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adarafaelbarba · 9 months

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What would happen if their mate died/was killed:

Not including Ysabeau, Miriam and Fernando as they’ve already lost their mate ❤️ but I’m including ocs for Baldwin, Gallowglass and Hancock 🥰

Matthew: He would let the world burn to find whoever killed Diana. And he’d make it hurt, getting his revenge. There’s nowhere her killer can hide. Even if the death was accidental. Matthew wouldn’t care, all he’d care about would be to find and end the person, his blood rage taking over his entire mind, fogging any sort of consciousness or better judgement. And at the end he might want to join her.

Diana: If Matthew was killed, you’d better pray you can fight Diana. Seeing what she did to Benjamin, she wouldn’t spare you, whether or not she’ll make it hurt depends though. You might get lucky and she’ll just kill you, like with Benjamin—or she’ll drag it out.

Baldwin: There’s no place on heaven or earth in which you’ll be saved. This man is skilled in killing, and in strategizing said killing. He will kill first and grieve second.

Nora (oc): If you wonder how Philippe suffered, you should stay away from Baldwin as long as Nora is in his life. Should he die, you’d wish your own end would come swiftly. She will make it hurt, but wouldn’t kill you, just break you, bit by bit, until there’s nothing left.

Delphie (oc): She will call on Zeus, Hades and any God or Goddess who would listen, begging for Baldwin to be returned. When that doesn’t work, she’ll want revenge. And it will be painful for the ones at fault. At the end they would want it to just be over with.

Minerva (oc): She’s lost a husband before. But loosing Baldwin might be what actually kills her. She wouldn’t be able to go through the loss again. Whether it was back in their own time, or during present times, she would follow him into death without a second thought.

Gallowglass: This man might be a big teddy bear, but should you cross him, you’d better be good at hiding. And if you kill his mate — Oh BOI! This man never really gets mad, but he will quickly let his anger take control, and kill you in an instant, no hesitation.

Lyra (Julie’s oc): She wouldn’t be able to process it, the grief hitting her harder than either of her parent’s death (might have to do with her parents death being self-inflicted, even if they were accidental). If Gallowglass gets killed, she would never recover, bringing the grief with her to the grave. No flowers will ever grow again from her magic, depending on her strength, she might even stop practicing magic all together.

Catriona (oc): She would be inconsolable, turning to her dad and Fernando for support and guidance, unsure what to do, wishing she could get him back. She’ll hit the depressed part of grief pretty fast, and has to get help doing the most basic things.

Marcus: Our token healer would switch to a cold blooded killer should his mate get killed. He definitely protects those he loves, to the very end. Don’t cross him. He knows ways to kill and make it look like an accident, a suicide or in some cases, the body will never be found, just a note stating said person had run away to be with someone.

Phoebe: If it’s human!Phoebe, she’d bargain, trying to sacrifice herself so he could live. If it’s vampire!Phoebe, specifically newly turned Phoebe, you should be careful, she’ll drain you before you can stop to think.

Hancock: Like Gallowglass, Davy is a gentle giant, but cross him and it would be the last thing you do. If you kill his mate he’ll let you bleed, feeding, stopping, feeding again, to drag it out until you die from blood loss.

Annie (kinda oc): She’ll go through all five stages of grief. Not sure what to do to change the outcome. She wants justice, sure, but doesn’t think it’s right to sink to the killer’s level by killing them. Someone else would probably do the killing in her honor.

Valeria (oc): She’s not nicknamed the Bloody Mary of Barbados for no reason. Wrong her and you’ll be dead within hours, and that’s a promise. You think her maker was bad, Val learnt from the worst, watching the ways Louisa made others suffer. She’ll make it painful, and dragged out.

Patience (kinda oc): Patience definitely does not live up to her name. If you cross her she will not be patience with you. She’ll have your head and/or blood before you have a second to think. She might not have blood rage, but she does have some underlying anger issues that would have come both from her father’s years of abuse while they was human, and from watching her family suffer after Matthew and Juliette killed most of her nieces and nephews. Kill her mate, and you’ll be 6ft below in no time.

Ransome: This man might look calm, and scarily so. He’s already lost so much from his grandfather and Juliette paying New Orleans a visit. So should you take out his mate/life partner, you better write your will and get your affairs in order, because judgement day is close.

Jaqueline (kinda oc): She’s a kind, soft spirit. That being said, she’s got a unique gift only a limited amount of vampires have, that and a very close friendship to some of the strongest witches and vampires in New Orleans. Jackie might not be the one to kill the ones who killed her mate, but if you cross her, you’d wish she was the one delivering the blow.

