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solomons-poison · 4 months

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Unpredictability

Chevalier Michel x reader

: ̗̀➛ A/N: OK I had to do just a little bit more with the Chev thoughts of having a daughter, connected to my headcanon post here, so just have this little slice of life thing. Papa Chevalier has a very special place in my heart ❤️

: ̗̀➛ Warnings: fem reader, reader is the mother of Chev's daughter and queen of Rhodolite; just some sweet fluff mostly in Chevalier's perspective; Chev is likely OOC for a bit lol; not proofread~

: ̗̀➛ Word count: 2193

Chevalier had a knack for predictions. His perception had always been extraordinary, able to pick up the smallest of clues from his environment and the people around him to know what would happen next. It aided him in his development as a prince, working with his brothers to keep the kingdom running smoothly as his father’s health declined, and it helped him now that he was the king of that same kingdom. He was a monster on the battlefield, strategically taking down enemies with the ease of a beast, and was equally a monster in the courts, always knowing what information was needed where and who to deal with.

When it came to you, however, you were his blind spot.

No amount of strategy and foresight could have prepared him for the way your fates intertwined, or the way you captured his very heart in the palm of your hand. A younger Chevalier would have scoffed at such a notion, that he had the human emotion to even fall in love to begin with when he was most aptly labeled as the "Brutal Beast" by every possible noble in the court. But of course all it took was the wisdom and pure heart of Belle to look deep inside and find the truth. Looking back on the events leading up to the discovery of these feelings, once he met you, he realized it couldn't have gone any other way.

You managed to surprise him at every turn, with your unending love, your wisdom, your thoughtfulness and devotion. That's what made you fit to be his queen, someone that helped him bring out and connect with his human side. The day he married you was something he never could have dreamed of in a hundred years, and even much less so, the tiny babbling bundle you delivered into your lives a year later.

Now he watched as his tiny daughter, three years old and full of toddler mischief, ran through the rose gardens of the palace at alarming speed, eager to see you again after being separated during a diplomatic trip– and she wasn’t the only one that was eager. He could just make out the top of her head, her hair color the exact same as yours and bouncing along as she moved.

That was something he was thankful for, the way his daughter resembled you in so many ways. Her hair color, the shape of her face, even her personality and stubbornness was coming to resemble you too, and he had no doubt the similarities would continue as she grew older. She was also attached to books the same, though honestly he was just as much at fault for that as his queen. However, the one thing that differed was that she had inherited his eyes, a strong clear blue that somehow looked right into your soul.

The little princess was beginning to learn how to use those ice blue eyes to her advantage, much to his amusement. When something didn't go her way, she'd glare at whoever was responsible in no dissimilar way to his own until they cracked from the pressure. It was no end of stress to Sariel or his brothers, realizing there was a little Chev 2.0 in the making. She'd even turned that icy gaze onto him, too, managing to surprise him.

Anyone that looked at her knew immediately whose daughter it was, and something about that sentiment, creating this tiny human so clearly made up of his traits and yours together, warmed him up inside.

Getting lost in his reverie, he quickly lost sight of his small child and hastened his pace. The full bushes made it difficult to keep his eye on her, even with his keen eye and sense of danger, so outside excursions were often accompanied by extra help such as the servants or even Lucien on rare occasion. Thankfully, that wasn’t necessary today as you were the one waiting at the end of their journey through the garden, and the thick foliage made the path clear, leading up to a gazebo.

Just as the image of your face came to mind, he could hear a loud exclamation from up ahead, and turned a corner in time to watch his daughter run into your waiting arms.

“Mama!”

You couldn’t help but grunt from the force with which you were tackled, but your arms wrapped around your daughter as she gripped you tightly.

“Hi, my love! I've missed you,” you said, pulling back to kiss the top of her head. You noticed the missing presence of your husband, glancing around before looking back at your child. “I’m so happy to see you again. Where’s your papa at, can you tell me?”

“Papa is slow,” your daughter mumbled, the excitement of seeing you lost already as she caught sight of the butterflies flitting about from bloom to bloom behind you.

Her wording made you giggle against your better judgment. Your husband could be described as many things, but you were certain the word “slow” was not one of them. But almost as if summoned, his platinum blond head came into view over the bountiful rose bushes, and it was as if all was suddenly right with the world— even if he did have a slight frown on his face.

“Little rabbit, I’ve told you not to run ahead in the gardens,” he sighed, entering the gazebo and patting his daughter’s head roughly. Instantly, her attention turned back to him, two pairs of ocean blue eyes meeting briefly before she looked away.

“‘M sorry, papa, I won’t do it again,” she replied, reaching out to hug his leg, gripping the fabric of his pants with tiny hands. Anyone else that saw this scene would expect the King to be cold and unfeeling in response, but instead he sighed, patting her hair awkwardly without a word.

You watched all this quietly, unable to fight the smile that made its way onto your face. The method of his comforting reminded you much of the early days of your relationship in which he did the same, unsure how to touch you or perhaps even afraid to hurt you. Chevalier may have been called the Brutal Beast for his actions, but he was really more of a beast for the way he was unused to loving human touch.

Over time, he’d eventually grown better and more confident with touching you, a way to express his unending love for you that he couldn’t express with his serious and less-than-romantic words. But it all seemed to revert the moment your daughter was born.

You remembered the very first time he had held her. All his brothers and the palace physician had waited with bated breath, and it was clear in Chevalier’s expression that he had his own reservations about what he was about to do. How could hands used for killing, hands used for exterminating the threats to the kingdom and defending the borders, possibly be suitable for holding that of his small, innocent child? The moment his daughter was placed in his arms, his discomfort was extremely clear –to you, at least– arms frozen stiff in an attempt to be gentle to the tiny creature he'd been entrusted with. But it was this same discomfort and worried reaction that showed you just how much he actually cared about her, and about you, too.

The memory brought a smile to your face, which was met by a strong, familiar poke to the forehead.

“Do not let your head get caught in the clouds, Rabbit,” Chevalier said. His voice was chastising, but the smirk gracing his lips was soft, sweet, making your heart thump.

Chevalier caught sight of one of his brothers out of the corner of his eye, a familiar flop of lilac hair waiting just beyond an ivy-covered arch by the gazebo. It reminded him how, as his daughter grew and came to differentiate his brothers, an unfortunate attachment had grown to a particular somebody. Much to his dismay, his daughter seemed to like her uncle Clavis the most, often shouting his name and using her stubby legs to seek him out when she could, and the feeling was mutual with the resident troublemaker. And Clavis delighted in this fact, often rubbing that in his older brother’s face and using it as an excuse to irritate him at every turn.

But today, Chevalier would use it to his advantage if it meant having you to himself, at least for a little bit. He knelt down to eye level with his child, peering into her familiar ice blue eyes.

“Little rabbit, I want to speak to your mother,” he said. He turned in the direction of his brother, pointing to direct his daughter’s attention in the same direction as well. “Why don’t you go see your uncle Clavis? He’s waiting for you in the gardens.”

His daughter’s eyes widened to a comical size, filled with excitement. Her head whipped around to search, despite Chevalier’s finger pointing the way, but thankfully, Clavis was accompanied by his trusty attendant, Cyran, who popped his head out at the perfect time to catch her attention. His shock of red hair made him look like a human rose, against the background of the gardens.

A shrill shriek filled the air, causing you and Chevalier to wince simultaneously. “Unca Cwavis and Cyan!” Your daughter was still having trouble pronouncing her L’s and R’s, but the men didn't mind. Chevalier watched as his daughter shot forward, “Cyan” quickly bowing to Chevalier in greeting before catching the girl in his arms. As he watched the two leave, he felt an arm slip through his and turned to look at you.

“I’ve missed you too, King Chevalier. I’m so glad to see you look okay,” you said, your relief evident in your smile. “How was everything during the visit? Did everything go alright?”

Chevalier huffed at your questions. “Would I have returned so soon if things did not go well?”

Your face scrunched up for a moment, but you were used to Chevalier’s sass.

“I know, but I’m still allowed to worry about you,” you said, leading Chevalier over to a bench in the gazebo. “The people of Rhodolite know now what a kind King you are, but I can’t say the same about people in other countries. And I know you’re capable of handling many things, but I still don’t want you to get hurt. I’ll always wish for your safety and good health, can’t I wish that for my own husband?”

Chevalier took a moment to look at your face, eyes following the curve of your eyebrows and lips, the shape of your nose and jaw, all features he had long since memorized. Finally, he simply snorted, reaching a hand up to poke your forehead again as a smile made its way onto his lips.

“That is awfully sentimental, and also unnecessary,” he said. “I am not so weak as to be felled so easily. I will always return to my Rabbit in the end, so long as you wish to wait for me.”

Now who’s being sentimental? You didn’t dare say that to his face, although the caution was unnecessary, given the way he was always able to read your thoughts based on your expressions alone. His smile turned teasing, clearly knowing what you were thinking, but he didn’t comment further on it.

