “Well that is what father expecs, but I'd much rather go with someone I am comfortable with” he informed her, resting his hands above hers. “I was wondering if you would accompany me?” He asked, looking her straight in the eyes knowing that would make her more likely to agree. “I have work” she said, retracting her hands from his. He looked disappointed for a moment until he remembered the second reason he had came.

“About that, I was wondering if you would like to be my general?” The shock in her eyes had told him that she didn’t expect that at all, which surprised him considering he had always joked about her being his general when he was king. “What about Clark?” She asked, knowing that the formal general hadn’t died. “He retired, something about wanting more time to spend with his family” taking her hands again he continued. “Raven, you’re one of the strongest people I know with a brilliant mind to match. You’re the only person I trust with such an important task, so either you accept the job or we don’t have a general. You wouldn’t want that now would you” he teased.

She was quiet for a moment, making Damian think she was going to turn him down until she met his gaze, and shook her head up and down. “Good” he smirked. “That means you can accompany me to the ball after all, since the general's attendance is mandatory” he said leaning back in his chair. “You sneaky bastard” she told him, but the smile on her face said all he needed to know; yes.

Raven was so out of her element she was considering from resigning. Sure it had only been a couple of days of being Gotham's general but god she couldn’t attend anymore of these. As soon the ceremony was over Damian had taken her to meet his Father. At first he was disappointed in him for being with a peasant. That was until she opened her mouth. Everyone in the kingdom feared Bruce, and although she was afraid that he may throw her in the dungeon -as he had a no-killing policy- she decided to speak her mind clearly. He was surprised, and he was never surprised. When he found out that she had become the new general he couldn’t help but feel pride for his son, having chosen such a brilliant young woman. of course he couldn’t tell her any of this, so instead he dragged Damian away to meet some of the other leaders.

So here she was, awkwardly standing in a corner. She could feel the stares from some of the guests. Whether that was because no one knew her or for her attire she did not know. She had on a black floor length dress with red undertones. It was off the shoulders, the top portion being two long pieces of fabric crossecting each other. Her hair was curled with one side pinned behind her ear. A simple red gem on a silver chain was around her neck with small matching studs in her ears to match. As she took a sip of her drink a girl in a scarlet coloured ballroom gown, followed by two other girls; one in light blue and the other in light pink.

“Hello there, I'm princess Emiko of Star Kingdom” said the girl in the red gown, “and this is princess Kara of National-“ she said pointing to the one in blue “-and this is princess Dawn of Central Kingdom” she pointed to the one in pink. Turning back to face Raven she asked “and you are?” With a wide smile on her lips. “Raven,” she said as she took another sip of her champagne. The young girl's face fell for a moment, realizing that the girl in front of her wasn’t a princess, or had a title. Then her eyes brightened up as she looked at the purple haired girl. “Have you met him?” at her inquiry Raven raised an eyebrow. “The king!” the princess answered the other girl's silent question. “He’s so handsome,” the one in pink said. “No matter, you know if any of us have a chance it would be Emiko” at Raven’s confused face Emiko spoke. “King Oliver-“ the ruler of Star Kingdom “-is close friends with Damian's father” the girl clarified.

“Oh my god, he’s coming over here” the one in blue spoke. as he approached Raven stiffened, quickly finishing her drink. “Princesses” he nodded at them, taking and kissing each of the young princess's hands. turning to Raven he grinned. “General” he said slowly, his smile growing ten folds. “General? I didn’t know you were…” the young princess in front of Raven trailed off. “Oh yes, Raven here is the new General of Gotham, and-“ he let his eyes roam over her form as he stood beside her “-my date” he said putting an arm around the young woman. At this the princesses eyes widen, not understanding how a king could be with someone of non-royal blood, whether she was a general or not.

“I'm not your date” she deadpanned, shrugging his hands off her shoulders. “I'm only here because it’s mandatory,” she said, turning to face him. At that his smile fell, his face turning into something like guilt. “Yeah, about that…” he trailed off, chuckling a bit. Her eyes widened in shock “You mean I don’t have to be here” shaking his head he averted his gaze. “Well then” he heard her speak up. “I'm out of here” she said, walking forward. Forgetting about the princesses, he ran forward. Stepping in front of her, trying to convince her to stay.

“Look, I don't like being here as much as you do,” he sighed, hoping she wouldn’t be too mad that he tricked her. “Your presence is required. Plus you don’t have to walk around in heels all night” she really hated her choice of footwear that evening.

“Raven?” Damian heard a voice from behind him ask. He turned around to see prince Zilevo of The Undergrounds.Damian concluded that he had just arrived, since he still had a present in his grasp and hadn’t bothered to take his coat off. “You’re alive” he exclaimed with a clear amount of anger in his voice. “We had search parties out for months looking for you. Father even debated going out himself” at this Raven scoffed, clearly not believing him. “He’ll be thrilled to find out that you’re not dead. Then you can take your rightful place as the ruler of The Undergrounds” he informed the young girl, with jealousy clear in his voice. Unlike other kingdoms in which the oldest son inherited the crown, The Undergrounds new ruler would be whichever child was strongest.

“Prince Zilevo, I’m afraid you’re mistaken” Damian said, intervening. Ignoring him, Zilevo looked to Raven, questions in his eyes. “So you aren’t Raven?” he asked, raising a brow at her. “No, she is-“ Damian answered for her “-but she’s not a princess…” he trailed off connecting the dots. It explained a lot, like why she was so against prince Zilevo and his family, how the princess of The Undergrounds had gone missing around the same time Raven told him she left. “You are, aren’t you? Their future ruler” he asked in a cold tone, not facing her. He was upset, but not because she had lied to him. When they had first met he made advances towards her. Although he was alway thoroughly ignored, he didn’t lose hope, as he could take anyone he wanted to bed. Along the way he started to develop real feelings toward the purple eyed girl. He once asked why she didn’t want to sleep with him, seeing how people basically throw themselves at him. She had said it was pointless since he had to marry a royal. It was a logical rebuttal. However, it didn’t stop him from continuing to flirt with the young girl.

She nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. Looking at her brother she scoffed again. “I don't want the crown, you can have it” “you know that’s not how it works” the prince stepped forward standing beside Damian. “Father will only give the crown to you, Gutizia already tried to take it after you left” he said referring to another one of their brothers. Despite all of them being the king’s offspring, each had a different mother. While Raven's brothers' mothers were people with money and power, her mother, Arella, had been a peasant who met the king by chance. In her early life Raven lived with her mother, it was a quiet and simply life. That was until her mother was killed after Raven had visited her Father for the first time, exclaiming she was his child. Before her death, Arella had confirmed this, then she was hung for “treason” as the king put it. After this her father had forced her to train, realizing that having a royal-peasant hybrid rule the Grounds would help open the demons -people who lived in the undergrounds were called- minds.

“Well I'm not going back” she said, crossing her arms. “He thought you were dead, we all did” her brother said, raising his voice slightly at her. “Well make sure the bastard still believes that'' she said before walking away, going on to one of the many balconies. She was furious that she was found out. She also knew that Zilevo couldn’t keep his mouth shut and she’d be forced to leave Gotham and rule over that revolting kingdom, or witness a war break out. She also wanted to talk to Damian and explain. She knew that he was upset and would have a bunch of questions. As she was debating going back she heard the door for the balcony open. Standing there was none other than the new king of gotham.

“I'm sorry” she started immediately, not giving him a chance to speak. “Despite what you may think, I didn't like lying to you. Everything else I said about my family was true -the abuse, the crimes, the greed and anger- it was all real. I couldn't go back and telling anyone, even you, made my chances of getting caught significantly higher” she pleaded with him, trying to make him understand her reasoning. “You know,” he said, coming to stand beside her. “By law if you marry a king before you inherit your kingdom then you have no obligation to them” he said looking at her, bringing his hand to rest on her cheek. She leaned into the touch a bit, glad that he wasn’t mad. Taking his hand off and placing it on the railing, he looked out to the midnight sky.

“If that was your lame attempt at asking me to marry you. Then no” she told him after a moment of silence. He turned to face her, giving her a small sad smile. “But, if that was your lame attempt at asking me on a date…then I wouldn’t oppose” she said the last bit so quietly he almost thought he dreamt it, but the smile on his face and the twitch of her hands assured him he hadn’t. He couldn’t help the smile that crept itself onto his face as he spun her around while they embraced.

