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hello-nichya-here · 3 months

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Azula's mommy issues how it does (and doesn't) affect her personality and theoretical redemption

Ah, Ursa and how she ties into a possible Azula redemption. I recommend you get a snack and some water, because this answer is gonna be a long one XD

Before we even get to the dynamic between these two characters and how it informed Azula's actions, let's remember THE main thing that is responsible for Azula being the way she is: Indoctrination.

Her nation had been waging war against the rest of the world for 100 hundred years. Azula is 14. For 86 years her family had been telling everyone, including themselves, that the war was just, it was for the good of the world and of the Fire Nation, it was "sharing their glory", it was just them taking over land that was rightfully theirs because of "divine right to rule" (something Azula herself says to Lu Fang when she's taking over Ba Sing Se).

We see children cheering for a puppet version of Fire Lord Ozai in a festival, as he defeats an "evil" Earth Kingdom general. We are explicitly shown that Fire Nation schools lie about things like the Air Nomads, a pacifist culture, having an ARMY that Sozin's men attacked, framing it more as a mutual conflict between equals in which the Fire Nation won, instead of a sudden attack against an entire group of people that were just minding their business.

We see IROH write a letter about how he hopes his family can see Ba Sing Se IF THEY DON'T HAVE TO BURN IT TO THE GROUND to conquer it - and not only do Zuko and Azula both laugh, URSA is also laughing.

Azula was raised to believe her nation had every right to do all the attrocities it commited. And just like Zuko, she is still a teenager, not an adult like her dad, uncle or mom - and while they had less excuse than the Fire Siblings for not knowing any better since they were already grown, they do still have more excuse than Azulon and especially Sozin, since they were ALSO raised to believe that stuff was perfectly normal.

Even if Ursa had been a perfect mom, Azula would likely still be a villain, though maybe less bitter and insecure over feeling unworthy of love (but that would not disappear completely, since Ozai was still an abusive dad that very clearly expected perfection from his children at all times, which is way too much pressure to put on anyone, let alone on two kids. And since she was his favorite, she'd obviously try to copy him, so she wouldn't end up like Zuko, so her more cruel, ruthless side would also be very present).

HOWEVER, that does not change the fact that Ursa's flawed parenting had a deep impact on her daughter.

For starters, even the creators/showrunners and writers of the show have said Zuko is her favorite child - and a parent playing favorites is NEVER good, even if they don't downright abuse the one they don't like as much. And for a kid that is in an abusive home, seeing her brother be treated as completely worthless because he is not the favorite, it isn't that hard to understand how Azula concluded that, if her mom didn't like her as much as she liked Zuko, it's because she didn't like her AT ALL. Add in Ursa's concern over Ozai's influence over Azula and how it's shaping her personality, plus the fact that she said "What's wrong with that child?" WITH AZULA IN THE ROOM, and we have the source of her belief her mom didn't just dislike her, but also saw her as monster.

Because yeah, let's not forget Azula had TWO parents. Two parents that clearly wanted very different things from their children. Ursa was cool with all the imperialism stuff, but she was horrified at the thought of the family being at war with itself, fighting for the crown. She was a bad guy, but she had standards. Meanwhile Ozai was clearly on team "stab everyone in the back to get what you want, then rule by fear." Once her mom was out of the picture, Azula naturally felt like her dad had essentially proven his method was better, since he ended up getting everything he wanted (though Azula does question that in the finale, when she imagines Ursa of all people trying to make her see trying to use fear to force people into supporting/loving her would only further isolate her, showing some part of her DID internalize a point of view that did not align with Ozai's).

But even before Ursa was forced to disappear from her daughter's life, she was already failing to connect with her, but not solely because of Ozai. Think about it. We see lots of scenes of Ursa spending time just with Zuko, and some of her with both of her kids - but never do we get even a single scene just between her and Azula.

When Zuko immitates Azula's bad behavior (because he thought it was cool and funny) and throws bread (not a rock like the fandom insists, BREAD) at the turtleducks, Ursa is visibly shocked and distressed, but she EXPLAINS to Zuko why what he did was wrong (it hurt the baby turtleduck, and thus made the mother mad) in a VERY light-hearted way that he clearly remembers fondly. When Azula says things about Azulon being likely to die soon or Iroh being pathetic, Ursa is shocked and distressed - and either just says "Azula, we don't speak like that" or a very angry "Young lady, not another word" but without ever trying to explain to her why what she did was wrong.

Meanwhile, ZUKO actually says things like "How would you like it if Lu Ten wanted dad to die?" or explaining that Iroh gave up on conquering Ba Sing Se out of grief for his only child. Those two scenes were the CLOSEST Azula got to having someone actually try to explain things to her in a way she could understand - but obviously she's not gonna take her brother as seriously as she would an adult, and Zuko has his own stuff to deal with so he can't step up and be a replacement parent to her like Iroh was to him (and considering how young he was at the time, expecting him to do so would be unreasonable - hell, he likely didn't even notice just how badly Azula needed help until she had her breakdown).

Things get worse if we take the comics as canon (which I don't, but I know a lot of people do). On that version of the story, Ursa goes from "Making effort, but screwed up along the way" to "Neglectful/abusive piece of shit that should have her kids taken away."

