Intoxicated Love

Cardan Greenbriar

Description : Drunk Cardan flirting with his wife

Warning : Drunk Cardan 🍷

Cardan stumbled through the grand halls of the Elfhame palace, his steps unsteady and his laughter ringing out. He had consumed more than his fair share of the potent faerie wine, and it had taken a toll on his balance. Despite his intoxication, however, his mischievous dark eyes glinted with amusement as he spotted his wife, Y/n, coming towards him. 

"Daaaaaarling~" Cardan slurred, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He sauntered to her, his tail swaying lazily behind him. "Come to rescue me from my own debauchery, have you?" 

Y/n's eyes sparkled with mirth as she approached him, her footsteps purposeful and confident. "Rescue is a strong word, Cardan," she retorted, her voice laced with a hint of sarcasm. "More like keeping an eye on you to ensure you don't embarrass yourself too much." 

Cardan feigned offense, a hand clutching his chest dramatically. "Embarrass myself? Never!" he exclaimed, his words accompanied by an unsteady sway. "I am the High King of Elfhame, after all. Embarrassment is beneath me." 

Y/n raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Beneath you, huh? Just like the wine you've been drinking tonight, I suppose." She reached out a hand to steady him, her touch firm but gentle. 

"Careful there, love," she said, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and a hint of sarcasm. "Don't want you stumbling and breaking that pretty face of yours." 

Cardan's eyes flickered with amusement as he leaned into her touch, his tail swaying lazily behind him. "Oh, but my dear Y/n, even if I were to break my face, I trust you'd still find me irresistible," he slurred, a playful smile tugging at his lips. 

Y/n raised an eyebrow, an amused smirk dancing on her own lips. "Irresistible might be a stretch, my love," she countered, her tone laced with feigned indifference. "But I suppose there's a certain charm to your drunken state." 

Cardan chuckled softly, the sound reverberating through the room. "You wound me, my love. Here I am, pouring my heart out, and you mock me." 

She chuckled, unable to hide her own amusement at his antics. "Well, pour your heart out more soberly next time, and maybe I'll take you seriously." 

Leaning closer to her, Cardan's voice dropped to a husky whisper, his breath warm against her ear. "But where's the fun in that, Y/n? You know I can't resist teasing you, especially when you react so delightfully." 

"You know," he slurred, his words whispered into her ear, "you're quite lovely tonight. Always lovely, of course, but tonight, especially so." 

Y/n rolled her eyes, but a faint blush tinged her cheeks. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Cardan," she replied, a hint of teasing in her voice. "Especially when you're inebriated."  

Y/n crossed her arms, studying him with a mixture of exasperation and fondness. "You never cease to amaze me, Cardan Greenbriar. How is it that a king can stumble around drunk in his own palace?" 

Cardan grinned mischievously. "Because, my love, being a king can be rather dull at times. And what better way to bring some excitement to my kingdom than by being a charmingly tipsy ruler?" 

Y/n's lips twitched into a playful smile. "Is this your way of suggesting a dance, my intoxicated king?" 

Cardan bowed dramatically, offering his hand. "Would you honor me with a dance, my cunning and beautiful wife?"  

Y/n took his hand, her fingers intertwining with his. "Only if you promise not to step on my toes, Your Majesty."  

Cardan laughed, his eyes alight with affection. "I make no such promises, my love. But I will do my best to keep up with your graceful steps." 

They moved to the center of the hall, the music of the fae filling the air. Cardan's steps were unsteady, but Y/n guided him with practiced ease. They twirled and spun, their laughter echoing through the grand chamber. 

In that moment, they were not a king and a human girl hated by the fae. They were simply Cardan and Y/n, two souls entwined in a dance that defied the odds. And as they laughed and teased each other under the moonlit sky, their love shone brightly, casting a light that even the darkest shadows of Elfhame couldn't extinguish. 

______________________________________________________________

Not me drowning in the imagines of this beautiful fae

Chrobin Week 2023 day 4 : Royal Ball

Chrobin Week, Day 4: Royal Ball/Masquerade

Or, why I've been listening to POTO on repeat like the tRASH that I am!

Bonus sketches (thanks CoralHoneyRose & Bustle for helping me pick hehe)

Stańczyk (Stańczyk during a ball at the court of Queen Bona in the face of the loss of Smolensk) by Jan Matejko

The jester is depicted as the only person at a royal ball who is troubled by the news that the Muscovites have captured Smolensk.