#damirae week 2020 #damirae #damian wayne #raven roth #fanifiction #eak8753 #damian x raven #demon birds

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hyliangrace-a · 4 years

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oh, i ended up spending so much time on this, but - it’s done ! it’s far from perfect but i’m pretty satisfied that there’s a visual guide to my idea of hyrule, post-seven years war. & now, god help you all, i’m gonna talk about it lmao. click here if you want to see a full-sized version of the map, but i’m also gonna put it under the cut in this post with the original map for comparison, & go on for a bit about how hyrule has, in my interpretation, changed under zelda’s rule.

( this gets long. like, really long. like, over 4,500 words long. read at your own risk. i’d say i’m sorry, but i’m really not. & fuck drawing water features forever. )

first thing’s first - the map !

( apologies for the giant watermark underneath it all but i’ve had my shit stolen before & i’m not enthused at the idea of having it happen again. clicking it open in a new tab should make it bigger if the link above doesn’t work. )

so, it’s slightly bigger than the original map which is featured in the game, haha. here’s a comparison of the two, actually, with my map over the top of the original so you can see what’s been changed or added & where. i’ll talk about what got added & why in a bit, i want to speak just about the actual map, first.

i did my best to keep the main locations of hyrule as specified in the game in the same place, & i think did an okay job, tbh ! my biggest nitpick was just how many dang cliffs & rockfaces there are on the original map. i know they serve a purpose in-game, which is completely fair, but they limited worldbuilding a little by making the map so small, so i took some liberties. not with every cliff, of course - i kept some in the southwest to keep the border between gerudo valley & hyrule field intact, & kept the ridge the river runs through - partly for the sake of continuity, & partly because i’ve always loved the fact that falling into the river in the valley washes you down to the lake. expanding them into a new area was fun, too, because at least then they go somewhere, rather than just locking you in to a certain place.

my main point of contention, to be honest, was the giant rockface in south hyrule field. again, i understand why it was there, but, come on ! so i ended up just doing away with it all, letting it lead a path to two new areas i’d like to work into zelda’s canon. the map just fades out in certain places, too, particularly the gerudo desert, so i ended up expanding that a little more & having it lead into the cliffs above lake hylia - the river already runs from the valley to the lake, so why not have more of the desert lead into the mainland ? the mountains, too, got their range expanded, because they just seem so ... small, in canon, when they aren’t being used specifically as dungeon locations. i’d say the only place on the map i didn’t expand in some way is that little gap between zora’s domain & the kokiri forest - the forest is so hemmed in & the domain is literally inside a mountain, hidden behind a waterfall, so i was happy to just let that be empty space. if you manage to climb over the cliffs surrounding the domain, or break through the treetops in the forest, you get a view of the ocean, & that’s that !

it was fun to look at the maps of the games that came chronologically before this one & see how the position of things in hyrule change, but i’m kind of glad that there was only the three before ocarina of time, because the mountains alone move across the map at their leisure, good god. there was a bit of freedom in it, too, because in zelda’s canon timeline, the gods are going to flood hyrule anyway, so i could make whatever changes i wanted because it’s all gonna end up underwater & unseen in the end - plus, it meant i could add in more mountains to take up empty space on the map, because the hylians have to flee somewhere to escape the flood, & i don’t think the peak of death mountain could hold them all. most of the new locations were inspired by the minish cap, more than any other, so i’m going to start at the top of the map & move down to talk about them.

i always loved royal valley & the royal crypt in the minish cap, to be honest. it was spooky & cute, & i’m surprised it, or a concept like it, hasn’t made much of a comeback in later zelda games. the royal family’s tomb being in kakariko village never bothered me much as a kid ( other than the fact their headstone gets utterly destroyed & you get assaulted by what we can only assume are the zombies of previous hylian rulers ??? & then it’s just left open for anyone to stumble in & possibly loot slash get murdered by said zombies ??? actually, y’know what, this bothers me a lot more as an adult, what the fuck - ) but kakariko was a village founded by the sheikah, originally for the sheikah, so i did always find it a little strange that at some point, a ruler of hyrule went ❛ that’s cool, you do you, but make space for us in your graveyard. ❜ i know the history between the hylian royal family & the sheikah is implied to be murky ( thank you, shadow temple ) but that’s a meta for another day, so i’m not gonna go into too much detail, but it’s still something that sticks out as strange to me. call it the sheikah continuing to guard the royal family in death or whatever, but, hm. weird. anyway !

the point is, after the seven years war ends, zelda decides that what originally belonged to the sheikah should be given back to the sheikah. kakariko village was opened up to non-sheikah by impa prior to the rise of ganondorf, & that’s her perogative & not something zelda would ever dream of interfering with, but that applies to the living, & those who die within the village deserve to be buried in the same place. it takes time to get around to the rebuilding of hyrule castle & its’ town, but when it’s time to plan for it, zelda chooses to utilize the abandoned valley which lies behind the castle as the new home for the royal crypt, but not solely for that ! she establishes & sponsors a university on behalf of the royal family, with special consideration going to the preservation of hylian history ( a lot was lost in the hyrulean civil war prior to her birth, nevermind the seven year war following that so quickly, & we can see in other zelda games, such as twilight princess & breath of the wild, historical preservation within hyrule is ... terrible, to say the least. of course, it will all be washed away when the goddesses flood hyrule, but fuck, at least she tries. ) the university also covers a range of other subjects, but history is the one zelda takes an active interest in, & she spends a lot of time with scholars who specialize in it. the royal crypt lies at the very back of the valley, the university being closer to the castle, & then ... watch this space ! i’m likely to add more things to areas around the map in the future.

hyrule castle & hyrule castle town i’ve left in the same spots, pretty much - i imagine the castle is rebuilt to be something like the one we see at the bottom of the ocean in wind waker, but i intend to put my own spin on that, too. zelda wouldn’t be focused too much on getting a castle up agaiin ( i’ve mentioned in a thread before that two years post-ganondorf, she is still sheltering at impa’s house in kakariko village, as rebuilding for the civilians is her main priority, & whilst i haven’t figured out exactly how long that lasts for, it’s a safe bet to say a good few years ) & she definitely wouldn’t want to be living anywhere especially y’know, grandiose & opulent, if her people were still struggling day to day. the castle town bounces back better than ever, expanding a little more to the left over time, but that’s a gradual thing. no real change except a distinct lack of redeads, which is always a bonus !

death mountain & its immediate surroundings, i was happy to leave as they are - it’s marginally wonky in place compared to the original map but it’s not a severe drift from canon, so lets just pretend it sits a little more to the left, shhh. it’s a volcano built into a mountain with a network of caves both inside & adjacent to it, plus a place of worship built into the heart of it, & you can’t really go wrong with that, so i focused on all that empty space beyond them left on the map. minish cap came in clutch again, because by fuck, did they have a mountain range, so i ended up dipping in to it for the names of this one. the gorons are clustered at the forefront of the mountain because everything beyond their city has been mined to the absolute death by those who came before for its resources, & abandoned by the same in turn, but they still send patrols to make sure it’s fine.

there’s a story of how, before the gorons settled into the mountain, a man of great strength climbed the mountain alone to make his home within it - he faced eruptions from a then-hostile death mountain, fought off the creatures who called the range home & weren’t fond of sharing, & forged on to what was said to be the edge of hyrule itself. it wasn’t, not quite, but it was far enough away from the central provinces of the kingdom that the mountains became capped with snow, contrasting the temperate mountains to the west. the story goes that the adventurer decided to call the furthest reaches of the mountain home, & singlehandedly carved out what would become the beginning of the mines, in order to gather materials for his forge. it’s been disputed whether said man was hylian or goron, as the biggoron family claim lineage from him, but the mountains he once inhabited are named for him now, & are one of the places zelda hid whilst on the run & masquerading as sheik - despite the extreme temperatures playing havoc with her & nearly killing her, it’s one of the harder to reach spots in hyrule, so it provided a measure of safety that other places could not. melari’s hold lies in the northeast, but the cold spot on the mountain travels further south than would be expected, resulting in a cold spot - the ice cavern - to the north of zora’s domain.

real quick, fuck zora’s domain. there was no way to make the water feature coming from here look decent, or properly portray the types of cliffs it’s surrounded by, so please don’t judge it too harshly. at the end of ocarina of time, zora’s domain is still said to be frozen, but recovering from the curse ganondorf placed on it, which, great ! i’m gonna say, i could be completely off here in how it works, but i wanted to change things up a little, so if i am, i don’t mind that much. i like a bit of artistic license. also, if we can have literal fish people, a genderless species made of rock, children who don’t grow up in a magical forest which horrifically warps those who don’t belong, & a giant fucking overworld field where the skeletons of what look like fucking children come out to fight you at night ? i’m okay with this reckoning being off a little.