Benoit (Julie’s oc): Ben is very much his father’s son. Born, raised and reborn a soldier, he’s a skilled fighter and killer. Should you have the misfortune of killing his mate, you might find yourself in an old, abandoned castle real fast, with some medieval torture methods waiting for you. Like Baldwin, Benoit will kill you first and then grieve second, heck, even join her in death if he can.

Amelia (Julie’s oc): Amelia has a heart of gold, she would never hurt anyone. She’d go through the five stages of grief, but instead of acceptance, she’d join her mate in the afterlife, knowing without him there’s no sense in going on with life. He’s her whole world, and as she can’t avenge his death, she’ll join him instead. That being said though, if she looses her mate you better run—Miyako is not as forgiving as her sister-in-law.

Verin: It’s inevitable that he will die. Ernst isn’t exactly getting younger. But should his death be unexpected, or rushed…if Ernst is robbed of his end, Verin will tear the person who did it into pieces.

Ernst: He thinks the world of his never aging wife. Should she meet the end, especially in his old age, he wouldn’t be far behind in joining her. The grief would be too hard on his heart, after all he’s loved her for years.

Pierre: His heart would simply break, shattering into a milion pieces. In simple terms, his life would be over, he’d leave Sept Tours, and the de Clermont family, unsure of what to do with himself. Pierre loves with his entire being. He thinks the world of his mate, and without her, to him life has no more meaning. He wouldn’t get revenge though, that would be all Gallowglass and Jack’s doing. His «sons» would do it for him knowing he wouldn’t hurt anyone (unless for feeding) because it’s not what his wife would’ve wanted.