“Now, I believe you’re forgetting something,” he said expectantly.

He watched as your head tilted in confusion. The gears were clearly turning in your head to determine what he was waiting for, but it only took a moment for understanding to dawn on your face, your lips curving up into a warm smile.

“Welcome home, Chevalier,” you said, stretching up to place a soft kiss to his cheek.

His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you close as he returned the kiss to your lips, the taste of home filling his senses. He didn’t speak further, but he didn’t have to. Every ounce of his love was put into his kisses, and you gladly accepted it all.

Neither of you could have ever predicted being here, Chevalier least of all. His life had become a fairy tale on par with the romance books he enjoyed reading but never totally understood. No amount of strict noble education, military strategy, or the annoying words of a certain foolish brother could have told him that a future like this was possible. But as he held you close under cover of the gazebo, happy to finally have you in his arms once again, he realized he was okay with that. You came into his life in a whirlwind of drama and intrigue, turning his expectations around and introducing him to so many unfamiliar things and feelings, like fatherhood, yearning, and love. It wore on him, at times, not being able to see where his future was heading thanks to all the new things he was experiencing by your side. However, so long as it was with you, Chevalier supposed he was okay with a little bit of unpredictability.

Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated!

#chevalier x reader #chevalier michel #ikemen prince #ikepri chevalier #ikepri fluff #ikepri fanfic #the minx can write ✍️

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onemustalwaysbecarefulofbooks · 10 months

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Why I Dislike Rhysand, Part 2: #NotMyHighLord

Part 2 in the rant I have suppressed for the past several years. Rhysand Stans, be warned, this is not for you. Be prepared to see critiquing of SJM’s writing as well. Proceed at your own risk!!

I feel like this section of the rant is going to be the one that most people have seen, heard, or expressed themselves already. I myself have seen many posts and takes on this before. There will probably be the least amount of original ideas in this post. Nonetheless, I can’t turn down an opportunity to finally say it in my own words.

In Part 1 of my rant (and many other posts), I discussed how Sarah J Maas blatantly has an insane sort of obsession with Rhysand. It is impossible not to notice and acknowledge if you read the series from start to finish. All it takes is about 2 minutes listening to her speak about anything related to him for you to see it as well. He is unequivocally Her Favorite and she has demonstrated that by deeming him to be THE MOST of many different things, especially in comparison with others. I made a post last summer about how I really struggle to define what I think of Sarah as an author overall. She has given me some of my favorite fictional characters of all time, written scenes and exchanges between characters that I carry in my heart and soul and overall provided me with an endless amount of entertainment. On the other hand, a GLARING fault I find there to be with her is that she often writes in an extremely puzzling and contradictory way: beating us over the head with something about a character she presents as being true, verbally stated through the dialogue of characters or through the narrative of the story, while having these characters act and behave in a totally OPPOSITE way to the way they are being described by everyone. And this obviously contradictory behavior is never addressed by anyone in the story--or if it is, the ones calling attention to it are vilified and shown in a negative light, even though they are providing commentary on actions carried out canonly by these characters.

In the simplest form, it’s like this: The author creates a character who others routinely say is the most kind, unselfish, loving, and generous person to grace the planet. An opportunity will NEVER be lost to state these things, through the narrative and through the dialogue of other characters. The fandom comes to accept these things as totally canon traits. You hear the author repeat these same beliefs. The character becomes a favorite of the fandom, who praises him/her for being so kind and selfless. You get excited to read about such a character and open the book yourself. . .only to find scene after scene where the character acts in a way that is cruel, selfish, and arrogant. All while everyone else continues to laud them for being so wonderful. There is a direct contradiction between what you’re seeing and what you’re being told. Tons and tons of readers seem to find nothing unusual about this. You’re left with the feeling that you’re in some kind of insane asylum where nothing makes sense but no one questions it.

This is the feeling I get whenever I hear about what an amazing High Lord Rhysand is.

As we’ve established, SJM is obsessed with Rhys. Therefore, she automatically makes Rhys the best at whatever he does. One day I’d love to do a drinking game where we take a shot every time someone reminds us that Rhys is The Most Powerful High Lord In Prythian’s History (he should really just get that phrase trademarked at this point). But in addition to that, we are also often reminded about what a good, just, fair, and progressive beloved ruler he is.

Rhys as High King: he could think of no other male he’d trust more. No other male who would be a fairer ruler than Rhys. And with Feyre as High Queen. . .Prythian would be blessed to have such leaders. (Cassian, ACOSF, page 451)

There are a lot of ACOTAR lines that provoke actual visceral anger and disgust in me. This is probably in my All Time Top 3.

Yeah, Rhysand is SUCH a great High Lord!! Didn’t you know. . . there are no slums in Velaris!!

There’s just, you know, female mutilation going on in the mountains!

Where to even BEGIN unloading?

I guess I’ll begin here: One of the reasons I strongly dislike Rhysand as a character is because he’s a terrible High Lord.

(And what makes me infuriated and passionately dislike Rhysand is the fact that we are beaten over the head by what an exceptionally wonderful High Lord he is despite the glaring faults shown in the text).

I really really fail to understand how anyone can believe any differently, when it is canonly stated that two thirds of Rhysand’s court are hellish and terrible places. Women are oppressed and mutilated, people who are brutal and cruel are basically given free reign to do as they please, there is not an ounce of respect given to their so-called true ruler.

And Rhys, “The Most Powerful High Lord in Prythian’s History” has done. . .nothing. Nothing to truly change either of these places.

Let’s start with Illyria.

We all know how horrible life is for Illyrian females. They are forbidden to train, are viewed as vessels for breeding, and have their wings clipped at a young age so they can’t fly. Cassian’s mother is raped by an Illyrian warrior and then worked to death, when her body is dumped off a cliff. Azriel’s mother has her young son taken from her by the male who sired him and relies on his mercy as to when he can be released from his literal prison cell to see him. Rhys’s mother was starving herself so she wouldn't get her period, which is when her wings would have been clipped when she was saved from her fate by his father’s mating bond. Emerie and her mother are horrifically abused by her father, resulting in her mother’s death. Emerie tells Nesta and Gwyn that he would slam her head into walls, crunch her fingers in doors, and that he broke her fucking back. Like most females, her wings are clipped so she’s unable to fly. Upon her father’s death, she gains control of his store much to the displeasure of her male family members who frequently harass and threaten her about it.

It’s plain to see that these are not randomly occurring isolated situations. Abuse can happen anywhere, with anyone, but there is CLEARLY a cultivated system of abuse and oppression among Illyrian females. Rhys tells us that he has banned the clipping of Illyrian female wings and is slowly working towards implementing changes that will allow women to have more freedom and choices. He tells Feyre that the Illyrians are “slow to change” and that it will take a long time to completely undo the way they’ve lived their lives for centuries.

I’m sorry, I call BULLSHIT.

The attempts we’ve seen towards this so far in the story have been half-assed at best. Rhysand makes these laws but doesn’t put anything into place to actually enforce them. In ACOMAF, we get this from Devlon, the war lord who rules over the Windhaven camp:

“Another inspection? Your dog,” he jerked his chin toward Cassian, “was here just the other week. The girls are training.”

Rhysand’s strategy to prevent female wing clipping: Tell the violent sexist males with all the power in the camps that it’s banned. Send Cassian in once a week to check up on it.

That’s it.

Allow me to demonstrate how utterly ridiculous and contradictory this is.

In ACOMAF, we have the scene where the IC visits the Court of Nightmares (oh don’t worry, we’ll touch on this place in a bit). Right before their departure, Keir insults Feyre and calls her a whore. (Sidenote: no one should ever be called a whore and I am no way in the SLIGHTEST defending Keir but honestly, I don’t know what Rhys expected. It’s like when Rhys goes out of his way to act evil and do evil things and then everyone takes offense to people calling him evil. He dresses Feyre up in skimpy revealing clothing, has her sit on his lap on his throne, and proceeds to basically finger her in front of an entire throne room of people. It’s stated a million times that fae can sense and smell arousal, and both her and Rhys are both completely turned on by this. Feyre calls HERSELF his whore: “The High Lord’s whore. Who I’d become Under the Mountain--who the world expected me to be. The dangerous new pet that Mor’s father would now seek to feel out.” Like. . .buddy, you have her play and act the part of “The High Lord’s whore” and make a public scene in front of a man who has no respect for women, and then are enraged when he calls her a whore. What did you think he would do?? How did you think he would respond?? It’s almost like he was purposely trying to goad Kier into a reaction so he could punish him for it, honestly).

ANYWAY. . .Keir calls Feyre a whore. And Rhys loses his shit:

Night exploded into the room.

People cried out. And when the darkness cleared, Keir was on his knees.

Rhys still lounged on the throne. His face a mask of frozen rage.

“Apologize”, Rhys said. My heart thundered at the pure command, the utter wrath.