so, eventually, zora’s domain unfreezes. i personally imagine, as ganondorf’s power ebbed from hyrule, that the process started slow, until one day, it wasn’t. it’s said that zora’s fountain is the source of all water in hyrule, with the domain lying under the mountain it rests on top of, & a few secret passageways here & there, which is fine, usually - the fountain never froze, just the domain beneath it. that becomes a problem, though, when the magical freeze put in place by ganondorf wears off, & the excess water from the melt ends up flooding the domain. not a problem from those who live within it, with the zora being essentially amphibian in nature, but when that excess water begins seeping out into the fountain, through cracks in the mountain, through the entrance granted to those affiliated with the royal family ? that all goes over the fountain, down the sleepless waterfall, through the river, & that river completely bursts its banks. the water level of the river rises significantly, washing away much of the path previously taken by those who wished to go to the domain on foot, causing minor flooding in hyrule field as it travels downstream, & resulting in the waters of lake hylia rising when the overflow reaches it, hence the lake being larger in my version of the map. the rebuilding of a path to zora’s domain ends up becoming one of the earliest projects zelda undertakes as queen but it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare for a while, considering that, with princess ruto ascended as a sage, zora’s domain is now in a succession crisis. does it have much bearing on zelda’s life ? not especially, but i thought it was a nice bit of worldbuilding, so here it is.

kokiri forest, the lost woods, & everything within doesn’t change much. with the dark magic vanquished from the forest, & the great deku sprout able to thrive, the forest continues to grow, & overgrow. it’s still dangerous to outsiders to go within, still dangerous for anyone to enter the lost woods without a fairy companion to guide them & save them from a grim fate, but the children of the forest do grow somewhat braver about stepping out from their home to see the rest of hyrule. it never lasts long - not all of the kokiri are as brave as link was, after all, & hyrule is so vast compared to what they’re used to - but it sparks their curiosity & their desire to explore hyrule which eventually trickles down to the wandering koroks.

the area to the south / southwest of the kokiri forest is entirely my invention. as i said, in-game, it’s just cliffs to hem you in & prevent you from breaking the boundaries of the world, but there’s none of that in roleplaying, so i just … did away with them entirely. part of this is lake hylia not being as hemmed in by these walls as it is in-game, opening up into a new river & streams which travel through the south & southeast. crossing this river leads to three paths - take middle path, & you may find yourself in what’s known as the rito village. now, i’ll say here, i know that the rito don’t technically appear in hyrule until after the great flood, when the zoras somehow sprout wings, but nintendo’s strange decisions don’t change the fact that there are many wonderful people in the zelda rpc who play rito characters with crossover verses that let them interact with those who play characters in other parts of the timeline. in order to better facilitate interactions with these roleplayers, i decided fuck it, rito village in ocarina of time. canon can be easily bent. if, however, i’m writing with someone who wants to adhere to strict canon, then it’s just other hylians who live within the village, & rito is just the name chosen for the village, with no connection to the as-of-yet-unevolved race, just a nice little coincidence. regardless of who lives in it, though, the village & its name are fixed here in a southern woodland, with the village nestled amongst the hills within.

cross the bridge to the south & take the third branch in the path, you’ll find yourself inside the bremen woods. i honestly haven’t got much to say about the bremen woods here, but it’s not because i don’t have ideas for it - i have another headcanon brewing concerning myths, fables & fairy tales within hyrule, because … i am just that type of nerd. about eighty percent of my blogs before this one involved fairy tale characters in some way. it is, as the kids say, extremely my shit, & i’d like to tie the bremen woods into that, so i’m going to save what i have to say for that headcanon, but don’t worry. it’ll probably be a lot smaller than this one. ( thank god, i hear you say. i know, i know. i’m still not sorry. )

cross the bridge, then, & take the first branch in the path, & you better have a sword with you. the castor wilds are a lawless place, which is fitting for the corner of the world where the last remnants of ganondorf’s forces lie. any that weren’t killed during the restoration of the kingdom were beaten back to the edge of the world, & it’s not a friendly place. the last of the monsters shelter in a run-down settlement known as dragmire’s hold, the last place where those who sympathize with the king of evil can speak freely, & it’s murder to get to. the entrance to the wilds is a marshy swamp, thanks to the run-off of lake hylia, but if you manage to get through the mire, the land begins to dry out until you reach the hold, where the earth struggles to bear fruit & it seems the grass refuses to grow. it is, in a few words, fucking grim, & as a result, the go-to place for banishments within the kingdom. zelda isn’t a fan of harsh punishments, but she’s no fool, not anymore, & she won’t abide those who plot to throw the kingdom back into chaos, be it in service of ganondorf, or their own selfish natures. it’s rare that anyone actually finds themselves wandering the castor wilds, unless they actively choose to adventure there, but it is a very good threat, considering its reputation as the land where the devils live.

jumping across the map entirely, we come to the cliffs of coroa to the left of lake hylia. another spot on the map which is notorious for being hard to reach, the cliffs are an inviting challenge to those who want to boast of their climbing skills & durability. if getting up the cliffs doesn’t kill you ( & there is a very real possibility that it will, especially if you fall, ‘cause this water ain’t soft ) the journey down might do it instead, & that’s if you survive your trip at the top. there has been rumours of a great treasure hidden away in the cliffs for years, though the debate on what it might be was pretty intense, if you got into it. for a time, some thought the legendary blade rested within the cliffs, & only those who could brave the rockface would be able to lay a hand on it; others argued that it contained more mundane, but still desirable, treasures, such as a great haul from a band of thieves, left behind when they were hunted down by the crown, growing only more valuable by the minute. some, with sense, said that the only thing atop the cliffs was certain doom for the morons who tried to make their way up them. the truth ? there’s nothing up there. sometimes, cliffs are just cliffs, & those who try to scale the ones facing lake hylia truly are fools. the gerudo people, however, had the right idea of how to get to them.

again, another aspect of canon i was happy to leave as it was. the gerudo desert is a vast, harsh swathe of land, continuously assailed by sandstorms, bordered to the north by what is called ❛ the great sand sea ❜ & to the south by the haunted wasteland, & it’s not hyperbole. spirit guides appear to those who seek the temple of the goddess of the sand, but very few have ever made it through the wasteland if they enter in pursuit of something else. one of the few who did was the gerudo heroine, ashai. a well respected warrior amongst them, ashai was the younger sister to the exalted rishika, the chief of the gerudo at the time, & one of the first to vow to conquer the wasteland & see what lay beyond the storm. though her sister cautioned against it, as tales of people becoming lost in the wasteland were not uncommon, ashai was a headstrong young woman, & she could not be swayed. she took with her a party of twelve, & in time, three returned to tell their story. ashai had forged a path through the ever-shifting sands & left it well enough marked that her companions were able to find their way back. it’s said that some succumbed to madness during the journey, tormented by the ghosts of the wasteland, whilst others fell ill whilst they traveled, choking on the sand which gathered in their lungs. seven of them made it through the wasteland to the valley which lay beyond, but ashai had grown sick during the crossing, & knew she would not make it back. instead, she spent the time she had left exploring the valley, & found a way through it to the peak of the cliffs of coroa. the legend says that is there she died, watching the sun rise atop the cliffs, speaking only of her sister, & her companions laid her to rest within the valley, which her sister then named in honour of her. whilst the gerudo are happy to let those who have proven themselves attempt the journey to the desert colossus, no outsiders are permitted to walk the valley of ashai, where a shrine was built for its namesake - it is considered sacred to them, & the journey to pay respects to ashai is now part of the trial given to those who wish to become chief of the gerudo, should the bloodline of the previous chief die.

that covers just about all the main areas & landmarks of hyrule, i think, so to move on to the last thing, the various settlements, villages, hamlets you see across the map. hyrule is a big place. yes, quite a few of the races are localized to certain areas, & yes, it’s entirely plausible the hyrulean civil war could have decimated the population, with the seven years war exacerbating that problem, but hyrule field just looked so … empty, once everything else was finished. so, rather than stick to a number of locales i can count on one hand, i threw a few more settlements across the map to try & make hyrule feel more like a real kingdom. not to breath of the wild’s extent, of course, but just something a little more than what was given. all those who survived the fall of hyrule castle town apparently fled to become refugees in kakariko village, which was opened to all by impa, which is fair, but i imagine as the world returned to something close to normality, & families started growing again, the village would quickly find itself overwhelmed. as queen, zelda would make it a priority to make sure none of her subjects go homeless - she knows all too well that struggle - & so she would begin a program to make sure there was enough villages or townships for every one of her subjects. those who volunteered would be given a set amount of money & plots of land across hyrule to build a home, which zelda would then personally visit to inspect, to make sure her people were thriving.