Hyacinth: Being a somewhat «public» figure, Hyacinth know’s she can’t kill his killer, not that she would’ve know how to. She would lock herself away, grieving until she had no more tears to spill, and then she would just lay there, wasting away until she can be with her love again. Like with Pierre, someone else would get revenge for her, but would make sure it wouldn’t come back to hurt her or her family’s reputation. It would either be Jack and Gallowglass or Matthew, heck even Francoise, the older woman adores Hyacinth.

~~~

Tagging:

@plaidbooks @xoxabs88xox @beatrice-san @adowbaldwin @butternuggets-blog @rozalynfrozen

Wanna be on the tag list? Fill out this form to be part of the team 🥰

#my headcanons #a discovery of witches #adow #baldwin de clermont #matthew de clermont #diana bishop #marcus whitmore #gallowglass de clermont #verin de clermont #ransome fayrweather #adow ocs #a discovery of witches ocs

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apinchofm · 2 years

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The Children of Philippe de Clermont

The de Clermonts are an ancient vampiric bloodline that had ruled over Western Europe, playing an integral role in its shaping. Philippe de Clermont sired many children, all of them serving a purpose. They were intelligent, sharp and dangerous.

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lady-of-the-spirit · 1 year

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I think Verin should have gotten to stab Matthew for slutshaming her and frankly I think Diana should have let her.

#verin de clermont #all souls trilogy #a discovery of witches #the book of life #i'm saying stuff

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butternuggets-blog · 4 months

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FOR WANT OF A NAIL

@baldwin-montclair @adowobsessed @sylverdeclermont @nicki-mac-me @thereadersmuse @kynthiamoon @wheresthesunshinesblog @adowbaldwin @beautifulsoulsublime @lady-lazarus-declermont @adarafaelbarba @dogblessyoutascha

Part Fourty

Summary: Baldwin Montclair had a string of ex girlfriends, a single child, and a lifetime longer than most people could dream of to make all kinds of mistakes. His family knew one which kept coming out of the woodwork to irritate him every other century.

Also on AO3

They had been racing each other through the forest to see who could reach Sept Tours first. Try as he might to push his horse forward, Baldwin hadn't been able to outpace Martin since they started, which was why Martin saw the strange display in front of them first.

Martin burst out laughing, then called back over his shoulder to Baldwin as he caught up.

'Are we expected to dine in the grounds?'

'What?' Baldwin peered past him, confused, then stared.

Every single piece of furniture that the De Clermonts owned appeared to be scattered across the grass.

Astrolabes and books, scrolls and clocks and linen, cutlery and paintings and the paraphernalia of over a thousand years of life perched on or in the desks, chairs and tables. In the center stood Marthe; from where they were they could hear her muttering curses under her breath and loudly directing the servants on where to put everything.

'Smells of damp' Martin said, sniffing the air. There was a definite tang of mould; some of the furniture had been placed to one side, and a handful of kitchen boys were enthusiastically attacking the pile with axes.

They rode up and dismounted, leaving the horses tied to a boudoir to graze as they wound their way through the labyrinthine mess until they reached Marthe.

'What has happened here?' asked Baldwin.

'Matthew happened.' Marthe paused, then sighed and gestured helpelessly around her. 'He set up a new rain-catching system on the roof of the armoury and..'

'How unfortunate.'

'How far did the damage spread?' asked Martin, as Baldwin began happily snooping through everyone else's belongings.

'Only the armoury and the central tower, thank the gods.' Marthe nodded at Martin. 'A bed in the northeastern tower has been set up for you, and your usual rooms have been prepared for you as well, Lucius.'

'Thank you' said Martin. Baldwin looked up and nodded gratefully.

'Thank you Marthe.'

________________________________________________________________

Philippe and Ysabeau had cycled through the five stages of grief very quickly, so by evening they were laughing at their youngest son's lesson in failure. Marthe was still frosty, but Matthew had promised to help with the clean up which had gone a long way to thawing her temper.

'But what went wrong exactly?' Baldwin asked, while they ate dinner.

'I do not know.' Matthew shrugged.

'Perhaps it was the pipes.' Martin offered.

'Perhaps. There was nothing wrong with the receptacle when we tested it.'

Verin, who happened to have been available to join them for the night, pointed her knife at her brother. 'Fix your pipes Matthew!'

'Yes Matthieu, fix your pipes.' chortled Philippe.

Matthew's mouth twitched in a premonitory smirk. 'There's nothing wrong with my pipes.'

The table dissolved into giggles.

Author's Notes

Baldwin's just happy it's not his stuff that's been destroyed.

Toilet humour makes the world go round 😅

#a discovery of witches #baldwin montclair #adow #all souls trilogy #baldwin de clermont #all souls series #all souls tv series #a discovery of witches season 1 #a discovery of witches season 2 #a discovery of witches season 3 #bibaldwin #baldwin de clermont/original male character

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softersinned-arc · 2 years

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i think that as much as astoria likes most of the de clermonts her relationship with many of them grows tense with the passage of time. philippe’s death isn’t the cause of it but i think that’s when it starts to become clear, and irreversible. she and matthew get along well enough when they’re arguing but i don’t know if she ever fully forgives him for keeping the knights; she certainly doesn’t forgive him for refusing to let baldwin have his justice for philippe’s death. by time time diana arrives on the scene, astoria has been quietly seething for decades: matthew has been allowed time and again to endanger the family, his blood rage controlled but still present, and in her eyes his vices and failures are allowed and even indulged because of philippe’s whims and ever-shifting favor. she likes marcus very much (he’s her favorite nephew) but she thinks he’s a fool for trusting matthew as he does, particularly after new orleans, and then again after finding out he’s been lied to for so long. she like gallowglass but he’s never around, and with diana’s return she resents gallowglass’ willingness to ally himself with matthew above baldwin. same with fernando. i don’t think she spares ernst enough thought to have an opinion on him besides “entertaining company.” and i don’t think she quite knows what to make of jack.

as always her relationship with the women in the family is the most complex. i don’t know how she’d feel about miyako or frejya or stasia yet, but i think she’d like them all. verin makes her uneasy, particularly considering the conditions under which she and ernst are mated, but she can tolerate her for the support she offers her brother. there’s a fair amount of tension between astoria and ysabeau as well—astoria as the head of the family’s consort means that she becomes the highest ranking woman at sept-tours when they’re there. astoria makes an effort not to blatantly disrespect her by making demands regarding the running of the household, but she also will gently correct anyone who refers to anyone but her as ‘madame de clermont,’ as if she can understand the confusion and it’s an honest mistake but one that needs to be remedied all the same, and any deference to ysabeau’s decisions is very clearly that (a gesture, a gift even, out of respect for her husband’s mother—not because she should rank higher than either of them). and she likes diana in theory but she’s furious that diana’s willing to risk the entire family for the sake of her own desires, and her disdain for matthew feeds into a disdain for diana. the formation of a separate scion doesn’t help matters. like ysabeau, diana is treated as having rank and deserving respect as a result of her rank, though unlike ysabeau, diana has not earned that respect, in astoria’s eyes. she’s much more willing to pull rank over diana. phoebe has done nothing wrong ever in her life, and while she shows diana the respect necessitated by her role and rank, it’s phoebe to whom astoria shows the affection and respect she would a sister.