“Royal Gala Escapade” - Alexandra Privet x Fem!Reader

Pairing: Alexandra Privet x Reader (Barbie Princess Charm School)

Includes: fluff/angst

Warnings: homophobia/forced dances w suitor guys

Word Count: 2,266 (wow I hit 2000?! Such a rarity :o)

Brief Description: Alexandra is your Lady Royal and your parents threw a ball with suitors to find a prince to marry you off to before they hand down the throne.  Oops turns out you’ve been secretly dating your lady royal for a year and a half and that may or may not come to light in front of everyone t the ball. Initial reactions not so great but Alexandra is there for you through it all :)

~~~

You were finishing up your makeup as Alexandra curled your hair for you in preparation for the royal gala. This was a major gala set up by your parents to finally find you a suitor, and you were already anxious. Little to their knowledge, your continued distaste in the princes wasn’t just due to some of their demeanors or appearances. Even you could admit several of them were quite handsome, well mannered, chivalrous, and respectful. They deserved a princess who could truly love them, but that wasn’t you. Your heart already belonged to Alexandra. Publicly, she was merely seen as your lady royal; behind closed doors, however, there was much more between the two of you. Royals weren’t known to take same-sex courting lightly, as they saw it as a threat to their lineages, so you both decided to keep your relationship secret. You'd have nothing to worry about if only your parents weren’t traditionalists who wanted their daughter married to a prince before handing down the throne.

As you stared into the mirror touching up your eyeliner, Alexandra noticed the nervous look on your face, “it’ll be fine darling, we’ll be together all night.” You close the felt tip pen momentarily and give it an extra shake, “I know love, but I still don’t think our courtship will go over lightly if it gets out tonight. I'm just afraid of what could happen”. Alexandra combed through your curls with her fingers to fluff them out. “Well whatever happens, I’ll be right there with you”. After a few more touch ups in comfortable silence, a knock on the door could be heard, followed by the butler’s voice: “Princess, you are expected to enter in 5 minutes”. “She’s just about ready, we’ll be right down!” Alexandra called back. You gave her a nervous glance and she cupped your cheek in her hand, rubbing it over with her thumb before leaning in for a light kiss. “I’ll be right with you darling, promise.” All you could muster was a small smile before she led you out the door, her hand on your lower back as you walked to the grand staircase for your entrance.  

You reach the top of the staircase and take a deep breath, Alexandra’s hand still on your back. After a few minutes, your name and title are announced, followed by Alexandra’s name and position as your Lady Royal. Upon hearing your names, the two of you begin the descent down the staircase. You exhale as you descend the extensive and elaborately embellished staircase, not one person in the room looking away from you. Your appearance wasn’t what worried you; Alexandra had made sure every detail of that was perfect. It was the line of princes at the bottom of the staircase and the hushed voices of guests bidding on which one you’ll pick. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, each prince was announced one by one followed by the proper formalities: their name was called, they bowed, and you curtsied and thanked them for coming to the event. Of course all of this being purely ceremonial, there was nothing much to look into. But that didn't stop guests from reading into each greeting to see if you favored any of the princes more than the others. One prince, Nicolosi, was definitely bolder than the others as he called claims on the first dance with you in his greeting to which you couldn’t say no without being seen as rude or uncouth. Naturally, after the formal greetings were over the king, your father, announced for the ball to commence. Nicolosi was quick to take your hand and pull you to the center of the ballroom. The music began, and the two of you started a waltz as the rest of the guests danced around you, giving ample distance for the both of you to have space and some sort of private conversation. He tried to get to know you, asking about interests, opinions, and more baseline questions as if this was some sort of school orientation. You entertained his small talk until the dance was over and you were able to thank him and part ways. To your annoyance, however, it didn’t even take 15 seconds for the next prince, Alexander, to come and ask for a dance. Similarly, he made small talk as the two of you danced; it didn't take much effort or thought as royals were taught ballroom dancing from a young age. Alexander, au contraire to Nicolosi, chose the conversation questions of what you were looking for in a relationship to which you attempted to answer vaguely as not to give anything away. The next prince, Bradley, delved into opinions on political and social matters which led to some disagreement and an awkward second half of your dance. Of course following was Gabriel, Theodore, Tristan, and probably a dozen more lined up. After half a dozen dances and forced conversations, you had to excuse yourself to take a breather. 