Keir’s neck muscles strained, and sweat broke out on his lip.

“I said,” Rhys intoned with such a horrible calm, “apologize”.

The Steward groaned. And when another heartbeat paused--

Bone cracked. Keir screamed.

And I watched--I watched as his arm fractured into not tow, not three, but four different pieces, the skin going taut and loose in all the wrong spots--

Another crack. His elbow disintegrated. My stomach churned.

Keir began sobbing, the tears half from rage, judging by the hatred in his eyes as he looked at me, then Rhys. But his lip formed the words, I’m sorry.

The bones of his other arm splintered, and it was an effort not to cringe.

Rhys smiled as Keir screamed again and said to the room, “Should I kill him for it?”

No one answered.

Rhys chuckled. He said to his Steward, “When you wake up, you’re not to see a healer. If I hear that you do. . .” Another crack--Keir’s pinkie finger went saggy. The male shrieked. “If I hear that you do, I’ll carve you into pieces and bury them where no one can stand a chance of putting you together again.”

Keir’s eyes widened in true terror now. Then, as if an invisible hand had struck the consciousness from him, he collapsed to the floor.

Rhys said to no one in particular, “Dump him in his room”.

Now. . .does this in ANY way, shape, or form seem like a man who has trouble getting people who are opposed to him to do what he wants them to do?????????

Rhys doesn’t even move off of his throne and he has Keir groveling on the floor with his arm shattered into pieces. It takes no effort whatsoever on his part. He is, after all, The Most Powerful High Lord in Prythian’s History, in case you’d forgotten. He later laments to Feyre about how ashamed he is for her to see “that side” of him. Feyre says:

“You’re my friend--and I understand that you’re High Lord. I understand that you will defend your true court, and punish threats against it.”

DO YOU SEE THE RIDICULOUSNESS AT PLAY HERE.

Sarah. You can not have it both ways. You can not have Rhys claim that he is “doing all he can” to defend the Illyrian females and protect them from the violent males in their lives and then simultaneously give us this scene. Keir hates Rhys’s guts and I’m sure would gladly not only refuse every order he gave him, but also run him through with a sword. Does it seem like any bit of this matters in this moment?

One of the responses to this I stumbled across on Reddit literally floored me. Someone brought up this very argument, that Rhys had more power to control the situation in Illyria if he really wanted to, and I saw several people respond with: “Well, if he literally tried to control them, either through physical intimidation or mind control, then he’d be a tyrant, and that’s not who Rhys is. That’s not who he wants to be. Is that really what you’re suggesting?? You want him to be a tyrant who controls people???”

Um. . .YES???

Like. . .do these people hear what they’re saying??? Do they understand the concept of “context matters”????. Do I want Rhys to walk around flaunting his power over innocent law abiding citizens of the Night Court who are minding their own business and not hurting anybody? Obviously no. But do I want him to use his power in a meaningful way to punish people who are physically mutating and beating women to death??? Hello??? The lengths some people will go to to defend this man is incredible.

What is the POINT of Rhysand having all this power if he doesn’t use it to defend the good and the innocent??? What is the POINT of him being “tHE mOsT poWERful HiGH lORD in PryTHIAN’S hIsTorY” if he sits on his power while innocent people in his court are being abused under his watch???

Spoilers for Queen of Shadows: To me, this is like someone saying Lysandra shouldn’t slit Arobynn’s throat in his sleep because it would make her a murderer. Is that what I want??? For Lysandra to be a murderer?? Does the average person deserve to have their throat slit in their sleep?? No. But does Arobynn?? YES.

These Illyrian males, if they are behaving in the ways we hear about in the story, DESERVE to have their asses handed to them by Rhysand! They DESERVE whatever punishment comes their way! Don’t want your arm shattered into a million pieces?? Don’t fucking mutilate and beat your wife!!! Easy as that!!

For real change to come about in the Illyrian camps, there needs to be a zero tolerance policy, with public punishment and humiliation, to send a message to everyone that this kind of thing will no longer be tolerated under any circumstances. There needs to be trustworthy people from Rhys’s court stationed there at all times to actually enforce this. I’m not saying that there wouldn't be things that slip past the enforcers, or that Rhys and the Inner Circle have the power to actually change the will and opinions of the males who do this kind of thing. They almost certainly won’t gain any respect from these males. But at the end of the day, it’s very simple. You don’t have to like it, or us, but you WILL stop partaking in this behavior. If you don’t, your consequence is going to be so severe you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting it.

One might ask, This seems pretty straightforward, why hasn’t Rhys attempted anything like this already?? If these males are willing to commit such evil deeds, why even waste his time at all with them? Who CARES if they go rogue and refuse to fight for him anymore? Could it possibly be because he needs the Illyrian soldiers as the main component of his armies? He doesn’t want to outwardly anger these war generals so strongly that they no longer cooperate or associate with him?

So, what you’re saying is. . .Rhys turns a blind eye to female abuse in his court . .because he needs the might from these people in his armies.

If I’m wrong and you have a rebuttal, I’m all ears. But I’m not really sure what other conclusion I’m supposed to arrive at. Rhys CAN control, humiliate, and intimidate powerful people who go against him. But he’s choosing not to do it here. . .why? Because controlling and intimidating people is bad?? Even if it’s directed towards those who are killing and mutilating innocent people?? I don’t understand and I don’t think I ever will.

Honestly, I thought the reason Illyria was being left as such a mess was deliberately done, because that was what Nesta’s story and arc was going to revolve heavily around. When they announced in that teaser way back in 2018 that she was going with Cassian to train in the Illyrian mountains, I was fully convinced that that was how she was going to “find herself”, by changing the lives of the Illyrian women and empowering them. I thought she would be a major catalyst in whatever happened there. And. . .that’s not what happened. Maybe that part of the story is still yet to be told, maybe she’s saving it for Azriel’s book or something. . .who knows. For the time being, I guess it’s just there for aesthetics, so the Bat Boys can have a tragic backstory. Still, even if it DOES change in later books, I would still be left wondering why Rhys, who Sarah claims is as different from the other High Lords as humans are to fae, didn’t do something about it sooner.

On the subject of Illyrians, let’s talk about Feyre and her shape-shifted Illyrian wings for a minute. I’m sure everyone knows what I’m going to say, and you might argue that this is a critique of Feyre’s character and not Rhys’s. I both agree and disagree with that and to explain my reasoning, we’re going to have to back up a little bit.

I made a post a couple years ago about how Feyre’s title as High Lady holds no real weight in the ACOTAR world and is nothing more than a fancy title and a sign of respect from her husband. Which is admirable in it’s own right, but it’s not truly what all the stans make it out to be. It’s stated as canon fact in the series that the High Lord is determined by whoever this mystical force (is it supposed to be The Mother? I don’t even know) in each court chooses. It’s not a monarchy. If I don’t like my High Lord, I can’t go out and kill him and declare myself the new High Lord. The magic of the court decides who it is. That’s how you end up having people like Tamlin, who have no desire to be High Lord become one.

Anyway, all of this means that Feyre is NOT equal in power to Rhys, no matter what title he gives her. Let’s pretend their dumb-ass suicide pact doesn’t exist and Feyre can live on if he were to die. If Rhys were to die, Feyre wouldn't continue on as the magical High Lady ruler of the Night Court, while they all just did without a High Lord. The magic would select someone else to be the High Lord, with no regard for her. Feyre is only “High Lady” because Rhys says she is. She has no magical tie to the Night Court. She is a ruler in title only.

Don’t like it? Doesn’t sound very feminist?? Yeah, I’d agree. And for some insane reason, TAMLIN is blamed for the lack of High Ladies in Prythian rather than, uh. . .the woman who created the magic system that made it this way!!!

(Seriously, the fact that Tamlin is shit on for telling Feyre there are no High Ladies is asinine. Tamlin is not giving personal commentary, he is stating fact. Remember how shocked everyone is when the IC shows up to the High Lord’s meeting in ACOWAR and Rhys announces that Feyre is High Lady? There AREN’T any High Ladies of Prythian! But in ACOMAF, SJM has Rhys tell Feyre that there absolutely are. This is what I mean when I say SJM makes Rhys say and do completely nonsensical things simply for the sake of inflating him as a character. Logic doesn’t have to enter the conversation, if it makes him look good, that’s all that matters. Even if it directly contradicts something SHE wrote!!! It’s mind blowing, honestly).

Wow, I got REALLY side tracked!! Anyway, you get the point: Feyre’s role as High Lady is really just a fancy title with no true magical tie behind it. But despite this, she is still Rhys’s wife, and therefore a certain level of respect is expected to be given to her.

And if I were an Illyrian female, I’d find it REAL hard to conjure up any of that respect.