the twins, ftr, can do no wrong in her eyes.

#i. she had a marvelous time ruining everything. ( about )#(i'm watching s3 and astoria's sitting in my brain furious about matthew at the head of the table talking about ~the darkest of days~)#(mostly she's angry that so many members of the family are willing to behave as though baldwin is an irrational tyrant)_#(while still being SO willing to call on him to fix the problems they create and the messes they make)#(even as diana and matthew are preparing to separate and form their own scion specifically because they don't trust baldwin —)#(— who do they call to fix things? baldwin. even as ysabeau shows obvious disdain for baldwin who's her first choice to save the day?)#(it's not her blood son whom she insists is fit to run his own family! when matthew can't sort shit out long enough to find diana —)#(— whose number is being dialed? that's RIGHT. tho on a personal level astoria's pleased to know that now they actually can say —)#(— 'figure it out yourself it's YOUR scion' when they're getting interrupted constantly)#(it also makes her very relieved that her own daughters would never be in line to run the family bc the de clermonts are fucking insane)#(and if her girls get spared that all the better)

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vincentcatagainsttheworld · 1 year

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#Repost Deborah Harkness FB page SHADOW OF NIGHT Read Along, chapters 25, 26, & 27 “No one goes into battle without proper armor,” Mary said with her characteristic blend of airiness and tartness. “And Her Majesty, may God preserve her, is a formidable opponent. You will require all the protection my wardrobe can afford.” “Nervous, I smoothed my skirts and took Matthew’s arm. The dozen steps between the queen and me seemed to stretch on to infinity. When at last I reached her side, Walter looked sharply at the floor. I sank into a curtsy and remained there.” -SHADOW OF NIGHT “The historical character I knew best was probably Elizabeth I. I wrote my master’s thesis on how Elizabeth relied on the symbolism surrounding the goddess Diana (both the virgin huntress and the wilder, witchier side of the goddess) to bolster her own power. I’ve been fascinated by Elizabeth Tudor since I was a teenager, studied her life and reign through my undergraduate education and into my graduate-school training. She is a fixture of my teaching now that I’m a professor. Reading her personal writings each year with my students gives me fresh insights into her character and her voice. Even after forty years, however, Elizabeth still manages to be elusive. I’m not sure I will ever figure her out.” -THE WORLD OF ALL SOULS, pg 7-8 👉Let’s discuss. What did you notice when you read these chapters? In the comments below, please share your observations, favorite quotes, musings, questions, half-baked ideas, or deep dives with the rest of us! If this is your first time reading SON, what did you think? What are your questions? If this is your 2nd, 3rd…100th time reading SON, did you discover anything new? Did you discover anything new with your dive into THE WORLD OF ALL SOULS? 👉Other terms from these chapters to search in THE WORLD OF ALL SOULS, or topics to put into your Internet search engine: Alchemy: Arbor Dianae Character: William Cecil, Robert Devereux Earl of Essex, Verin De Clermont & Ernst Neumann, Karolina and Tereza in Prague, Emperor Rudolf, Tadeus Hajek, Ottavio Strada (w/brief mention of Katharina Strada), Edward Kelley, Mary Sidney. https://www.instagram.com/p/ClY9XqLoNd0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#repost

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shippingcannons · 3 years

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You know who I don't like right now? Every. Single. Child. Of. Philippe.

#a discovery of witches #the book of life #philippe de clermont #baldwin de clermont #verin de clermont #matthew de clermont #diana bishop

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marirable · 4 years

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requiem (adow fic)

Sept-Tours, 1945. Philippe de Clermont’s death hits hard for the remaining members of the family.

Read on: AO3 | FF.net

(gif by me)

#all souls trilogy #a discovery of witches #adow #fanfiction #baldwin montclair #baldwin de clermont #verin de clermont #freyja de clermont #philippe de clermont #mine

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krsobsessions · 5 years

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I really need stories of Philippe’s 3 daughters. Verin seems cool. Freyja seems fun. Don’t know about Stasia but looking at Verin & Freyja, she may be the same. More importantly I really want to see them bullying the boys. What did they do to make the boys fears them?

#all souls trilogy #a discovery of witches #shadow of night #the book of life #time's convert #philippe de clermont #verin de clermont #freyja de clermont #stasia de clermont

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shieldofrohan · 5 years

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All Souls Trilogy + Vampires

de Clermont Blood-Line Vampires*

(*which were active in the books*)

“The wolf who wins is the wolf you feed. The evil wolf feeds on anger, guilt, sorrow, lies, and regret. The good wolf needs a diet of love and honesty, spiced up with big spoonfuls of compassion and faith. So if you want the good wolf to win, you’re going to have to starve the other one.”

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aellycalreturned · 2 years

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#Verin de clermont #Ernst de clermont #Ernst neumann #Fic rec #fic recommendation #Adow #a discovery of witches

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apinchofm · 2 years

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The daughters of Philippe de Clermont

Philippe de Clermont sired three daughters before he was forbidden to stop by the rest of the family. This was because, as beautiful and talented as they all were, they were terrifying.

#allsoulstrilogyedit #all souls trilogy #verin de clermont #freyja de clermont #stasia de clermont #adowedit #the de clermont family #my edits #minimmakes

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witches-unruly-heart · 2 years

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I’m a big fan of picturing the faces of the different characters I have in my stories. But seeing as there are some de Clermont family members we don’t have a face for — here’s my fan cast 🥰

I am in no way saying that this choice is the only choice. You’re allowed to have your own fancasts, it’s just who I picture when I read the names of some character ❤️

First up, let’s look at all of Philippe’s children (who aren’t my beloved Baldwin):

Henry Cavill as Philippe’s eldest son, Hugh

Florence Pugh as his Philippe’s eldest daughter Stasia

Annabelle Wallis/Wallace as Freyja

Krysten Ritter as Philippe’s youngest daughter Verin

And Gwilym Lee as his youngest son Godfrey

Now we have a visual representation of two of Ysabeau’s three children, but even so, with the choice for Louis, I couldn’t not have a face for his twin sister Louisa 😅

So here’s Lucky Blue Smith as Louis

And Lucky’s sister Daisy Clementine Smith as Louisa

We know Hugh’s only son, Gallowglass, played by the incredible Steven Cree. But what about Baldwin’s only daughter

So here’s Minami Hamabe as Miyako

And lastly, because I’ve desperately wanted to include someone from Marcus’ past,

I pictured Ella Purnell as Marcus’ sister Patience