there’s little to say in detail about them all as of right now, as i’m still fleshing them out, but i have a few basic ideas. most of the settlements were named after the first to attach themselves to the project, but the names have the potential to evolve over time. they certainly won’t retain the hamlet / settlement status, that’s for sure. the offer wasn’t restricted to hylians, either - any other race in the land was free to join, though only a small number of gerudo accepted it, the others preferring to stay in their homes & travel as they need. ciela’s settlement was the one spearheaded by the gerudo who accepted zelda’s offer, hence its proximity to the valley. a lot of young men volunteered to go to this settlement, but zelda was happy to let ciela make her own call, & many were knocked back - only those with what ciela deemed viable skills were allowed in, & still, it’s very much a female dominated settlement, but it is thriving under her leadership, & blossoms into a successful village as time goes on. lon lon ranch is, well, lon lon ranch. with funding from the crown, talon was able to take on more staff & expand it at his leisure, but it is one of the very few places in hyrule which has stayed constant over time, & he was quite content to keep it that way, & zelda content with his decision.

to the south of lon lon ranch lies damia village, the largest of all the settlements from its inception. led by a fearless young man who gave his name to the village, it is a hub of activity which could rival hyrule castle town. with damia came many like-minded people, all eager to forge their own path in the world & prove themselves as he had, as he had been part of the group which volunteered to help beat back the remnants of ganondorf’s forces. many of the families within damia village are the families of soldiers who work at the castle & it has gained a reputation for being a village full of strong, capable, trustworthy people. arborwood, which lies further to the south in a more rural location, is an outlier in that the one who volunteered to lead in this settlement didn’t wish to put their name to it - they didn’t want glory, just a place to call home where they could finally live in peace. arborwood is an agriculturally focused village, filled with farmers & those who possess green thumbs. a lot of trade is done between arborwood & all the other villages - everyone in hyrule became proficient at growing & hunting their own food in the past thirty years, as was necessary to survive, but it’s nice to have a place to get food from which specializes in high quality meat & crops. why hunt rabbits, when arborwood can provide venison ?

last but not least, lynna’s hamlet, which settled at lake hylia at the request of the owner of the lakeside laboratory. as he was getting on in years, he wished to find someone to continue his work, & so specifically requested that any like-minded hylians settle close to the lake so that he could impart his wisdom & let them take over. he got quite a few more people volunteering than he bargained for, be they scientifically inclined, interested in cataloguing the history of lake hylia, or just desirous of a change in scenery. the smallest of the new settlements, lynna’s hamlet never truly flourished the way others did, but the buildings were never empty - as time went on & people began to move elsewhere, it became a popular spot for those who traveled the land to rest at when they came to the lake, with a very successful inn eventually being run by the lakeside, its doors open to any who wished to visit.

it’s not a lot of worldbuilding when it all comes down to it, compared to other things, but this is something that i’ve wanted to do for a long time. as i’ve mentioned in the section regarding the bremen woods, more headcanons are likely to follow regarding places on the map & how they change & evolve as time passes during zelda’s rule, but for now, there’s this ! something which makes hyrule feel less empty than what it was before, whilst still respecting canon, somewhat which was the goal all along. if you’ve made it this far, holy shit, go outside & feel the sun on your face. it’s been eighty-four years - but i can’t thank you enough for reading ! at least next time, the headcanon won’t be so long. i hope.

#⌜ ❛ ʏᴏᴜ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ & ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪᴛ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴛᴇʀᴍs. ❜ ⌟ ✦ ( headcanon. )#( eight. eight pages & 4700-odd words of rambling in google docs #i can't believe i spent so much time on this oh my GOD #but it's done !! it's one am & i'm going to bed but i have to get this out into the world before i go #tomorrow i swear i'll get more actual roleplaying done but for now have ... eight fucking pages of THIS i guess #if this is incoherent please let me know good god )

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avengerscompound · 4 years

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The Tower: The Queen of Asgard - 13

The Tower: The Queen of Asgard An Avengers Fanfic

Series Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Pairing: Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 1832

Warnings: just some sexual innuendo

Synopsis: The twins are now three and while the Avengers know that Clint and Thor are the biological father’s none of them know or care which blond, blue-eyed baby is related to which man. When Riley gets the power to control wind and it becomes evident that she is the heir to the Asgardian throne, Elly, Steve, Thor, and Tony take the twins to Asgard to train her.

Not every Asgardian is happy with their king’s choice of consort, nor the impurity of the heir’s blood. While others expect Thor to make things more official. What’s clear is, the role of Queen of Asgard is not easily filled.

Author’s Note: Written with the human pin-cushion @fanficwriter013

Chapter 13: Keeping Safe

The next morning I woke still nestled in between Tony and Steve but Thor was nowhere to be seen. I managed to wriggle out from in between them, and as soon as I was clear they moved toward each other, obviously not ready to wake yet. I used the bathroom and then went into the living room to find Thor working at a desk. Volstagg was guarding the door to the children’s room.

“Good morning,” Thor said looking up. “Glad to see you’ve joined the land of the living.”

“Are the kids okay? One of them normally wakes the other and they come and get us.” I asked.

“Still asleep,” Thor said. “I checked on them.”

“Do you need help with anything?” I asked.

“I would appreciate your insight on this scheduling. There are so few I trust here, making sure the warriors get the rest they need and having everyone guarded is difficult.” Thor said.

I came over and sat down in his lap and he put one hand on my thigh, tightening it for a moment before just letting his hand relax. “I’d prefer that you stay with me. I think that will be the best way to keep you safe. I’d like at least two people with the children at any time.” He said. “I know that Steve can handle himself, so I am not too concerned about him.”

“And Tony?” I asked.

“I don’t want to say he can’t handle himself. I know he has the suit…” Thor said.

“But you’re aware of his fragile mortality?” I said.

He nodded and put his chin on my shoulder.

“Well, he’s going to want to go to the lab and work on the bots now. That’s for sure. Would you trust Tony and Steve alone together?”

“Perhaps. I think together they should be strong enough to at least hold out a fight long enough for Loki and I to get there.” Thor said.

“Well, what if Steve and Tony stick together. And I’m with you. Then the warriors and Loki can rotate keeping the kids safe.” I suggest. “Then when the bots are done there’s extra security on everyone. Plus the others will be here soon enough.”

“I can make that work,” Thor said with a nod. He filled out the timetable and began to write a letter. I couldn’t understand anything he wrote though as he was writing in what looked like runes.

“I should go and dress for the day if I’m tailing you around,” I said. “You could always have either you or Loki with the kids at all times too. So if you put down when you’re needed to do things elsewhere, Loki can be with the kids. He won’t mind even with the warpath he’s on. He loves spending time when Pietro.”

“He does love that little boy,” Thor said.

“He does.” I agreed. “I wonder what that is exactly about? I’d put it down to the fact he loves books so much. But remember when he came to meet them? They were still all floppy and only just learning to roll over. Even then he wanted to hold Pietro first despite the fact we said he was the one that was more likely to cry.”

Thor shook his head. “Maybe he always suspected Pietro wasn’t mine biologically and therefore not the heir to the throne.”

I nodded slowly, mulling the hypothesis over. “Could be. Perhaps he wanted to make sure he always felt worthy the way he didn’t feel that.”

“It’s hard to say,” Thor said. “If I understood the inner workings of my brother better, we wouldn’t have the trouble we do.”

I went to stand and he took my hand and looked up at me. “How are you feeling this morning? I feel like I ought to check in on you.”

I smiled down at him. “Better. Sleep helped. It was dreamless too. So that’s good. I’m obviously still anxious, but so are you. That’s not going to go away until this is all put to rest.”

He kissed the back of my hand. “We will get to the bottom of this.”

I kissed him gently and went and bathed. I changed into a less formal looking Asgardian dress than I had last night. Though saying that, it was still far more elaborate and formal than I normally dressed. The dress was gold with black thread work through it and wrapped around me. Over the top, I wore a blue and black cloak.

When I came back out to the living room Steve and Tony were both up as were the kids. Pietro was sitting in Thor’s lap drawing on some paper as Thor continued to work, while Riley tore around the room.

“Mommy!” Riley squealed and slammed into my legs.

“My goodness, you are so hyped lately,” I said, crouching down and cuddling her.

“That might be her connection with Asgard and her newly obtained powers,” Thor said.

I nodded and moved to the couch. “Sounds reasonable.”