In my opinion, SJM is guilty of not truly writing these characters with the scope that their immortality entails. Feyre is physically mature and an adult by human standards. But what constitutes an “adult” by fae standards? The IC is collectively thousands of years old. I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't have a hard time seeing someone in their early twenties as someone super young and naive. Especially if this someone wasn’t born a fae and was only transformed into one within the past couple years.

Think about it. . .how many times have you had a conversation with someone who is older than you, maybe by generations, maybe by just several years and they’ve made comments about how young you are, or how “one day you’ll feel differently” or “one day you’ll understand”. They speak with a wisdom that they claim comes from simply existing longer and going through phases of life you haven’t reached yet.

Now imagine somehow being over 500 years old and interacting with someone who is 21. They’d be an infant to you!!

My point in saying this isn’t necessarily to say that I think Feysand’s relationship is creepy because he’s so much older than her. It’s really to say that, as I’ve stated, you can’t really hold Rhys and Feyre accountable in the same way as far as being high fae leaders goes. She hasn’t been alive even a fraction of the amount of time he has and she wasn’t born a fae. This isn’t her fault and I don’t think it’s something she should necessarily be disrespected for. She’s definitely smart and capable of making her own observations and decisions but at the end of the day, I don’t think you can really argue that it falls back on Rhys to help to guide and navigate her through this political life they lead. Rhys had been leading a country for 500 years by the time Feyre was shitting in diapers. Their experience is NOT the same.

So at the end of the day, I think that Feyre’s use of Illyrian wings says as much about Rhys as it does about her.

Imagine the pain and the anger you would feel as an Illyrian woman to see your so-called “High Lady” flaunting the wings you were born with and using them to escape to the freedom of the skies, something you had been denied of against your will. She knows nothing of the trials and tribulations you face each day, the abuse you endure. She was not born into your culture, nor does she take the time to try and help you, or get to know you, or learn about you. But she shifts the Illyrian wings onto her back and takes to the sky to do really important things like have sexual intercourse with the High Lord above the most populated city in the court, while you remain trapped on the ground. Imagine the anger you’d feel at your so-called High Lord, who allows his new wife to flutter around Velaris on perfect un-maimed wings, while claiming he wants to advocate for and protect you but does the bare minimum.

To be clear: I most certainly hold Feyre accountable for this thoughtless decision. She is more than capable of deciding for herself what she feels is right and wrong. But as I’ve stated, I have a really hard time not also putting part of the blame on Rhys here. As I established, Feyre was not born into fae culture and she is a child compared to most of the fae living in the Night Court. Rhys, on the other hand, is over 500 years old, has Illyrian culture in his bloodline, and has been living among these people, leading them, for almost his entire life. I’d like to think he’d have the foresight to pull Feyre aside and explain to her that while she may not have initially considered it, it could be viewed as disrespectful and offensive for the Illyrian women to see her gallivanting around with Illyrian wings when most of theirs have been clipped.

If I were an Illyrian women, I think it would be nearly impossible for me not to feel a strong bitterness towards Feyre and Rhysand. One could make the argument that Feyre is young and naive and doesn’t truly understand Illyrian culture. The same argument could NOT be said about Rhys.

So thanks, High Lord, for flapping around shiny happy Velaris with your wife and her fake Illyrian wings, having kinky Illyrian wing sex, while doing the bare minimum to help and protect the women who were actually BORN with Illyrian wings.

Alright, moving on from that mess, let’s touch on the Court of Nightmares.

Now, a lot of what I have to say here is going to be the same as what I said about Illyria. But honestly, I feel like this place gets the even shorter end of the stick.

One of the most truly bizarre things to me in the ACOTAR series is this idea that the people of Hewn City/the Court of Nightmares are somehow just all evil malicious wicked people who are happy to live sequestered in this underground kingdom. This is a super weird notion and I’m not sure at all how Sarah validates it. Especially when a character like Mor exists. You’re telling me she was the only “dreamer” born into the Court of Nightmares? No one else is suffering the way she was? I don’t get it.

I’ve heard the argument made before that it’s quite possible that this kind of wickedness is specific only to Mor’s family. I’ve heard people say that we’ve never really seen anything in the Court of Nightmares other than the household she grew up in. So it’s actually quite plausible, people say, that the rest of the court is just a normal court, there’s no evidence to suggest that this kind of abuse is happening among the entire group of people. (They claim we are “reaching” for things to blame Rhys for).

Yeah, NO. Sorry, that’s just a willfully stupid take. Here’s what we hear about this place from ACOMAF:

“The nobility of the Night Court fall into one of three categories: those who hated me enough that when Amarantha took over, they joined her court and later found themselves dead; those who hated me enough to try to overthrow me and faced the consequences; and those who hated me, but not enough to be stupid and have since tolerated a half-breed’s rule, especially when it so rarely interferes with their miserable lives.”

“Are they--are they the ones who live beneath the mountain?”

A nod. “In the Hewn City, yes. I gave it to them, for not being fools. They’re happy to stay there, rarely leaving, ruling themselves and being as wicked as they please, for all eternity.”

That was the court he must have shown Amarantha when she first arrived--and its wickedness must have pleased her enough that she modeled her own after it. (pages 175-176)

Not enough to convince you? Here’s Mor explaining it in her own words:

“In the Court of Nightmares,” she went on, that voice falling soft and a bit cold once more, “females are. . .prized. Our virginity is guarded, then sold off to the highest bidder--whatever male will be of the most advantage to our families.”

‘I was born stronger than anyone in my family. Even the males. And I couldn’t hide it, because they could smell it--the same way you can smell a High Lord’s Heir before he comes to power. The power leaves a mark, an. . .echo. When I was twelve, before I bled, I prayed it meant no male would take me as a wife, that I would escape what my elder cousins had endured: loveless, sometimes brutal, marriages.”

“But then I began bleeding a few days after I turned seventeen. And the moment my first blood came, my power awoke in full force, and even that gods-damned mountain trembled around us. But instead of being horrified, every single ruling family in the Hewn City saw me as a prize mare. Saw that power and wanted it bred into their bloodline, over and over again.”

Is everyone sufficiently convinced now? Okay great.

And Rhys, by his own omission, allows them to “rule themselves” as a reward for not being foolish enough to challenge HIS authority.

But do they REALLY rule themselves?? Take a second and scroll back up to read the excerpt I already included where Keir calls Feyre a whore and Rhys absolutely wrecks him. Who does it seem like is really in charge here?

I’m sorry, I get viscerally angry over this. In the Court of Nightmares scene, Keir is written 100% completely and totally as Rhysand’s groveling little bitch. He is literally nothing compared to Rhys. Rhys is total power and domination. Seriously:

He led me the few steps onto the dais--to the throne. He sat, smiling faintly at his monstrous court. He owned every inch of the throne. These people. (page 409)

Before Rhys, Keir was nothing more than a sullen child. Yet I knew Mor’s father was older. Far older. The Steward clung to power, it seemed.

Rhys was power. (page 411)

This entire scene honestly disgusts me and is so stupid. Rhys swaggers in and the entire throne room drops to one knee in submission. It’s told over and over that he exudes raw power that no one there can even hope to compete with. We’re told he “owns” the people, that Keir is nothing more than a child compared to him. He snaps his fingers and orders Keir to bring Feyre wine and he does it! Mor calls Rhys “Your High Lord” when speaking to Keir. Keir “grovels” when Rhys suggests that the wine he brought them is poisoned. And then the ordeal where he starts shattering bones in his arm one at a time, forbidding him from seeking any healing on pain of death, eventually knocking him out.

SO IF THIS IS THE CASE. . .WHY. TOLERATE. KEIR. AT. ALL????????????????

If this is how easy it is to control this man, why on EARTH is he given one INCH of control in this place???? The whole scene loses its meaning entirely. . .why do they need to STEAL this orb from him?? In ACOWAR, why does Rhys need to BARGAIN with him about the use of his armies??? (at the expense of Mor’s feelings and security!!!!) Why are these people ALLOWED to treat females the way they treated Mor??!?

There are two answers here and both of them are shitty:

Option 1) SJM just wants to write scenes to fulfill her dark!Rhys fetish. She needs the Court of Nightmares for her Rhys aesthetic. That’s where the true reason for scenes like this begin and end. She wants to write scenes where we all marvel and swoon at Rhys’s “raw power”. We don’t need logic, it has no place here. We’re supposed to ignore everything else and just swoon over Rhys, as usual. We’re not really supposed to think too hard about Keir because he’s literally just a prop that is there for the purpose of having Rhys flex his power. It’s the epitome of wanting to have your cake and eat it too. She wants all aspects of what makes Rhys sexy and doesn’t care how she makes it happen. She wants the hot, powerful, wicked High Lord we got to see in ACOTAR, but she also wants the saint she made him out to be in the rest of the series. So we’re just supposed to ignore the fact that in making it plainly obvious that he is able to control these people means that he should be able to apply this to making innocent people’s lives better down there but isn’t.