~~~

I’m curious to know who your fan cast are, if you have any 🥰❤️

#a discovery of witches #a discovery of witches fan cast #adow #all souls trilogy #fan cast #karen speaks #philippe de clermont #ysabeau de clermont #marcus whitmore #baldwin de clermont

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butternuggets-blog · 2 years

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OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER

@baldwin-montclair @adowobsessed @sylverdeclermont @nicki-mac-me @thereadersmuse @kynthiamoon @adowbaldwin @profoundme444 @beautifulsoulsublime @lady-lazarus-declermont

Part Forty-Eight

Summary: Baldwin de Clermont manages to upset an ancient hag. He wakes up.. different.

Also on Ao3

Liv spent the night before her wedding drinking mimosas and eating charcuterie with the rest of her bridal party. Baldwin and his groomsmen had been kicked out of Set Tours for the evening; they were deep in the wilderness, hunting each other for sport. Miyako, who Baldwin had chosen to be his Best Man, was referee.

'So' Miriam said, over her glass of wine, 'Where’s the honeymoon taking place?’

‘Tuscany’

Phoebe, Maribel and Felicity let out a low 'ooohh!'. Liv grinned.

‘It was Gerbert’s wedding gift to us’

He had practically shoved the cheque into Baldwin’s hand.

Diana’s eyes narrowed. ‘What’s the catch?’

Liv laughed. ‘Nothing. He wanted us to holiday away..far away’

________________________________________________________________

Although the wedding was at noon to allow time for late arrivals, Marthe woke Liv up promptly at six o’clock.

Liv paced the bedroom while Marthe ran her a bath, breathing through the happy butterflies in her stomach. She let out a particularly deep breath and wrung her hands, clenching them into fists to stop them shaking.

‘Should my son be concerned that you are having second thoughts?’

Philippe was leaning against the door, scrutinising her.

‘Not a chance!’

Philippe nodded. ‘Good.’

‘Madame needs to wash and get dressed’ Marthe announced, as she bustled out of the ensuite. She glared pointedly at Philippe, who held up his hands in supplication.

‘Madame needs her privacy’

‘Of course!’ Philippe vanished back through the wall. Marthe nodded, and picked up a fluffy white bathrobe and Liv’s slippers. ‘Come, let’s get you into the bath.’

________________________________________________________________

Breakfast was a small buffet served in Liv’s bedroom while Miriam and Aunt Carol did her hair.

They had settled on a simple French twist, with a lattice braid threaded through with diamonds. Liv had insisted that her fringe was pinned; she didn’t want to have to tuck it behind her ear during the ceremony if it slipped loose, and risk accidently giving Baldwin the wrong idea.

'Looking hot!' Theo said, as he walked briskly past the door. Liv had chosen him to be her Man of Honour, and he was due downstairs to help greet the first guests.

'She looks stunning and gorgeous!' Geraldine yelled after him. She turned back towards her daughter and immediately burst into tears.

'Oh, Mum, don't!'

'I'm sorry' Geraldine sniffed, smiling into a handful of tissues, 'I'm just so happy..my daughter's getting married, oh my goodness-'

'Pull yourself together!' Aunt Carol rubbed her sister's shoulders, sniffing and blinking rapidly. 'She hasn't even put on the dress yet!'

'Don't worry' Felicity waved a small applicator brush in front of Liv's face as Maribel tilted the chair back a little, 'The mascara is waterproof.'

________________________________________________________________

Baldwin watched the chairs fill up and tried not to fiddle anxiously with his sleeve buttons.