The door open and Loki stalked in. “Surprise brother. Apparently, we have more siblings.”

Thor looked up startled and Pietro reached for Loki. “We what?”

Loki took Pietro from Thor and the little boy snuggled into his uncle’s chest. “I do not know who this woman is. But she seems to be an envoy from the kingdom of Heven. Before either of us were born our parents had two other children. First was a son named Aldriff. Back then Asgard was waging war everywhere. Aldriff was killed by a spy from Heven as an infant. Next was a daughter. I have been unable to find anything else except word that she existed. It’s like every record pertaining to her has been erased.” Loki explained. “This new faction is claiming that Aldriff was never killed but taken and raised in Heven to one day take the throne here. Much like our parents did with me, intending I return and take the throne on Jotunheim.”

“If our brother is a worthy ruler, I’d gladly give him the throne. Why all the subterfuge and violence? We have no quarrel with Heven.” Thor said.

“Wait… just back up a second.” Tony interrupted. “There’s a Heaven?”

“Of course, Tony,” Thor said while Loki rolled his eyes. “These myths you have on Earth usually have an origin elsewhere.”

“Well, regardless, it looks like Heven may have been holding on to some past anger and plan to put their own puppet on the throne,” Loki said, turning the conversation back on track. “There may be descent in your council. I will continue to look into it. If we can smother that it should crush any further attacks. Heven is not strong enough on its own to take us. It needs the support of the people.”

“And you’re sure our guest is of Heven? Aren’t they usually possessing wings?” Thor asked.

“I don’t know what to tell you, brother. This is all I know so far.” Loki said with a shrug.

There was a knock on the door and Fandral lead in the same chef from last night along with some others who were all wheeling trays of food.

“Yay!” Riley squealed, running over to the carts. “You maded yummy food.”

“I did, little princess.” The chef said.

“Fank you.” She said, looking up at him and bouncing on her feet.

The chef picked up a plate and turned crouching down and offering it to her. “Made special for the princess.”

She clapped her hands and a breeze picked up. “Fank you.” She took the plate and then very slowly and carefully carried it to the table.

“You are most welcome.” He said. “I’ve made something else for the little boy if he’d like it.”

Loki brought Pietro over and took the plate. He tasted something and looked down at Pietro. “You can eat it.” He said.

“Fank you,” Pietro said, looking over the food and then carefully sampling some, exactly as Loki had just done. Meanwhile, Riley had made a complete mess with her food already.

“I’ve taken some liberties with the cuisine to try and make it more to your tastes.” The chef said. “I hope you enjoy.”

“Thank you so much,” I said.

“Is yummy!” Riley added, enthusiastically.

“This is the highest of praise.” The chef said. “Thank you, princess.” He bowed and left the room followed by his staff.

“Winning hearts there, Rie?” Tony asked and she grinned up at him, her face completely covered in food. He came over and began looking over the carts as I helped myself to a selection of things. “So, what’s on the menu this morning? You know, aside from -” He made an obscene gesture and I hit him.

“Tony! The kids.” I yelped.

“Uh-huh,” Tony teased. “You know you want it.”

I rolled my eyes and took a seat at the table. “Riley, please use your fork.” I sighed.

She scrunched her nose and picked up her fork. She stabbed her food with the fork and then took it off the fork with her hand before putting it in her mouth.

Steve chuckled. “That’s not how you do that, Riley.” He said.

“I use dem.” She said defensively.

“You put the food on the fork and then the fork in your mouth.” He instructed.

She attempted to do as he said but the food fell off her fork and spilled down her dress. Steve chuckled and sat down, putting her on his lap and helping her eat.

After we’d eaten the kids got cleaned up and we prepared to split into our respective groups.

“Alright. The children are mine now.” Loki said.

“Who’s staying with you?” I asked.

“That would be me, my lady,” Fandral said, making a large sweeping bow. Loki looked at him with an expression of complete boredom on his face. “The lord Loki appears very excited to have me. That’s okay. We shall have fun. Shan't we, your majesty?” He said kneeling in front of Riley.

She did a wobbly curtsy and patted his cheeks. “I’m majesty.”

“Where do we want to go, children?” Loki asked.

“Wibwawy,” Pietro answered quickly.

“No…” Riley whined. “Is borwing.”

“Let us compromise. First, we shall spend time in the library and then we shall do something Riley would like to do.” Loki said.

Riley scrunched her nose. “It's okay, your majesty. I'll be there. We can make it fun together. Annoy your uncle Loki.” Fandral said. He offered her his hand and she took it.

“Alright, kiddos. You stay with Loki and Fandral. No wandering off and no talking to strangers.” I said as Loki and Fandral headed to the door with them.

“Subtle, Elise.” Loki teased as the twins called out ‘bye-bye’.

After they were gone Hogun led Tony and Steve down to the lab and Thor took me along to a meeting with his advisors and I got to see exactly what being the King of Asgard actually meant.

// NEXT

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linuxgamenews · 4 years

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Monster Crown gets another big update with riding monsters

Monster Crown launches the third big content update for the game on Linux, Mac and Windows PC. Thanks again to developer Studio Aurum. Which is now live on Steam along with a discount. Dark monster taming game Monster Crown launches its third big content update. The well received game is also still in Early Access on Steam. While upholding Positive reviews. As a result, still getting frequent updates from the devoted developer. Since its Early Access launch on July 31, Monster Crown received two big content updates and several patches. Its third big content update brings over 15 new monsters. There is also a monster riding, map expansion and more story content. With still more content updates during the Early Access period. The third big content update unlocks several new areas for players to explore. Crown Island opens its path towards two new provinces, new cities and a mysterious cave. Monster Crown’s dark story will now take players to the castle of Empathy Kingdom. Where they get to meet king Dania. Similarly, there over 15 new monsters added to the game. Plus players also get to ride on some of the monsters now. The previous two content updates already brought online monster trading. With a new gene lab and more. Offering a lot of new opportunities for competitive battlers out there.

Monster Crown - Early Access Trailer

youtube

Unravel Crown Island’s dark, cruel story as you create your own monster legacy. With a history of sadistic rulers and heroic saviors. The island faces another threat in the form of a malicious young woman seeking power. In Monster Crown it’s up to you and the monsters you make pacts with to prevent the return of tyranny. Will your decisions make you a savior? Or maybe a dark messiah?

Features

Make pacts with monsters to receive their protection in return for shelter.

Breed and fuse over 200 base monsters. Create your own new species in Monster Crown.

Travel across Crown Island with your monster allies to uncover a dark world.

Make a pivotal decision that will drastically change the ending and post-game.

Play online to battle and trade, and have your new species reach across the globe.

Since Studio Aurum launches the third big content update for Monster Crown. They are also offering up a sale on Steam. Discounting the game 20% until November 2nd. Regularly priced at $14.99 USD. With support for the game on Linux, Mac and Windows PC.

#monster crown #third big content update #linux #gaming news #studio aurum #ubuntu #mac #windows #pc #sale

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fyrapartnersearch · 4 years

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About Me: Morgan, 28, female, Central time zone Email: [email protected] *I RP over email or Google Docs. Chatting can take place over email or Google Hangouts. We can chat over Discord if you’d like (ask me for it), but I won’t RP over that platform because the post limit is annoying. Style: Third person, past tense, paragraph form. *I tend to average three to four paragraphs a post, but depending on what is happening, I write more. I enjoy long posts, both reading and writing them, so if that’s not your jam, you should probably look elsewhere.

What I’m Looking For:

*A long term partner of any gender over the age of 21. *Partners who can reply at least twice a week. I aim to write a post at least once a day or every two days. (Flexible about this since the world is crazy right now) *Partners able and willing to play several characters (though not all the time) to help create the world and the scenes. I don’t “double”, so please don’t ask. I play OC characters and expect the same of my partner. *Extensive world-building depending on the plot. I love world-building and I’d love it if you did too. *M/F or F/F pairings. I can play male or female, but some plots listed may have my preferred gender to play because I already have a character drafted. *Mature themes. Swearing, smut, and violence will feature in my RPs, but let me know about limits/triggers and we’ll work something out. Making sure we’re both comfortable is important to me. *Communication and open-mindedness. I love brainstorming and fleshing out plotlines, even if they somehow don’t work out in the RP. *No ghosting. If you are no longer interested in plotting or RPing just tell me, no hard feelings. Ghosting is a major pet peeve of mine, so please don’t do it. If you’re incapable of telling someone you don’t want to RP with them for whatever reason, don’t contact me. Again, the world is crazy so I’m trying to be more forgiving about this, but I really have no patience for it right now. Don’t do it.