Option 2) Rhys is deliberately allowing the wickedness and evil behavior to continue to put on a front for the rest of the world. He says that the Court of Nightmares is the version the outside world gets to see of the Night Court. It’s how Amarantha came to design her own court with it as an inspiration. It’s why everyone has such a negative view of the Night Court. Rhys is praised by the IC and pitied by much of the fandom for the “sacrifice” he makes in putting on this evil front and lets the world believe of him, in order to protect his “true” court--the Court of Dreams, the City of Starlight. I’m sorry, what sacrifice???? What is Rhys sacrificing of himself by doing this? He sits on his throne in total control and power while others grovel at his feet. I’m supposed to feel sorry for him that his reputation is being tarnished by the rest of the world seeing this while people like Mor are having nails driven into their bodies because they went against their family’s wishes regarding their virginity and marriage??? No, I’m sorry. The only people I feel sorry for are the people he is doing this on the backs of. Because the fact of the matter is: Rhys needs an evil court to put on this show for the rest of the world. And you can not have evil people without evil deeds. And you can not have evil deeds without victims. Evil people are evil because of their actions to other people.

So Option 2 is. . .Rhys is allowing people to be abused in the Court of Nightmares and not putting a stop to it because he needs an “Evil Court” smokescreen to protect his REAL court.

Again. . .do you see why I have such a hard time liking him???

Also, after ACOMAF the whole world knows about Velaris anyway. So there’s no need for a smokescreen evil court anymore. But has anything changed?? NOPE.

Not only that. . .but if this is the face he puts on for the people of the Hewn City, this is who most of the people there probably believe him to truly be. If another female, or anyone else really, is in a horrible situation like Mor’s, what would make them think that Rhys is someone they could approach or reach out to for help? They're probably terrified of him! The whole situation is just so fucked up and awful.

What’s also fucked up and awful is the fact that while all of this exists in both Illyria and the Hewn City, Rhys has a shelter/sanctuary in Velaris for abused women. Sorry, get your fake feminism out of here. You can’t stick that detail into the story and expect it to erase blatant abuse of women happening in two thirds of Rhysand’s court. . .under his watch!!!!! When he has the power to stop it!!!

I’ve heard many people try and make the claim that Rhys is written to be contradictory in this way to prove that he is a “morally gray character” and to that, I call total bullshit. For one, allowing the blatant abuse of women when you have the power to stop it isn’t “morally gray” , its borderline irredeemable. And two, I’ve said it before. . .listen to SJM talk about Rhys. Read the ACOTAR series. This woman is so far up his butthole, I’m wondering if he somehow offered her her own riverfront mansion. She honestly believes him to be God’s gift to humanity!!

So again, we’re back to my same age-old question: Is SJM a good writer or a bad writer?? I don’t really think it’s as simple as sticking one word on her writing to label it one way or the other. As I said, I’ve gotten immense enjoyment out of some of Sarah’s work and have been blown away by the places she takes her characters and stories. But in this case. . .it’s objectively awful. You’re giving me this character who you’re constantly telling me is good and righteous and incredible, beating me over the head with the level of worship he gets by the narrative, but then you’re making him do things that are like really blatantly terrible. And he faces NO accountability for it! Like???? You are the author??? You can control the things he does?? If you really believe that he’s that great, why don’t you just write him that way??? Why beat us over the head with how great he is, only to make him do awful things and then completely ignore them?? I’m telling you, it’s almost bizarre. . .like she’s seeing just how far she can go with what people will excuse. It's mind boggling!!

(Honestly what’s even more mind boggling is the sheer number of people who lap this up and accept it completely. For the life of me, I can not understand how people are so blind to this stuff!)

You can’t have it both ways, Sarah. You can’t tell us Rhys is the most powerful high lord ever born and expect me to believe that there’s nothing more he can do for Illyrian females and the “dreamers” of the Court of Nightmares. Especially when we’ve seen him demonstrate otherwise! Like I said earlier. . .if he’s not using his power for good, what is even the point of it??

So, to sum up: We are told over and over again how utterly powerful and incomparable Rhys is as well as what an honorable and giving High Lord he is. We see raw power displays from him where he swiftly and forcefully exerts brutal punishment on those who offend or go against him without so much as breaking a sweat. Despite this, he adopts a passive view on the Illyrians, banning wing clipping and the mistreatment of females but not doing anything to really enforce it, and continues to allow females in the Court of Nightmares to be abused and brutalized because he needs his evil Night Court aesthetic to protect the IC and Velaris.

My Ick Factor is OFF THE CHARTS.

And let me just end by saying….try and picture our Queen and Savior, Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius allowing the mutilation and abuse of women in Terrasen because “change is slow to happen”….and she needed some armies. AELIN WOULD NEVER.

It is a dream of mine to see her humble Rhys.

So, yeah. . .Rhys is a terrible High Lord. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Part 3 is probably my most highly anticipated rant---we’ll call it “Let’s Talk About Tamlin”. Coming soon!

#acotar critical #acomaf critical #sjm critical #anti rhysand #illyrians #court of nightmares #morrigan

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blackcat419 · 4 months

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Pros and Antis in HotD and aSoIaF Fandom: the breakdown around grey storytelling

I think I know why TB people struggle so much for understanding why TG is liked by people and it’s because fandom discourse has been so rotted away by “pro shippers” and “anti shippers” discourse that we’ve entered into a puritanical view of consuming media.

They see the media you consume as a direct reflection of the type of person you are and thus the characters you like must be similar to who you are as a person.

To a certain extent I get it, looking at a broad portfolio of media consumption can reveal a bit about a person. For example, I consume a lot of horror media. You can discern that I like being scared and the adrenaline that comes from it. But that’s only in a safe controlled situation where I can turn off the tv or monitor when it gets too much. I don’t like haunted houses, being alone at night, or even the dark.

Media is a safe place to explore different sides of humanity in a controlled setting where the only thing at risk is our own enjoyment. People can find that they like things in media that they wouldn’t like in real life. But this distinction is lost on a lot of fandom puritans. To them, media consumption is a political act. You reaffirm that you are a “good person” by watching the “good shows” and rooting for the “good guys”. To look upon a morally complex character or even the villain with interest and sympathy is thus to condone and support every action that character will be written to take.

But this idea of assuming moral righteousness from the characters you support in media because even harder to understand and justify when applied to stories like HotD and aSoIaF where every character possesses both good and evil. So how does a puritan fan reaffirm their belief that they are morally good in a series such as these? The fan will assign the idea oh moral correctness and superiority to the characters they like. Any bad, morally questionable, or straight up evil act the character commits will be justified as righteous no matter how the story frames those actions to the audience. The same is applied to characters these fans do not like. Every bad, morally questionable, or evil action is amplified to become the main character trait while any good, just, or morally righteous act is off written as either an evil act in disguise or any good to come out of the act should be attributed to another character. Any harm committed again the character is then down played as not that bad or actually deserved.

In HotD and aSoIaF, this fandom Puritanism mainly affects female characters.

In aSoIaF, we have characters such as Dany and Arya being framed as the morally righteous and just while characters such as Catelyn and Sansa are painted as villains. Weirdly this does not apply to actual villainous female characters likes Cersei. This could be because the books and show are very clear that her actions are evil and cruel, puritan fans do not feel insecure liking her as they feel secure that the story and thus other fans know she is a bad person and won’t assume liking her means viewing her as a good person. Characters such as Margery Tyrell and Arianne Martell are viewed with more complexity than other female characters but I bet once they come into conflict with beloved female characters, they will be viewed as villainous.

In HotD we see the same thing happening. Puritan fans see Rhaenyra as the perfect hero with any negative action being just or not her fault while Alicent is painted as more evil than the step mother from Cinderella who, despite all evidence to the contrary, wanted to be queen and this deserves everything that she gets.

This is why so many people have to explain to puritan fans that liking characters like Sansa, Catelyn, Alicent, Aegon, or Aemond does not make one bastardphobic, a rape apologist, or anti feminist. I also think it explains why these fans can’t except that their favorite characters have done wrong and hurt people. They can’t accept criticism or critique of their favorite character because to them it’s not another person’s reading of a fictional character, it’s someone judging them on their morals.

Puritanical fans interlock their identity and sense of self with the characters they like and struggle to separate criticism of those characters as criticism of themselves as a person.

#house of the dragon #hotd #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #hotd discussion #asoiaf discussion #hotd discourse #asoiaf discourse #Puritanism in fandom #puritanical fans

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tragicbeauty1991 · 21 days

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So I know I’m extremely late to the party, but I FINALLY got around to watching Wish now that it’s up on Disney+ and…I genuinely don’t understand why it got so much hate?? Sure, maybe it wasn’t on par with things like The Lion King or Frozen in terms of the lasting effect it’ll have on pop culture but it was still a good, fun film with original characters and plot and catchy songs. While I can see where some of the complaints are coming from, I feel like ultimately most of them blow the issues out of proportion. As for my personal thoughts on the film…

- The songs were good overall. Maybe not as memorable as some of my favorite ‘90s Disney jams, but topping Phil Collins and Elton John is admittedly hard to do. Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine were great, though. I honestly had no idea Chris Pine could sing so well. “At All Costs” was by far my favorite song of the entire film. I would have loved to see it as a love duet rather than singing to the wishes but regardless, it’s beautiful. “This is the Thanks I Get” got a lot of flak, but honestly, I thought it was catchy and fun—rather reminiscent of Gaston’s pub song about himself.