Both your parents - as well as Alexandra - followed suit as you made your way to the banquet for something to drink and dine on. Your father tried to dismiss Alexandra but you insisted she stay with you as you took a breather from all the princes prying and prodding with their questions and conversations. You started to fill a plate as he attempted to gauge your feelings toward the princes, but you ignored his questions and made your way up to your place at the table with Alexandra. The princes were next to fill their plates and the general guests after. As you ate, you did have to answer to some of your parents’ prodding but remained vague and still showed a general disinterest in all the suitors thus far. Even in the slightly passing thought of settling for one, you couldn't bring yourself to consider any of them. The only thing making this slightly bearable was finally having Alexandra with you again as she rubbed your arm as a form of silent support. You observed the princes as they ate, noticing much roughing around, several spills, loud laughs and remarks, and more. You couldn't help but roll your eyes at their lack of  etiquette, cleanliness, and maturity. Once your appetite had been sustained, and slightly diminished, you rested your head on Alexandra’s shoulder as you continued to spectate the crowd and observe the behaviors of the suitors. You noticed your mother with a concerned look glancing at you and couldn’t tell if it was because of the boys’ behavior or your outward affection towards Alexandra. You almost stopped caring, unable to imagine a happy future where you settled for one of the princes. There was a massive chance your relationship with Alexandra would finally be exposed tonight given your parents wanted a choice made by the end of the night. Alexandra noticed the worry on your face and the tension your body held and placed a hand on your thigh, rubbing it with her thumb. You took a deep breath and exhaled in exasperation, and she turned her head slightly in your direction, “Whatever your decision, I’ll be right there with you.” You smiled as she raised her voice, clearly wanting your father to hear her next statement, “I understand this is all a lot for you, but I’m absolutely sure your father wants nothing more than your happiness.” He agreed with her statement as you both looked over at him. “Exactly! I know you haven’t been keen on all this romantic stuff, but it would be too overwhelming to rule the kingdom on your own. It’s not that your mother and I want to rush you into marriage, we just don’t want to put the entire weight of the kingdom on you alone. And, of course, we want you to be happy with whoever you decide to start a courtship with. That’s why we made sure you’d have so many options tonight.” You understood his reasoning and told him so, but still were nervous on how he would take your decision. As much as his reaction sounded like he’d be open to you courting your lady royal, it didn’t seem definite. 

The dinner concluded, and the ball became more of an informal mingling. Several of the suitors had become intoxicated and started acting more brash and uncouth. You made your way back down to the main floor with Alexandra in tow, choosing a quieter area this time towards a wall. In a few moments, Bradly noticed the both of you and walked over, his gait wobbly, and leaned against the wall with his hand. You started to scoot back, but he adjusted his position to be right over you. Some of the other princes started to gather nearby, either watching what he would do or waiting for their own moment with you. You tried scooting away but then Bradly planted his other hand down boxing you in, “nuh-uh, noohh, you’re not going anywhere, you’re such a pretty little thing. Why waste it on them when you could have me, I –” Alexandra quickly cut him off as she pulled you out from under his arm and into her own, “I’d say that’s quite enough, this is not how a prince is supposed to act.” He stood up, visibly aggravated, “Who are YOU, … to tell ME,.. how to act?!, YOU’RE just an assistant, … I’M a prince, … so I think you–” 

“ENOUGH!” You cut him off.  “I’m not picking any of you!” Your father stood from his seat in shock, your mother with a jaw dropped expression just the same. “You know who I pick?, I pick Alexandra! That’s FINAL! She treats me with care and respect! She can tell when something is off and knows how to help! She has more elegance, maturity, manners, and skill than ANY of you have exhibited thus far during and prior to this ball!”. The entire room was silent, and Alexandra held onto you ready to make a run for it as the tension built in the room. Sure enough princes started screaming and throwing their fits, guests were going wild between their own confusion and the bets several of them had placed on which prince would be chosen. You were overwhelmed with all the yelling and chaos that your frustrated outburst had started. Alexandra, however, was ready. She snapped you out of it and pulled you out the nearest door and into the garden. You both ran, some suitors and guests following. She took you through turns and passages, losing the crowd before running up to your room and locking the door. The chaos was too much, and you just threw yourself onto the bed, her plopping beside you. After a few minutes, you were finally able to collect yourself a bit and take in the reality of what had just happened. You started laughing. Tears formed in your eyes, and Alexandra also laughed beside you. Neither of you really knew how to feel but just had to get all of the tension out of your systems.