Please introduce yourself in your initial contact with me and what plot interested you the most. I most likely won’t respond if you don’t specify a plot or plots you would like to try. If none of my plots interested you but you feel we would be a good match, please send me your plot idea. Let’s see what we can come up with!

Plots:

{Fantasy. Historical. World-Building. Slash Optional. Character Driven.} An overprotective older sister decides to move to a different kingdom/country/land to help her sickly younger sister. There is major culture shock as they are thrown into an entirely new world and they cause some upheaval to the traditional way of life in their new home. Low fantasy, Regency era preferred, but I’m flexible. This is as close to “doubling” as I’ll get; I’d like us to play the sisters (I’d like to play the older sister) and then each play a corresponding close friend or love interest. Plus a variety of other lovable side characters. Very flexible about the setting: small town, large city, magical academy, medical institution,etc. Lots of different things we can do with this plot.

{Fantasy. Historical. Heavy World-Building. Slash Optional.} The previous rulers of the kingdom are dead, along with their Court Mage (under mysterious circumstances? Probably). The heir must now take the throne and find a new Court Mage. The competition to win the heir’s trust is cutthroat, with Mages from all over the world traveling to the capital to fight for the position. I strongly prefer to play the Court Mage (I have a female mage drafted, but I can play a male Mage as well). I can also play the heir (I have a prince drafted). Lot’s of political drama, devilish dealings, and plenty of side characters to play. Further plotting required.

{Adventure. Historical OR Steampunk. Fandom Influence: The Mummy.} A treasure hunting/artifact finding adventure! Strong “The Mummy” influence (Brendan Fraser version, obviously). An academic believes they have found a map to a lost city/buried treasure/important artifact, but they need help getting there. They hire (or stumble upon) an adventurer who specializes in getting into difficult places. An unknown organization is on their heels as they try to make a discovery of a life-time. 1920s-1930s era or Steampunk-esque environment preferred, but I’m flexible.

#oc rp #multiple paragraph #long term #literate #action #adventure #fantasy #historical #original #romance #submission #mxf #fxf #dark mature themes #period pieces #steampunk #fantasy rp #historical rp #literate rp

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darklydeliciousdesires · 4 years

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From the Ashes - Chapter Twenty Eight.

Tag list - @breakmeaswitchson @madbaddic7ed @ruelf-emedam @brexfrix @ xxphoenixflyerxx @ur-royal-thighness @geekyweed @holyhumorliteraturelight @jinaaaannnnn @alliyjane @notso-fetch @zoe-rachel-crisp @glowien @tranquility-or-chaos @bucky-did-nothing-wrong @shileen91 @boiled-onionrings @helloitsmeaime203 @cheritzie @hm-fck @mary-ann84 @skylarmorgan1899 @alwayshave-faith @alliyjane @shyen18 @shadesofarrogance @justjulie1105 @soulmatelove96 @agniavateira @stormnightsong @xmother-mortemx @gamingaquarius @pansexualpancakeslife @ jesseswartzwelder

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty One Twenty Two Twenty Three Twenty Four Twenty Five Twenty Six Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

“There’ll be roughly twenty thousand of us once our army merges against forty-five thousand plus of them. How the fuck do we even stand up to that number? We’re doomed, absolutely doomed.” Arelle spoke as she flopped down by the fire with her small group, looking bewildered and lost.

The generals had just heard back from the scouts they’d sent further north to get in touch with the first wave of their army, who were now on their way to Vespaden, where the remaining second wave of the northern army were camped. They’d also sent two south to assess the Nilfgaard situation. It wasn’t good.

It would be a total of eleven thousand of them, plus eight thousand men pledged by King Henselt of Kaedwen. Queen Calanthe of Cintra had also very generously sent ten thousand of her men north, but it was anyone’s guess whether they’d make the journey in time. Even if they marched with little rest, it would take at least six weeks for them to arrive in Vespaden. They would still be outnumbered as well.

The estimate from the first wave over the number of Vulc descending from the far north was only that too, just an estimate as their scouts had been instructed not to put themselves at risk. Also, the goddesses only knew just how many of them were coming through the open borders of the Grey Mountains and surrounding areas, which had fallen completely, of course.

“We’re not doomed. We’re still awaiting word back from the other rulers who we’ve reached out to, are we not? We can’t discount that they might send troops to our aid,” Axrin commented, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He quickly removed it when Geralt sat down at her side though.

“I agree with Axrin. We need to be patient and hope that we can raise a few more thousand fighters. If however we cannot, then it’ll be up to you generals to formulate a battle plan that will maximise our chances in the face of being outnumbered.” He told her, taking her hand and giving it a supportive squeeze.

She moved to sit between his legs, resting her head back on his chest and sighing as she felt his arms wrap around her. It was a trying time, being in her position, making decisions that would ultimately lead to the life or death or thousands. It was exhausting her.

Everyone around the fire all spoke reassuringly, but secretly all knew underneath that their chances of getting through this alive and defeating the dark forces was slim. If anything, their words were to reassure themselves in an attempt to believe they could win when in fact, they likely wouldn’t.

It was the reality of the situation, but not one single fighter within the northern army was prepared to give up. They would not roll over and make a defeat easy. They would fight Mardryk and his Vulc army until the bitter end, outnumbered or not. Such a fate only became realer as the days went on, as they heard back from different Kingdoms whom they had called on for assistance.

“We had several falcons return to us this morning, all carrying messages. Sadly, not many brought helpful news. While it is reassuring that only Nilfgaard have been enticed to join in arms with Mardryk, many other Kingdoms simply do not want to spare their men at a time like this. They want to protect their territories.

“Still, Vengeberg have pledged a thousand warriors, Mount Carbon two thousand. It is little in what we truly need to have the advantage but not to be sniffed at by any means. The rest of our army are now at Buina Pass, so will meet us here in the next few days. A thousand men from Hengfors also march with them.

“Unfortunately, we do not have time to move a little further south. Our enemies’ intention was always to trap us against the Dragon Mountains, but we will fight back against such,” Daida explained at length, the other generals sighing. Three thousand extra fighters only brought their total up to twenty-three thousand, that number gaining a further ten thousand if the Lionesses’ army reached them in time.

It just wasn’t enough, not against a force like the Vulc. It then suddenly struck Arelle that they hadn’t accounted for the forces of Nilfgaard.

“Nilfgaard will add a further on top of what we’ve already counted, by tens of thousands. likely. This is hopeless. If you’ll all excuse me, I’m going to go and enjoy the last bit of life I have left.” The others were somewhat taken aback by the cool sprite’s rather emotional response, Arelle tearing a path out of the tent and heading back to her own.

“Not that I’m complaining at the sudden onslaught of a half-dressed woman, but I thought you had a meeting?” Geralt asked after Arelle had advanced on him, pulled off her sweater and sat astride him.

“I did. It’s over and we’re all likely going to perish, so I want to enjoy life for as long as I actually have one.” He could have stopped her to talk about her fears, whatever it was in the meeting which had prompted this, but who was he to attempt to halt his lady when she was obviously in an unstoppably lustful mood?

His hands ran down her bare back, enjoying the feel of her skin before he grasped her buttocks, pulling her against him as he lay back on the bed. Her hand slid between them, squeezing the erection tenting the front of his trousers before she began to unfasten the buttons.

She sat back up to remove them, her trousers following, pushing him back to the bed forcefully when he moved to sit up a little. He laughed deeply, allowing her to have her way with him, shuddering when her elegant fingertips danced across his abs.

They shared hungry kisses as their hands explored a little teasingly as first, her hand then wrapping around his hardness and squeezing it while he played with her breasts. One hand curled around her neck and gently stroked her throat while the other then moved between her legs, teasing her slit before his fingers pushed inside her.

Her sumptuous wetness bathed them as she gently bit his lip in response, a shaky breath leaving her mouth as she stared down into his beautiful eyes, falling into another kiss. It was at that point something stirred within her, the usual fire he ignited mixed with a determination she’d been lacking until that moment.

“What?” he asked at the suddenly very intense way she was staring at him.

“Forget what I said. I’m not going to die any time soon and neither are you. Overwhelming enemy be fucking damned, I’d fight them all by myself in order to be with you for many years to come. Our time isn’t over yet, it’s only just begun.” Moving from his hand she then guided his cock inside her, rolling her hips to take him deeper as she kissed him with blinding passion.