- Speaking of Magnifico… More backstory, please! I would love for a sequel to do what they did with Frozen and explain all the things that were not fully developed in the first film. I want to know details on what happened to Magnifico’s family… But man, oh man… Was I EVER happy to get a “real villain” again with more of a classic Disney feel—dramatic, over the top, a little unhinged…and just FUN. I think the reason so many people seem to be having a problem with him is that they don’t quite know how to categorize him, though, before his ultimate downward spiral after being possessed by the book. (I think after that point, no one would argue about him being a villain.) But before…while he’s definitely narcissistic and has a temper…he’s not straight-up evil. There’s a big difference in being a bit of a jerk and being someone who makes you legitimately fear for your life. In fact, we have several heroic characters in the Disney canon who at least start out their story in a similar vein. Prince Naveen, Peter Pan, and Emperor Kuzco, for example, are all full of themselves and entitled…but they ultimately choose to do the right thing when it comes down to people they care about. That is to say, Magnifico’s less than ideal character traits we see early on in the film shouldn’t automatically qualify him as a villain. He could frankly go either way. And then when he does “go dark” it’s ONE stupid decision on his part (going for the book) that ruins any chance he had of being like the aforementioned characters. Personally, I like the complexity…and the tragedy of what it means for Queen Amaya. Which reminds me…

- Yes, a villain power couple would have been fun. But honestly, I think I like this better. Partly because of the angst potential here. For all his faults, Amaya DOES genuinely love him, and watching him slowly lose his mind and himself to the power-hungry monster he becomes has to be absolutely heartbreaking for her. Also…maybe it’s just because I identify with Amaya here. I have been in a bad relationship where I did truly love the other person and thought they loved me…but ultimately, they seemed to love themselves more. And I made excuse after excuse for his behavior for a long time because I couldn’t see what he was doing to me…didn’t want to see it…because I loved him. People say Amaya had to have known sooner that something rotten was going on but I don’t know that she ever allowed herself to think anything other than the best of him. Amaya has a good heart…and sometimes those people see the best in others even when it isn’t there. What I really would have loved is to have Amaya and Magnifico sing a short reprise of “At All Costs” in which Amaya is asking, “Really? You’ll hoard all these wishes for your own selfish reasons even at the cost of losing your people’s love? Of losing me?” And Magnifico is just…stoically resolute. That would have hurt but it would have been so good!

- Similarly, I don’t get the complaint about Star. I wouldn’t mind seeing Star Boy like he was in the concept art and having a romance with Asha. But also…Star is ADORABLE, okay?? He may not speak but he has so much personality. Makes me think of like…Pascal in Tangled or even Tinkerbell.

- I know a lot of people complained about there being too many references to other Disney films but this just seems like a silly argument to me. Disney has always liked to leave little Easter eggs in their films and have some fun with crossovers. I am thinking of the Genie imitating Pinocchio and pulling Sebastian out of nowhere in Aladdin. Hidden characters in the background of other films like Flynn and Rapunzel showing up in Arendelle. Hidden Mickeys. And of course shows that were all about a Disney multi-verse that sort of pokes fun at itself like Once Upon a Time, House of Mouse, and even Ralph Breaks the Internet. With this being a special anniversary film, of course we ought to expect more nods to other films and Disney animation history. I thought it was cute. Especially Magnifico’s jab at Asha’s little moving drawing. (“Is that a talent?”) Made me literally laugh out loud.

- I think the one complaint I do agree with at least in part is the, “But Magnifico was right, though??” Some dreams shouldn’t come true. Especially if it’s a wish you’re making when you’re 18. There are definitely things I wished for at 18 that I am glad I did not get in hindsight. Sometimes what we wish for isn’t what’s best for us or others. And while Asha’s wishes are selfless and for others…she seems to assume that everyone else will also have equally harmless, selfless wishes. It’s sweet but perhaps a bit naive. Also…Asha has good intentions but it is rather funny and frustrating as the adult to watch this teenager come in and try to upset the whole system thinking she knows better than the person who has been running the kingdom for years. That said… Asha isn’t totally wrong either. The wishes do ultimately belong to the people who made them and it’s better even if it’s painful to have a dream in your heart than to be lacking purpose. It may be easier to forget the wishes entirely but certainly not healthier. Ironically, if only these two could have worked together, they actually would have made a great team.

Overall, I liked the film. And I think if I was still a child myself, I would have enjoyed it even more.

#wish #disney wish #wish 2023 #wish asha #princess asha #king magnifico #queen amaya #ariana debose #chris pine #Disney

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porryc · 1 year

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While watching the show, I actually realized that there are a lot of similarities between Gabriel and Marinette and Emilie and Adrien

As someone who has read the leaked scripts, what I wrote will contain little information about the story of Gabriel and Emilie, and if you do not want to get not even a little bit of spoiler, don’t read this

Depicted with Adrien sitting in Emilie's place and Marinette sitting in Gabriel's place

Let's start with Gabriel and Marinette ,

These two characters are the main protagonist and antagonist of the show, they have a lot of parallels even if they are the characters with the most irrelevant personalities on the show

* Gabriel is one of the most famous fashion designers in the world and Marinette is a young girl who wants to be a fashion designer.

* Marinette is the daughter of a middle-class and family despies all the charachters with rich and powerful family backgrounds and Gabriel wasn't born rich, as we learned on Style Queen, Audrey discovered him and she said he wouldn't have had the big name in the fashion world without her

* The key point of the two characters is that they are obsessively and passionately in love with their lover, they would do anything for that person.

* They have deified the person they love a little bit in their minds , Marinette's entire room is covered with photos of Adrien and Gabriel has a huge portrait of Emilie in his study room , a statue of her in his garden, and small pictures framed throughout in his house

* They both use the person they love as inspiration in their art , Marinette watches with great admiration as Adrien puts on her own design hat in Gabriel’s fashion show and we see Gabriel sketching Emilie in the Felix episode, and he dedicates his 100th collection to her in the Ephemeral episode

* Both characters tend to have a tantrum when they experience something bad

* Two of the characters have another love interest that in love with them but allows them to be with the person they love for their happiness , Luka to Marinette and Nathalie to Gabriel

* The family of the person they both love doesn't want them because they don't came from upper-class , Both characters do not have a wealthy background during their youth, and this was disliked by the upper-class family of the person they fell in love with

“You’re clinging to Marinette because her mediocrity allows you to shine with less effort”

“Adrien , I am your father and I know whats best for you and I am forbidding you have any relationship with Marinette Dupain-Cheng”

“Mom told me how you met , you both came from different worlds too but that didn’t stop you from loving each other”

and in the scripts of Episode 24, Kagami and Felix put on a show telling the story of Gabriel and Emilie and we gonna learn that Emilie was rejected from her family for being with Gabriel but she clearly doesn't care

“Altought at first she was rejected and frowned upon by her family”

In this scene where Kagami and Felix perform, their real names are not mentioned, they are referred to as "The Curious Princess" and "The Tailor"

Kagami : Like the curious princess and the tailor before them, they simply wanted to be free and love each other

In this scene, we learn that Gabriel and Emilie are in a forbidden love just like Marinette and Adrien and they are not allowed to love each other.

Let's move on to Emilie and Adrien

Obviously Emilie is a character who hardly ever speaks on the show so it's hard to find many parallels like Gabriel and Marinette but they do have some similar traits.

* They both came from rich and powerful families , Adrien's father is one of the most famous fashion designers in the world and his mother is an aristocrat and actress , The Graham De Vanilly’s are an aristocratic and noble Britsh family, and since her twin sister Amelie had a "Lady" title, she also had that title this means Emilie’s father is either a Duke or a Earl

* Adrien is a model working for his father's "Gabriel" brand and and Emilie at one point in her life worked for “Graham Films” which was owned by her own family

* According to Gabriel, they had similar personalities

“I’m sorry Ladybug, my son is just like his mother…too overly dramatic”

In Simon Says, Gabriel tells Chat Noir that no one can give him orders, but when Chat Noir shouts at him, he is shocked and suddenly starts to smile and says that Chat Noir's temper reminds him of someone and looks at the Emilie’s painting

* Clearly their wealthy and powerful families didn't want them to be with loved ones because of class differences and they both didn't care even though Adrien knew his father could see him, he took Marinette on a picnic date right outside his office and Emilie left her family

* This restrictive behavior of their family of these two characters clearly shows that both characters have a toxic family or a parent figure that doesn't want their happiness

* The two characters had very similar appearance (Obviously tho they are mother and son) And in a show that puts emphasis on the parallels of green eyes and blue eyes, two couples have that trait.