'Liv is at the top of the hill' Miyako cocked her head, then smiled. 'Everyone is ready.'

'Damn, I owe you five hundred' Verin turned to Freyja.

'You bet against my wife showing up to our wedding?!'

Verin shrugged.

'There's still time for her to change her mind' Stasia muttered. Matthew, Miyako and Fernando glared at her.

'To quote the woman in question-' Phillipe breezed through the group and came to a stop beside Baldwin, '-"not a chance!" '

'We're ready to start, so if you would please take your positions' said Petra. Everyone shuffled around until they were standing neatly in line beside Baldwin.

The first movement of Beethoven’s Midnight Sonata began to play.

The wedding was outdoors, at the stone circle on the grounds of Sept Tours, just like the christening. Alain and Pierre had positioned rows of carved wooden pews in front of it, with a gap in between to form the aisle. Liv's family were sitting on the left hand side with the Knights of Lazarus behind them. The De Clermonts sat on the right; behind them was the Congregation.

There were awed murmurs from various guests as Liv came into view. Baldwin absolutely did not tear up but he did have to swallow the sudden lump in his throat.

Liv had declined to wear a veil, and the dress was gathered around her waist like a ball gown, rather than trailing behind. The bodice was rose gold, with rigid, raised embroidery in silver art deco design. The rest of the dress was the same, interspersed with plum purple and a deep, wine red.

Pip and Becca strolled ahead of her in matching suits and ties. Pip had a basket of dry rice that he was happily scattering about, while Becca held a pillow with two gold wedding rings on it out in front of her in a death grip.

As they reached the front of the chairs, Liv's father gave her arm a tight squeeze, murmured 'Good luck!', and went to sit down next to his wife. Liv took a step forward.

There were candles tied high up in the trees around the clearing, decorated with ribbons and mounted on to deer antlers. The warmth of the candles had been enchanted and amplified to keep everyone warm despite the frosty winter air.

Every single candle suddenly flared with a pulse of white light.

The crowd gasped, then burst into applause. Baldwin stopped breathing.

The back of Liv's dress came undone by itself, tumbling down to form a train that snaked along behind her. The purple, red, gold and silver began to bleed down into each other, combining and rippling across the fabric until the dress had turned topaz blue and warm amber orange.

'They're our lucky birthday colours' Liv whispered, beaming from ear to ear as she finally came to a stop in front of Baldwin, and he felt himself start breathing again.

'Oh' Baldwin's voice cracked and he wiped his very damp eyes. 'Goddammit..'

Liv giggled.

‘Dearly beloved,’ Petra began, ‘We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Lucius Sigéric Benoit Christophe Baldwin de Clermont and Livinia Preston, in the time-honoured tradition of holy matrimony.’

‘Such unions take many forms. For example, the couple before you today feel that handfasting is the most suitable expression of their devotion to each other.’

Miyako and Theo stepped forward. Between them they carried three long ropes made of interwoven flowers. They looked incredibly delicate, but they were actually very strong. Maribel had made certain of it.

‘As I’m sure you know, handfasting is the ancient tradition of binding a couple’s wrists together, thus joining them in union physically as well as spiritually.’

Petra nodded and the couple stepped forward, bringing their hands together in the space between them. Liv took Baldwin’s right hand in hers and his left in her left, so that their arms crossed. Their hands were stacked on top of each other.

“As this knot is tied, so are your lives now bound,” Petra draped the first rope of flowers over Liv’s wrist. The flowers were their wedding vows. They had written them together, and Maribel had taken the list and scoured every inch of France until she had found what she needed to make each set.

Baldwin’s vows were Cane Apple, Winter Daphne, and Rocky Mountain Garland Flower. A sprig of Confetti Bush, with Lily-of-the-Valley, a dark pink rose, and a yellow tulip. Dutch Honeysuckle and Shepard’s Purse finished the rope.

Esteemed love, I would not have you otherwise.

The variety of your conversation delights me, your simple elegance charms me.

You’ve made my life complete.

Thank you.

There is sunshine in my smile [because of you].

I love you.

I offer you my all.

‘Woven into this cord, imbued into its very fibers, are all the hopes of your friends and family, and of yourselves, for your new life together.’

Petra draped a second rope of flowers across Baldwin’s wrists.

‘With the fashioning of this knot do I tie all the desires, dreams, love, and happiness wished here in this place to your lives for as long as love shall last.’

Liv’s vows were a blossom of Strawberry Tree, Common Vervain and White Lily. Sprigs of Spindle Tree and Nectarine Tree, Iris, and Lily-of-the-Valley. A single red rose and some Mother’s Heart completed the set.

Esteemed love, you enchant me.

It’s heavenly to be with you.