His arms wrapped around her tightly, fingers flexing at her back as their bodies slid together in heated unison, Arelle loving the feeling of his chest hair tickling her nipples as she moved her mouth to his neck. Sitting up she stroked his chest and moaned with gratification when she sank down to take his full length within her, loving the feel of him stretching her tightness thoroughly.

She began to gyrate her hips in a firm, yet slow roll against him, making him groan deeply as he stared up at her, his eyes conveying all the overwhelming desire he felt for her. Starting to move up and down on him a little faster, she felt little shockwaves of pleasure jolt through her, hands linking with his as she squeezed her inner muscles around him.

He bit his lip hard and closed his eyes tightly in appreciation of such, a rumbling exclamation of pleasure from somewhere deep in his chest making her insides burn as she heard it, her stomach flipping wildly. ‘Seven goddesses, he’s so sexy’ she thought to herself, crying out when he grasped her hips and began to thrust up into her deeply.

She writhed against him in total abandon, little purrs of pleasure spurring him on more until he couldn’t stand to be trapped under her a moment longer. His need to dominate her was too strong. Picking her up, he stood and moved so her back was pressed against the bedpost, his powerful hands clutching her thighs as he buried himself within her quivering wetness.

Grasping his shoulders, Arelle felt her insides burn with ebullience, his cock creating the kind of intense friction that made her moan without reserve, clinging onto him as he began fucking her voraciously. Her body bucked against his, undulating wildly, his mouth moving to kiss and nibble the side of her neck as her nails grazed down his back.

It was hot, raw, primal sex, the type that got them both off the most, everything urgent and heated, their desires spiralling as they moved together with frantic urgency. Her tightness squeezed him, her cunt so wet he feared he might slip out of her.

Throwing her head back with a scream, she felt pleasure beginning to surge strongly, her heart like thunder in her ears. Reaching up above her head she gripped the bedpost, using it for leverage as she began grinding against him, sending him out of his mind with arousal.

The culmination of their passions burned ferociously through them, rendering them both a gasping, trembling wreck in the aftermath.

“We will live for many more years to enjoy that many, many more times,” he told her, setting her down and wrapping her in his arms. It didn’t matter that she’d changed her original stance upon entering the tent, he still felt the need to reassure her.

“Agreed.” In that moment she believed it too, but as the Vulc advanced and the days towards the final battle passed, Arelle would have been lying if she said she didn’t have her doubts.

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fuwafuwamedb · 4 years

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Pebble for a Friend Pt 16 (Proto Gil, Hakuno, Ishtar)

Previous Parts: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten

Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen

____

The life of a goddess was a challenging one.

There were beautiful things to be enjoyed. She particularly loved the amount of attention and adoration. She enjoyed the soft fabrics and the perfumes. The amount of love the people gave as they came and went was like a heady cure for any of her maladies.

Colors were a must. There was nothing more to love than the fine fabrics of various colors that would run through her temples. She adored when she would bother to show up at festivals, finding the people beside themselves in joy at her appearance. Each of their cries and their throwing of flowers her way was met with a small smile.

Sometimes she’d dare to kiss a citizen or two on the cheek.

Fame was a heady brew.

The only downfall was that it left one with a need for that high to continue.

She found herself counting citizens at times.

Sometimes, when she went to other kingdoms, she would count how many had come forth to greet her. Were the kingdom rulers present? Nobles?

Did the children stare at her in awe enough?

The murmurs of Utu were also unwelcome. They dared to look upon her and mention her brother’s wife, Aya. They dared to think that she was somehow lesser to them.

The acquisition of Dumuzi was doing nothing to help.

At least he adored her, she thought to herself.

Heading up the steps of the palace, Ishtar brushed off her attire and stepped into the audience chamber.

Her eyes lifted to look upon the throne of Uruk.

She’d come here once before. The king’s coronation had required her presence and she had desired to see what the young king even looked like. Plus, she’d been promised time to be in the spotlight.

Loneliness from her brother being away and courting his wife had left her in deep need for love.

“You should try the cake,” the woman on his lap murmured, holding up a piece of cake to the young blond’s lips.

Gilgamesh, the young man that he was, simply preened at the attention, opening his mouth and capturing her fingers in his mouth. He gave a soft moan, one that could be heard full well because no one else was in the chamber with them.

It’s too early in the day for guests, Ishtar thought.

Still, he was doting on this woman…

She does look exactly like Aya.

That was disconcerting. It was little wonder that her brother had lost his mind over the situation. The woman in the king’s arms was moving a bit closer, removing her fingers from his mouth and replacing them with her lips to his.

Their food was left to sit as the two locked lips.

Ishtar moved forward a step, clearing her throat.

She was not here to be a voyeur.

“King Gilgamesh,” Ishtar greeted.

The king pulled Hakuno to his chest, smirking down at her. “If it isn’t the great goddess of Uruk. Welcome back to the palace, Ishtar. What brings you to the audience chamber this morning? Did you wish to see my Hakuno?”

Hakuno flashed her a soft smile, fully comfortable against the king.

Damn, but she was cute.

This would be difficult.

#drabble #drabbles

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famous-aces · 5 years

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Zenobia of Palmyra

Who: Septimia Zenobia Augusta (born Septimia Btzby [Bat-Zabbai], changed it to Septimia Zenobia, the name I gave as her "full name" is the name she chose as her regnal name. The name "Zenobia" basically means "child of Zeus" so just by meeting her she made her divine origins and importance clear.)

What: Empress

Where: Palmyrene (modern day Syria, potentially Arabic, Aramean, or Jewish. Active throughout the Middle East and Turkey)

When: c. 240 CE - c. 274 CE

[Image Description: coins from Emesa (now Ḥimṣ, Syria) from 272 CE. The front of the coin shows shows a portrait of Zenobia from the shoulders-up, surrounded by Greek letters. She has a stern sharp profile with a long large nose and round chin. She has extremely curly hair that seems to be braided in the back. She is wearing a diadem. On the left (the back of the coin) it shows a full body portrait of the goddess Juno is holding a scepter. She has her peacock and a star beside her There are more Greek letters around her. End ID]

The coolest conqueror you have never heard of. The asexual Alexander the Great. Warrior queen. Rebel against Rome. Badass. In under two years Zenobia swept through the Roman East, took over, and set up her high culture court, a place where diversity and intellectualism were highly valued.

Zenobia came onto the historical stage as queen consort to the Ras Odaenathus. But then he was until assassinated, at which point his throne passed to their son, Vaballathus. Vaballathus was too young for the crown so Zenobia was appointed regent. And she pretty much took over. She had big plans for the Palmyrene Empire.

This is going to be a longish bio, like with Bessie Coleman and Joan of Arc I have been totally taken in by Zenobia's story. And I had never heard of her before a follower recommended looking into her! (Thank you whoever you were! I didn't write down your name I am so sorry!)

Zenobia's origins are extremely mysterious and there are a bunch of different versions of her story. She has fascinated people since her lifetime. Many different cultures, historians, and writers have given her bio/life their own unique cultural quirks. Plus there's the whole being an enemy of Rome thing, that never ends well for your legacy. I am going to try to stick to the facts rather than the legend, either the one attributed to her or the one she concocted for herself (she was very good at propaganda, too).

She has been linked to Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheba, but probably wasn't related to either of them. She was the one who claimed to be descended from the Ptolemaic dynasty, specifically Cleopatra, of course. But odds are not even she actually believed it. The claim was a political maneuver to make her Egypian takeover look legitimate, she was a ruler coming home rather than an invader. Her actual ethnicity/ancestry is unknown. All of the ethnicities I mentioned -- Jewish, Arabic, Aramean -- have all been floated by various scholars over the centuries.

We don't even know what she looked like, really. The images that remain are idealized portraiture from her own coins. No statues or portraits have survived, potentially destroyed by the Romans. Everything else has been made long after the fact. She has been adopted as a patriotic symbol of Syria and was used as a symbol of Syrian and Arabic pride, she has been made both valiant hero and tragic damsel in the West, some say she was an idol of Catherine the Great, thanks to Egyptian magazines in the early 20th century she has become the quintessential female ruler. Some describe her as unbelievably beautiful, others describe her as a mannish tomboy. She is sometimes described as stereotypically emperor than empress in behavior, which really just means she was a very good ruler because women were supposed to be too frivolous and stupid for the crown.

[Image Description: a S£500 note from 1998. It has a green creasant on one side and a profile portrait of Zenobia on the other. She is shown with a long straight nose, curly hair pinned up, a square chin, wearing a diadem and a robe. There is a faded drawing of ruins in the middle. The bill is mostly in a green pallet. End ID]

But, what follows is the most likely story.