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ninetailedfoxmanchi · 1 year

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Aemond Targaryen x Reader: The Handmaid and the One-Eyed Prince

Warnings: sexual assault, violence, trauma

Short summary: you are the handmaiden to Princess Helaena and her brother-husband, Prince Aegon, tries to take advantage of you

No. of words: 3517

A/N: Should I develop this plot further or keep it as a one shot? Let me know, please <3

HOTD AND GOT MASTERLIST

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Just like young boys from noble houses became squires and cupbearers to lords higher than them, the same way girls from lower noble houses became handmaidens to prominent ladies. You were no exception only that you served Princess Helaena herself, the wife and sister of Aegon, the first son of King Viserys Targaryen. It was an incredible honour for your family. You did not dislike it either for Princess Helaena must have been one of the kindest and gentles people in all of the Seven Kingdoms; her young children no different. It was your duty to help the toddlers get dressed everyday and spent time with them, make sure they are fed and content. Sometimes Princess Helaena would give your duties onto one of the servants to be able to spend time with you since you’ve grown quite close in the past months. She was a peculiar being but equally astonishing. Most of all, she was kind to you unlike anyone else, which is something that you could not say for her brother-husband. It made your stomach twist into knots each time his lecherous gaze would fall upon your body and your eyes. Prince Aegon did not spend much time in his wife’s chambers – for which you were grateful – unlike his brother, Prince Aemond, who acted more as a father to his nephew and niece than Prince Aegon could ever hope to be (not that he had any interest, that was as plain as day).

Prince Aemond on the other hand was much like his sister yet completely different at the same time. He was always gentle and courteous with you as was Princess Helaena but as a person, his personality was entirely dissimilar. Perhaps it is easier to say that he was the complete opposite of his brother Aegon. Prince Aemond was a skilled swordsman able to unhorse a seasoned knight of twice his age. He also spent the majority of his time – when he was not practicing swordplay – with a book in his hand, studying languages, philosophy, history and warfare. He was dutiful and just despite his occasional quick temper and eternally unforgiving nature although he normally reserved those traits for the battlefield rather than the court.

Whereas most people found Prince Aemond intimidating, even hideous due to his scar and the sapphire eye you heard he was hiding beneath the leather eyepatch, you did not find him unhandsome. Quite the opposite really but you had to reserve your feelings for yourself, being a rather low-born lady from a house of little significance. On the other hand, it was Prince Aegon who many loved and admired for his good looks and false courtesies who you could not help but find absolutely revolting. From the way he treated his wife, Princess Helaena and neglected his children. But what frightened you most, were the atrocities you have heard he has committed to his servants. You often dined with the rest of the help of the Red Keep. You all gathered in the kitchens in the late evenings after the lords and ladies of the court had fallen asleep and heard tales that made you lose all your appetite.

It was only a few days ago when a comely girl called Dyana disappeared from court. You knew her better than most because she helped take care of the toddler twins. It was rumoured that Prince Aegon called her to his chambers and abused her with lack of any remorse or mercy. Some servants from the kitchens said they were in love but the Queen Alicent forbade their relationship. You knew that was but impossible, having met both Dyana and Prince Aegon but you did not say anything. The walls had ears and if you spoke ill of Prince Aegon yourself, a good chance was you might be next.

It was a few weeks later when the court celebrated the twins’ nameday. You escorted Princess Helaena and the children to the gardens of the Red Keep where they held the celebration. There was music and dancing and mummers and puppeteers. Prince Aegon was slouched in his chair with a cup of wine in his hand and a bored expression on his face. Prince Aemond and Queen Alicent were speaking near the stone fence overlooking the Blackwater Bay; Prince Aemond’s face unyielding as ever although the look in his eyes did soften whenever he spoke to his lady mother.

When you escorted Princess Helaena and the twins to the dais with chairs and pillows, little Princess Jaehaera began to cry for her toy dragon. You tried to console her but it was no use.

“I will fetch the toy, Princess,” you spoke gently to your lady. She smiled and nodded but you could only see, although with the corner of your eye, Prince Aegon’s bloodshot gaze that threatened to strip you naked. Your chest grew heavy as you bowed courteously and hurried back into the Red Keep.

The stairs made your abdomen hurt yet when you heard another pair of footsteps on your trail, you forgot all about the pain. You did not want to look around because you already knew what you were about to see although you prayed to all the gods you could think of to it not be true. Before you even managed to look around, a rough hand clasped around your elbow. You gasped at the sight of Prince Aegon as he pushed you in the nearby room. There was a table there rich with foods, a bed with canopy and a dead hearth. It must have been just another lord or lady’s chamber but Prince Aegon could not care less. He pushed you against the table, causing the entire thing to move. The wine spilled from the cups and the food scattered.

“Please let go of me, my Prince,” you urged, trying to keep stoic and convince him this was folly but he would not listen. He was drunk besides.

“Shut up,” he growled as he grabbed your hair, his teeth baring. There was so much wine on his breath, it made you ill to your stomach. Your eyes watered despite you struggling against it.

It was when the forced you around and tore at your gown that you lost all sense of his position on yours. All you wanted to do was to save yourself. You fought back and kicked at him, reaching back to claw at his arms. You left scratch marks on his hands, the sight of blood angering him blind.

“How dare you!” spat Prince Aegon and slammed your head flat against the table. You yelped and lost all sense of reality. The room was spinning as sickness crept up in your stomach but you would not give in. You could not; it was not in your nature.

As you sobbed and tears blocked your vision, Prince Aegon had already forced himself inside you. You screamed as you clawed against the table, your fingers grasping a shard of a broken cup. You reached back with as much strength as was left in you. The glass cut Prince Aegon’s cheek. He staggered on the floor, drunk as he was, dismayed by the blood that soaked his hand and nearly blinded him. The princely crown fell off his head and rolled into the ashen hearth. You let go of the bloodied piece of broken glass, equally stunned by your actions. You stumbled back a few steps before turning on your heel and running away for dear life.

Princess Jaehaera’s toy was the last thing on your mind as you ran to your own small chambers and barred the door. You slipped to the floor as an uncontrollable cry took hold of you. Your palm was bleeding as well from handling the sharp piece of glass but it was the least of your pains.

A servant girl came asking about you shortly after on Princess Helaena’s orders. You could only say you were not feeling well and asked for a basin of scalding hot water. It was only when they brought it, that you opened the door to take it. You barred the door once again and took off your torn gown. You scrubbed your body raw, unable to supress the sobs escaping your chest as you did so. Despite the water so hot it nearly made your skin burn, despite the brush you used to scrub yourself, you still felt dirty although the worst was yet to come.

When evenfall came, you did not go down to eat. You could not bring yourself to look anyone in the eye although they did not know, they could not know, what had happened, much less find the appetite to eat. Instead, you curled in your bed and cried. Each time you fell asleep, you saw Prince Aegon finishing what he’d started or even worse, you falling with child. You stopped him in real life before he could make you with child but you could never be sure.

It was a long and arduous night. It would have given you more rest if you had not even tried to fall asleep in the first place. But when dawn broke and morning came, a servant girl came to wake you as she always did. The toddlers would be up soon and given that no one seemed to know what had happened, it probably would not matter even if they did, you still had a job to do.

You crawled from under the covers and fumbled with a gown. Your hands were trembling both from the morning chill as well as from fear. When you finally managed to dress yourself, the reflection in the mirror near made you gasp. Where your head hit the table yesterday, was now a massive red-purple bruise, covering the entire temple and even parts of your cheek. It hurt to touch but you applied powder to your face as best as you could. You brushed your hair to the injured side and styled it in a way that concealed the bruise.

You were just in time when you arrived to Princess Helaena’s chambers. The toddlers had just awakened and broken their fast.

“Princess,” you spoke quietly as you bowed. She was getting dressed herself, assisted by her many maids.

“Oh, hello, Lady Y/N,” spoke Princess Helaena absent-mindedly. “You may dress the children when they’re done eating,” she spoke as kindly and gently as ever. You could tell no one knew a thing by the unchanged expressions on their faces. It was a day like any other.

You nodded and bowed once again before greeting the children. It was a wonder how such innocent and kind souls could come from a creature as foul as Prince Aegon. You brushed their silver-gold hair and washed their little faces before helping them get dressed in matching outfits. A maroon red dress for Princess Jaehaera and breeches and a doublet of the same colour for the young Prince Jaehaerys.

In the meantime, Prince Aemond joined his sister for breakfast. He bowed his head courteously to you when he saw you playing with the children, a shadow of a smile in the corner of his lips. Prince Aemond broke fast with his sister although they barely spoke half a dozen words each. They were both quiet by nature yet seemed to enjoy each other’s company. Contrary to some rumours, Prince Aemond and Princess Helaena were only kindred spirits but never lovers. Dutiful in her nature, Princess Helaena remained loyal to her husband although he did not display the same courtesy to her.