Your image is engraved on my heart; your qualities and charms are unequalled.

Your friendship means so much to me.

You’ve made my life complete.

I love you.

I offer you my all.

‘In the joining of hands and the fashion of a knot, so are your lives now bound, one to another,’ Petra draped the final rope- a solid piece of interwoven Compass Weed- over the middle of Liv and Baldwin’s clasped hands. She nudged the three ropes together and tied them.

‘By this cord you are thus bound to your vow. May this knot remain tied for as long as love shall last. May this cord draw your hands together in love, never to be used in anger. May the vows you have spoken never grow bitter in your mouths.’

Petra eyed them both carefully, and smiled. ‘Hold tight to one another through both good times and bad, and watch as your strength grows.’

Liv and Baldwin wriggled their hands free of the flower loop, tugging on the cords as they went. The ropes tied together in a neat knot; Becca stepped forward with the rings and Liv and Baldwin slipped the gold bands onto each other’s finger while still firmly holding the rope.

‘You may now kiss’ Petra beamed.

‘I love you’ Liv whispered, as Baldwin playfully yanked her closer.

‘I love you too’ he murmured, and kissed her.

Author’s Notes Gerbert didn’t want to accidently hear ANYTHING.

Do Baldwin’s sisters like Liv? Yes. Do they trust her? Not quite yet.

There are other guests at the wedding besides the Knights of Lazarus and the Congregation; they are sitting at the back, behind both parties. The Knights are on Liv’s family’s side in case the Congregation starts anything (they wouldn’t but old paranoia dies hard).

Becca and Pip wanted to wear matching outfits; since Pip thought he didn’t look good in a dress (he tried on one of his sister’s dresses while they were having a private discussion about the wedding) Becca and he decided to go to the wedding in matching suits.

Rice is not actually harmful to birds, but many wedding venues have banned it anyway because it is a bitch to clean up afterwards. Alternatives include water-soluble glitter, dried flower petals, and bubbles.

Marcus nearly lost a finger at the reception when he playfully tried to “steal” the rings.

Liv’s dress is Blake Lively’s custom Versace transforming dress that she wore to this year’s Met Gala.

I got the words for the handfasting ceremony from here

A few of these flowers are POISONOUS and I believe the Atlas Flower, or Rocky Mountain Garland Flower, is extinct.

#baldwin montclair #baldwin de clermont #adow #a discovery of witches #a discovery of witches season 1 #a discovery of witches season 2 #a discovery of witches season 3 #all souls series #all souls trilogy #all souls tv series

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softersinned-arc · 2 years

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@cllairmont said: ❝ if you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention. ❞

She recognizes him the moment she sees him.

She is, she’s sure, a sight—red hair falling from the braids she’d pinned it up in and tucked beneath a wide-brimmed capotain, wearing men’s breeches and one of Baldwin’s borrowed shirts to make riding even a fraction easier, mud splattered on her boots. Word had been sent with her measurements and preferred styles, and one of Philippe’s men trails behind them, tending to the relatively few things they’ve brought with them. She is not the woman she was sixty years ago, dressed humbly but fashionably, her smile sweet and her eyes wide and guileless. She has changed, and irrevocably—she’s taller, now, even if only by a few inches, her hips a bit wider, and the sweetness of her smile is undermined by the wholly inhuman aspect of it. And he has changed, too—the style of his clothes, of his beard, even his manner of carrying himself has changed, but Astoria recognizes him at once.

Astoria is polite and pleasant as Baldwin makes introductions to his father and sister, but when they reach him, her face breaks into a smile, her eyebrows arching up. “I should have guessed,” she says, “that the wearh of Henry’s court would be connected to the de Clermonts.” And the look on his face made it clear that he remembered their debates, too, if only the gist—and that the presence of another creature in the court had been insignificant, even that of another Catholic, when said other was so damnably insufferable.

When this is relayed, Astoria’s tone mirthful and Matthew’s smile tight, Philippe laughs heartily, and even Freyja smiles.

Sept-Tours was intimidating from the outside; inside, it’s magnificent. They bring her to rooms they say belong to Verin, one of the sisters whose time home has been limited, and when her things are brought up, she dresses in something more suitable; for a moment she fears her hair might be a lost cause, but she manages something presentable. It is, she knows, as much a test as an introduction—Philippe curious as to the woman claiming any protection or privilege from his family, his name, and understandably so—and the strength of her urge to make a good impression is surprising.