“Did I really just do that?” you turned your head to look at her. “I believe you did, darling,” she turned her head to look back at you. “Well, I suppose it’s out now, though all those princes might be mad at me for a while. I don’t take it they’ll fancy coming to our wedding”, you laughed at the latter half of your statement. Alexandra just looked at you wide eyed with the most loving look of admiration gracing her face, “You mean…” You smiled, “Yes darling, I mean I would like to marry you. If you’ll have me, that is.” “Yes! Yes, I’ll have you!” tears formed in her eyes. Neither of you had ever thought you’d really get to this point; it had always seemed like a far out fever dream that you two would ever actually marry each other. "What about your parents, will they be alright with you marrying me?” she asked, a concerned look on her face. You turned on your side and cupped her cheek in your hand, “Why don’t we worry about that tomorrow, and for now… can we just cuddle up and sleep? I kinda don’t want to worry about anything else for tonight.” She giggled and replied, “I think that sounds like a plan,” before getting up and taking your hand in hers to pull you up with her. She then helped you out of your gown and the two of you got out of your formal attire, pulled down your hair, and took off your makeup before cuddling up together and turning in for the night.  

About an hour later, your father opened your door quietly and once he saw you two were there and fast asleep, closed it with a small smile. He had said after all that your happiness came first and he could see Alexandra brought that to you. Frankly, he was glad to know you would be in a loving relationship with her rather than in a questionable one after observing the princes’  behaviors himself at the ball. Although this was rather new and unconventional, your happiness was most important to him and your mother, and they would figure out how to deal with any discourse amongst other royals if need be. There was no reason to worry you about that when you had finally chosen your queen and had a wedding to plan. This was a time for you to be happy with your soon to be wife. 

The End :)

Writer’s speech:

 Hope it’s alright, I haven’t really written in a hot second (lol sorry for that, I’ll try my best not to go awol for a massively extensive period of time again). I guess this would be the first x reader with Alexandra that I’m aware of which I have been saying I’d write for a while now. Anyway, expect more to come, I have several plans and probably some Nana Bassler (anime: Plunderer) x Fem!Reader coming up next. Def will have some extra fluffy romance and flirting planned for her as well as a few spicy fics in the works as well :) Hope y’all have been doing well and I look forward to engaging with y’all and providing y’all with more content soon! 

Note: I would also be glad to get “x fem reader” ideas and maybe requests for the characters I write for, I will be sure to make a post listing those characters later. May also set up a formal sign up for tag lists.

Lorule has been restored! This calls for a massive celebration to commemorate this momentous moment. It's a wonder what this Royal Ball will yield.

Ball Æsthetic?!

Dance With Death

Someone made this fanfic that was based on the The Masque of Red Death

And just to let you know that someone wanted a fanart of this story because it was so good

Fantasizing about a dnd fancy ball session

“Anyone can dance.” Continuing before she can argue, he emphasizes. “Anyone.”

Then, without a second thought, he grabs her hand and pulls her to an open space on the dance floor. A false confidence surges through him as he rests her left hand on his shoulder, taking her its twin in his right. His free hand then rests in the small of her back, holding her near. Not too close, but intimate.

“Feel it.” He smiles. “The rhythm. The swell and lift.” He starts cautiously. Not too fast, a half-step to the actual cadence. “One and two and—” Counting the beats, he leads. Left foot, then right. Leaning in, he whispers in her ear. “You’re a natural.”

“Only as good as my instructor.”

Royal AU ft. Prince G’raha of Allag: Sunflower on AO3

i want to go to a masquerade ball

Die uitnodiging

Stiefma en my stiefsusters gaan na a bal. Dit is net 'n paer dae. Die Prins soek 'n vrou. Ek het nie eers iets om aan te trek nie.😥 Ek sien rérig daarna uit!

Hier is die uitnodiging...

marshmallow, the royal python mojave lesser (bel) morph | source