After the breaking of fast, Princess Helaena was summoned to her lady mother, Queen Alicent, for a walk in the gardens whilst Prince Aemond settled with a book in the settee where you played with the children. Prince Jaehaerys played with building blocks whilst his sister occupied herself with the toy dragon that looked like her mother’s pale blue-silver claim, Dreamfyre.

Prince Aemond tried to read his book but his gaze kept on drifting to you. The way your hair fell on the side of your neck, the way your skin bathed in the morning sun, the way your fingers stroked Princess Jaehaera’s hair.

The little girl pretended her toy dragon flew then rested on your shoulder and kissed your cheek. You could not help but smile and forget about yesterday even if only for a moment. But then her small little hand reached to your face. You thought she wanted to touch the ornate pin in your hair but her fingers went to the other side of your face. Before she could even touch your skin, you flinched instinctively.

“Red... red…” blubbered the little girl, “Caraxes…” she murmured, her focus back on her own toy. You realized the colour of your bruise reminded her of the colour of her great uncle Daemon’s dragon.

“What happened to your face, Lady Y/N?” asked Prince Aemond out of the sudden although you prayed he might have lost himself in the book and not heard his niece. You glanced up for but a moment but the prince’s gaze was already upon you. A look so determined in his blue-lavender eye as he closed his book that made you avert your gaze right away.

“It’s… It’s nothing,” you spoke quietly, “I stumbled on the stairs yesterday when I went to fetch Princess Jaehaera’s toy.” Your lie seemed convincing enough to you but not to someone like Prince Aemond.

“What a coincidence,” he began. “My brother got injured himself yesterday. Says he fell asleep with his dagger still on him and it somehow cut his cheek.”

Your eyes were pin-pointed on the little princess’ toy dragon as you pushed tears further and further away. It took every fragment of strength still in your body to keep you from crying.

“I’m sorry that happened to his Royal Highness,” you spoke quietly for if you rose your voice any higher, it would surely have broken.

“What I find strange,” said Prince Aemond slowly, “Is that it must have happened the same time you disappeared after going to fetch my niece’s toy.” His voice was dark and steady as he spoke those words. Yours hands began to tremble one again as you stared down at the toy. You did not blink your eyes once but tears fell down your cheeks nevertheless. A part of you hoped Prince Aemond would understand you did not mean to hurt his brother or perhaps Princess Helaena could be so kind and forgive you because she knew what her husband was like. But you realized you have been foolish to hope for something like that. They were all siblings and should Princess Rhaenyra’s claim for the Iron Throne fail, Prince Aegon was the heir apparent and you were but a woman from a house which could hardly even be considered noble, much less wealthy or powerful. The punishment for assaulting a member of the royal family was death, surely.

Prince Aemond put away his book and knelt down beside you. You could not even raise your head to look him in the eye, you could not even move other than shaking from fear alone. You could not see the look on Prince Aemond’s face when he moved the hair from the side of your neck. His fingertips merely brushed against the bruise on your temple but you winced nevertheless. He could see that you tried to hide it beneath powder but it could not hide the painful red and purple marks. They were too deep.

“I…” you began as more silent tears escaped down your cheeks. “I didn’t… I didn’t want to hurt him…” you stuttered, “But if… if I hadn’t…” you continued yet a quiet sob broke your voice. Prince Aemond stood up and you thought he was going to drag you to the dungeons for laying a hand on his royal brother, but instead, he stormed out of the chambers.

You broke down entirely, sobbing so hard not a single sound escaped your mouth. Your arms were wrapped around your abdomen as you waited for Prince Aemond to return with guards or a sword to punish you. But he did not return. He did not even lunch with Princess Helaena and the children like he often would.

You were given leave by your lady to retire to your chambers for the afternoon. When you sat down at the edge of the bed, you felt more exhausted than ever. The memories of yesterday kept intruding your thoughts, the contemplations of what will happen to you as well. Prince Aemond did not seem to tell his sister of what had happened since she behaved no differently than usual.

The door to your bedchamber burst open, making you jump to your feet. Your eyes were wide and fearful as they fell upon Prince Aemond. He was holding his older brother by the collar of his doublet. He pushed him to the floor, forcing him to kneel.

“Kneel!” commanded Prince Aemond as his brother tried to fight back but he was no match for him. Prince Aemond was as skilled of a warrior as any whilst Aegon barely managed to stumble to the training court once in a turn of a moon. “Kneel and pray for my lady’s forgiveness, you fool,” snarled Prince Aemond, pushing his brother to his knees with ease once again. The crown prince gritted his teeth, drunk as always as he looked from under his forehead.

“I pray your forgiveness, Lady Y/N.”

You were too stunned to speak but you could make yourself nod although barely visibly.

“The next time you even take a look at Lady Y/N, I’ll geld you myself. You already have heirs so do not think I won’t do it,” snarled Prince Aemond against Aegon’s ear before letting go of his neck. Prince Aegon staggered to his feet like a young pup and scrammed for the door. But before he could leave, Prince Aemond grabbed the back of his head and slammed it against the hard oaken door.

“I’ll take this as payment for Lady Y/N suffering,” said Prince Aemond calmly. Prince Aegon turned around, a fury so deep in his pale eyes it made you think the two brothers were going to kill each other. But when Aegon saw the smirk on his younger brother’s lips, he thought twice. Slamming the door on his way out, Prince Aegon disappeared yet you flinched once again at the loud bang of wood against stone.

Prince Aemond was staring at the floor, embarrassed for his brother, before he rose his gaze to you. You were looking at him paralyzed. Your heart was beating so fast you thought it might give out. Everything you thought would happen did not because of Aemond. You always thought his kindness towards you was but courtesy. You dared not think he might actually care for you. But your heart filled with warmth when your eyes locked. Your mouth parted when Prince Aemond made his way towards you. You took a step back but Aemond cupped your cheeks nevertheless, careful not to touch the painful bruise. His thumbs caressed your skin as he towered over you but you had never felt safer.

“I’ll ask the Grand Maester himself to take a look at your injury, my lady,” spoke Prince Aemond gently as he studies your bruise. “An ointment, milk of the poppy if need be.”

You shook your head lightly as tears filled your eyes once again. “If I could ask for anything,” you began, a tear slipping from each eye.

“Anything,” breathed Prince Aemond.

“I’d like to ask for moon tea,” you whispered and looked down. You were ashamed of yourself yet what had happened was not even your fault.

Prince Aemond did not say anything which forced you to look up into at face once again. You could see him come to understand that you could not defend yourself completely. His eye was wide and his lips parted. In an instant, his nostrils flared and his mouth formed a thin line. Prince Aemond let go of your face and pulled the dagger from its sheath. He turned around, storming for the door, intent on making his threat to Aegon come true.

“No, please, Aemond!” you begged and hurried after him. You wrapped your arms around his torso before he could reach the door and stopped him on his tracks. “Please, don’t,” you pleaded, your forehead leaned against his back, “Please…”

Prince Aemond was breathing heavily in anger but when you called his name, his name alone and not his title, it made his heart catch in his throat. He put his free hand over your palms, squeezing them reassuringly as he closed his eyes. You stood there in silence before you broke once again. Your tears turned into crying, your crying into a heart-breaking sob. Aemond put away his dagger and turned around, cradling your head against his chest. He caressed your hair and kissed the top of your head but his heart was burning with merciless desire to destroy his brother.

#game of thrones #got #house of the dragon #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen fanfiction #hotd fanfic #imagine #hotd

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heavy-is-the-crown-if · 2 years

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The game will be rated 18+ for strong languages, heavy themes, and the possible presence of explicit sexual content.

Heavy is the crown...

That's the first thing Merlin said to you after you woke up in their tower (right after he told you that you were definitely not what he expected but that “we'd deal with it.” But how much weight can a bruised ego carry in the face of the survival of a Kingdom?)

For generations, your family has been in charge of protecting the Sword of Light, and like every 1st born of your generation, it's up to you to pass it on to its true owner.

And here you are, with Clarent, the twin blade of excalibur in your hands. And according to Merlin that's enough to send you on a quest.

You must at all costs reunite the knights of the round table, find Arthur and Morgana and save Camelot (you must also defeat Uther Pendragon, but we'll see about that later...)

Anyway, Merlin has assured you that they will accompany you. They're a powerful sorcerer, right? So what could go wrong?

Arthur Pendragon/Le Fay (The Young Dragon) He/Him

Everyone portrays the young king of Camelot as fair, loyal and kind, and while your family is no stranger to complimenting the young dragon, they know there is more to him than this bright side. Dark whispers also follow the discussion about the young king among your own. And if every coin has two sides, one can only wonder which one you will meet.