She was a well educated polyglot, highly intellectual, enjoyed hunting, and was probably of some noble origin, especially if she had those hobbies before marrying Odaenathus. She was apparently also fond of wrestling, less high class than the hunting thing. We know little about her family aside from the fact that she was the result of a second marriage. During this time she is often described as taking part in more male activities, like the aforementioned hunting and wrestling against boys, as well as enjoying a far better education than most, which seems reflected in her rule.

As a teenager she became the second wife of Odaenathus marrying him around 255. Odaenathus was a loyal subordinate of Rome, and was created King of Kings and Corrector Totius Orientis (Governor of All the East) by the Roman Empire in addition to his royal titles within his own domain. He went to battle for Rome, and although the record on Zenobia is vague, at this point there are accounts that she joined her husband on campaign where she became familiar with the troops. This friendly relationship would help her later on when she took command. It would also mean she was knowledgeable of battle and strategy and familiar with the battlefield.

Ultimately in 267 her husband and his elder son (from his previous marriage) while away from the capital. The story goes that within the day the crown went to Zenobia and Odaenathus's 10-year-old son, Vaballathus. The fact it happened so quickly would suggest she was nearby, helping her husband on the battlefield. Zenobia had no objections to her son being King and she herself remaining Queen Mother/Regent, but his title was nominal, she was the power behind the throne and everyone knew it.

She was a huge fan/patron of the arts, learning, and philosophy. Her court was one of high culture and discussion. Zenobia was a fair and tolerant ruler, she maintained a steady, stable, and safe multi-religious, multiethnic, and multicultural kingdom and eventually that extended to her Empire. This included protections for minorities, religious or otherwise. The leaders she interacted with never objected to or were hostile toward her person, reign, rule, or court. People, including the military and her governors, liked and/or trusted her. Any complaint about her reign comes from later sources.

In 269 Vaballathus got the title of Persicus Maximus (Victor of Persia), implying a military victory there (certainly actually Zenobia's since the "King" was only 12 at the time and she was well known as a strategic mind, she may have even marched with her troops). And that was the beginning of the end of Zenobia's Roman loyalty. That year she began expanding out of Vaballathus's allotted lands and into Roman territory. She wouldn't formally secede for quite some time, but she started attacking the Hell out of the fringes of the Roman Empire and Zenbodia had made it increasingly clear to her Roman connections in the East they would need to pick a side (ahem, hers) even before her campaign began.

Rome was, at the time, stretched thin and weakening. The Emperor was fighting off Germanic threats in Italy and the Balkans, closer to the Roman center. Her reasons for ultimately just going for it in 269 are not really recorded. Or a lot of them have been put forward. It may have been she wanted more direct control over the lands she had been promised. It may have been that she felt encroached upon and undermined by Rome. It may have been concern for her country's trade routes as Rome made diplomacy sticky. It may have been that she saw the Pax Romana weakening as the centralized Roman authority did. In the absence of direct Roman leadership she wanted to keep the region stable and prosperous.

In the spring of 270 she marched into Provincia Arabia (Rome's Arabic Province). Between 270 and 272 she took over much of the Roman East with domains extending from Palmyra up to Antioch (Ankara, Turkey), over to Dura-Europos (Salhiyé, Syria), down to Mada'in Salih (Al-`Ula, Saudi Arabia), over to Centralish Egypt, down to the Red Sea. This encompassed important historical cities such as Aleppo, Tyre, Tripoli, Jerusalem, Petra, Memphis, Alexandria, and Baranis. Really, conquest was a matter of months. A little over a year after she entered the Provincia Arabia, in August 271, the year was counted as "Vaballathus V" all the way in Alexandria, Egypt. In a year she had taken over most of the Roman East through brilliant military strategy, loyal followers, and a well implemented propaganda campaign.

[Image Description: the Palmyrene Empire at its height. End ID]

It was also in August of 271 that she started printing coins with her face on them throughout her Empire and she began using the title of Empresses, including adding on some Roman titles she hadn't been given. This was very open rebellion and Rome wouldn't ignore her anymore. The fairly newly crowned Emperor Aurelian had settled things enough in the West that he could afford to turn his full attention to the Empress in the East. Now, fresh from military victories of his own, Autelian marched the full might of Rome Eastward.

Faced with one of the largest and best trained armies in the ancient world, plus Rome's many loyal subordinates, it is unsurprising her Empire fell as quickly as it rose.

In May 272 she was defeated at Emesa. She had been on that battlefield leading her troops, away from the capital, but managed to escape to it. This was the beginning of the end, however, the Romans marched on Palmyra, but Zenobia had prepared for the siege. After negotiations broke down she and Vaballathus snuck out of the city and attempted to escape to Persia to try to assemble some kind of alliance. She didn't get that far. A year after she declared herself Empress, August 272, she was in Roman captivity.

Her fate is told a few different ways from there. She may have killed herself enroute to Rome so her captors would not be able to do what Romans always did, publicly display and humiliate her. She may have been taken to Rome, displayed as a traitor, marched through the streets, and humiliated. From there she was either executed by the Romans or married a Roman nobleman, retiring to a villa with an as of that point unrecorded daughter.

Her most likely end is probably the most tragic one: humiliated in Rome and then executed. It is unlikely Emperor Aurelian would have allowed her to live seeing as she committed treason, unlikely she would have married one of her captors, unlikely she had this random daughter only mentioned in this epilogue. Also damning, she doesn't turn up in the record again. Her son, Vaballathus, the only one of her children we know existed, also disappears from the record in 274, which doesn't look good for either of them. Although Aurelian occasionally went easy on his opponents, allowing them to survive in defeat and humiliation, considering that he completely obliterated Palmyra -- razing the holy sites, smashing government buildings, burning it to the ground, and literally massacring civilians -- odds are he was similarly unkind to its leaders. So, while her fate is unknown, my bet is that Zenobia and Vaballathus were executed or at least imprisoned.

[Image Description: Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra by Harriet Hosmer (you may remember her as one of the artists Edomonia Lewis hung out with), carved after 1859. It is a marble bust showing a woman with a stern expression, maybe a little judging. She wears a crown and her hair is mostly pulled back except for two strands hanging down her shoulders. She wears a robe. Her features are definitely too Caucasian given her actual ancestry but this is unfortunately largely the case. Any ancient images of her besides her coins were destroyed. End ID.]

Probable Orientation: Asexual (unknown romantic orientation)

Zenobia's story has been told over and over and over again through the centuries from many different perspectives, many of them telling us as much about the historian's society as it does about Zenobia. There is one thing that remains consistent however, Zenobia didn't have much sex. Likewise Zenobia was a propagandist. She crafted her image. She could be anything, but that one detail stood out enough that everyone takes note of it.

We don't know her ancestry. We do know she avoided sex whenever possible.

She did get married, this is obviously true, but she was a noble. As I expounded upon with Elizabeth I nobility has obligations and this stretches back to the establishment of an aristocracy. If your continued power relies on blood relationships, making a baby is vital. Even if she wasn't a noble before marriage she was wanted by a monarch, that is not something anyone could turn down. If she wanted more power or authority marrying a king is a great way to do it and that means babies.

But it was said at the time and onward that she had no interest in sex. She kept her room separate from his. After marrying she said she would only sleep with her husband for procreation, some say that she only had as much sex as she did children, which may be as few as once.

There are some who say she had other kids, but we only know one of them for sure, Vaballathus. Some other kids have been attributed to her because they have no recorded mother others, like that daughter who supposedly integrated into Rome, exist in only one account and may have been fabricated. There are modern historians who argue that her chastity is just sexism, robbing powerful women of sexuality. I would argue that is just aphobia. An allosexual woman is not more powerful than an ace one and the historical record is consistent on her disdain for sex. Some say this may have been for propaganda's sake, but I don't see any evidence of that. It seems she really just didn't want to have sex. Many male historians have turned it into a focal point. People refuse to just allow her to be ace, there must be some reason, some point to it.

Once she took over she ruled alone. It doesn't seem she was looking for anyone to rule with her nor did she have anyone on the side. No Antony to her Cleopatra.

"She would not even know her own husband, except for the purpose of conception. For when she had lain with him, she would refrain until the time of the month to see if she was pregnant; if not she would again grant an opportunity of begetting children."

-Trebellius Pollio

[image description: Queen Zenobia Addressing Her Soldiers by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo c.1725. A bright painting showing (again a very white) Zenobia on the battlefield and in armor directing her troops who listen intently. End ID]

#lgbtq #queer #history #asexual #ace #bio #middle east #Syrian #politicians #soldier #Jewish #3rd century #warriors #zenobia

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