They dine, served stag’s blood, and they speak; they are generous and curious alike; she feels rather as though Philippe can hear her thoughts, like Elyssa could, but she finds herself revealing more and more as they speak, swept into a sense of both familiarity and awe. When she doesn’t speak, she watches as much as she listens, eyes sweeping over her hosts as if to try and commit each detail to memory—the curl of Freyja’s hair and the set of her mouth whenever she relents and allows herself a warlike grin, the exact shade of Philippe’s eyes and the pitch of his voice when he turns his attention to his elder son, the timbre of Baldwin’s laughter, different in a way she cannot identify than what she’s heard when they’re alone or the weight of his hand on her shoulder when he stands and passes her, as if to remind her to have courage even in the face of Heracles himself.

Most of all she wants to commit to memory the look on Matthew de Clermont’s face when his passing comment on Henriette d’Entrangues is met with immediate resistance. For her part, Freyja looks delighted, though she says nothing, and Astoria catches an amused glance exchanged between father and son out of the corner of her eye as Baldwin sits back down beside her.

“Do you often take the part of scorned mistresses?” Matthew asks mildly, already moving past his initial displeasure, and Astoria grins, now, a warlike imitation of his sister.

“More often than I take the part of unfaithful kings.”

“You cannot mean to suggest that the Medici alliance was a mistake.”

“Certainly not—but I can hardly blame the Marquise for her anger, or for the attempt to see her son acknowledged as the king’s heir.”

Just as Matthew takes in a breath to argue, Baldwin stands again, nodding at his father. “This will take some time,” he says with a laugh, and they excuse themselves, Freyja settling in all the more comfortably to watch the spectacle unfold, though neither Matthew nor Astoria seem to notice their absence beyond a vague nod or smile of acknowledgement.

From Henriette d’Entrangues they touch on the role of wife versus mistress, then reasonable expectations of a queen—and here Freyja does join them, slipping easily from one alliance to the next and mercilessly eviscerating the both of them at the first sign of weakness in an argument, though she leaves shortly after that. Two hours have passed before Matthew and Astoria have taken the argument to Philippe’s library, and when Philippe passes by he’s greeted by the sight of the both of them standing with an open book, their argument half in Latin as they all but shout quotations from great philosophers at one another.

He looks between the two of them, Matthew standing behind Philippe’s desk with a finger jabbing at a page and Astoria seated with a book balanced on each knee, the two of them looking up at him in surprise and perhaps a hint of embarrassment, and he simply moves along, as if unwilling to get in between them. She has no doubt that he’ll join in later on, once he’s gotten a better measure of her, but for now, she’s enjoying the battle before her.

An hour later still they’re at a standstill, retreating for a glass of wine, voices a touch hoarse, though they’re closer to friendship now than they were at the start, bonded somewhere between the fifth and sixth shift in topic and Astoria’s bitter defense of Machiavelli. He watches her curiously for several long moments before he speaks, words measured carefully.

“How long do you intend to remain with Baldwin?”

There is an immediate answer sitting on the tip of her tongue—as long as he’ll have me, as long as I don’t cause him harm—but she swallows it, giving herself a moment to think before she speaks. “I cannot say for sure. I suppose your father will have significant influence over the answer to that question.”

“Proximity to a de Clermont comes with consequences.”

“I’m sure,” she says softly. “Proximity to power always does.”

“This isn’t Henry’s court,” he points out. “There is no new beginning with a new wife or a new religion. My father’s will is immovable and his anger is unyielding. Bringing harm to his family would have consequences beyond your imagining.”

She has no intent to harm the family, but such harm can happen whether or not she means it. “Then I will be careful,” she says simply. “What else is there to be done?”

“He may ask a great deal of you.”

“I benefit a great deal from his son’s guidance and protection. I am happy to do whatever I can.”

His eyes narrow for a moment and Astoria wonders if they arrived in the midst of some battle between them, if Philippe and Matthew are at odds with one another. “I doubt your happiness will make much of a difference to him,” he points out, voice a bit clipped.

“I suppose, then, that it’s a good thing I am only dependent upon his good will for my survival and safety, and the happiness will have to be of my own making.”

He lets out a sharp bark of laughter, then. “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.”

For a moment, she swears she sees hellfire in his eyes, some ghastly warning of what remains to face them when they can no longer run from death. They have spoken enough of faith that she doesn’t doubt that their images of hell are much the same, and she thinks that Matthew must think often of the state of his soul, given the way he looks at her now.

“I think we are immortal,” she says airily, “and we need not worry yet about endings.”

She thinks he might argue with her, but he simply waves a hand, either too irritated or too tired to continue.

(They resume arguing the next night. If fate keeps her tied to Matthew de Clermont in any way, she thinks, it will always be like this, whatever thin cords of friendship that link them forged only through bickering or debate. She’ll never admit it, but she hardly minds the thought.)

#cllairmont #i. here's the truth from my red lips. ( answers )#(i think they should take grad classes together someday)#(they'd drive each other fucking crazy)

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