Comics!Ursa's idea fo "quality time with her kids" involves talking solely to Zuko and ignoring Azula, instead of interacting with both of them. She doesn't encourage them to spend time with each other like she did in the show. When she is banished, she visits both her kids - but only wakes Zuko up. He gets a sweet farewell so he always gets to remember that, no matter what happened, his mom loved him and did not want to leave him. Azula doesn't get a single word, and is left to believe her mom didn't even bother with her.

Worse of all, Ursa CHOOSES TO FORGET HER OWN KIDS. After she had explicitly said she does not believe they are truly safe living with Ozai. After she explicitly said to Zuko "Never forget who you are." Not to mention, she writes a letter with the fake claim that Zuko is actually NOT Ozai's kid - because she knows he will read it and get mad. She risked putting her son in danger just to piss off her husband. That's what she did to the kid she LIKED. How low would she go if the kid in danger was the kid she didn't care for? Oh, wait the comics answer that too. She never bothered asking ANYTHING about what had happened to her all those years (nor to the kid with a scar on his face, mind you), showed more empathy towards her when she COULDN'T remember who she was (and even then it was just a "If I really am your mom, I'm sorry I didn't love you enough." That's it. That's all Azula gets), and she doesn't do ANYTHING about Azula running away. No asking Zuko or someone else to find her, no crying about losing her again, no indication that she is worried about her safety even though she is all alone and mentally unstable.

The comics really did Azula dirty, and I HATE Ursa in it. It reached the point of "I don't want these two to make up, I want Azula to give a whole speech about how much her mom sucks, just like Zuko did with Ozai" because that's what she deserves. Show!Ursa made mistakes, Comics!Ursa IS a mistake. The sympathy for Azula despite her bad actions grows significantly on that version of the story, because how the fuck can we speak her to not be so mad at the world after all that?

But at last, we need to make an important distinction clear here: It doesn't matter if we are talking about the comics or the show, if we like or dislike Azula, if we do or don't want her to be redeemed, the simple fact still is that she WAS screwed over her entire life, her troubled relationship with her mom had a deep and longlasting impact on her mental health, and there was no way in hell she would have EVER been an innocent little angel that is 100% against everything her evil father does. It's just impossible considering her backstory.

And there is a very clear double-standard in how people talk about the idea of a redeemed Azula VS the reality of a redeemed Zuko. Both start with the premise of "This bad guy has understandable, sympathetic reasons to do bad things, since they were indoctrinated from birth and had a terrible family life", both include the character having to see how their actions are hurting them AND others (including those they care about, Zuko's "victim" being Iroh, while Azula's are Mai and Ty Lee. Plus, they've both hurt each other in some ways, some more deliberate than others), and both culminate with the character turning their life around, confronting those who wronged them, and finding a support system for themselves.

Yet one is treated as revolutionary despite not being the first redemption arc ever (nor the only redemption arc in the story itself), nor being perfectly written (because perfect writting doesn't exist), while the other is labelled as lazy, out of character, or "making excuses" for bad people just because they had a tough life (like Azula is an actual person). There is no thematic or moral difference between redeeming Zuko and redeeming Azula, especially in a show that says "EVERYONE has the potential for great good and great evil" and ends with Zuko telling his abuser he hopes he'll also have a change of heart someday, even if he is not sticking around to witness or actively try to make it happen.

Redeeming Azula is no different than redeeming Zuko. It's perfectly fine to want to just one of these things instead of both, but it is NOT a superior choice in anyway, and it's very hypocritical of the same fandom that criticizes the idea of a redeemed Azula because "mommy issues isn't a good enough reson" when they can't stop praising the redemption arc that has "the villain had daddy issues" as it's core premisse. Personal preference is one thing. Being a dick about it is another.

#actual human child azula #literal child soldier azula #azula meta #azula deserved better #azula redemption

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fang-revives · 4 months

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Syb's 2023 MOTY List!

I had a lot of fun doing this roundup last year! Though it feels like a patchier year than 2022 for great wrestling, there were still a few real standouts that blew my socks clean off. Here's my top 5 recs!

Jay White NJPW Departure Series (Wrestle Kingdom 17 IWGP Heavyweight Belt 04.01.20203, Loser Leaves Japan Match vs. Hikuleo 11.02.2023, Loser Leaves NJPW Match vs. Eddie Kingston 18.02.2023)

It was so hard to pick a single match from this series so I chose not to. The sequence of these really tells a complete story I was fully glued to in real-time. The IWGP WK match I slept on a little bit because everyone was buzzing over Omega vs. Ospreay, but I have to say when I finally watched it, it has wormed its way into my brain and has not stopped chewing. The Hikuleo match broke me a little for the last offered too-sweet. And if you forced me to pick a match of the three to recommend, it would be Eddie vs. Jay. There’s something special about Eddie being the man with so much integrity, so much love for puroresu, that he almost made me believe Jay would fight for New Japan and win. I’ll close this by saying it felt really graceful that Jay got to put an endpoint on his time in New Japan, and tell a little story with it. I’m not sure most wrestlers get the chance for whatever reason when their contract ends, but this felt like a beautiful Shakespearean tragedy, and a great way to end a killer run in NJPW.

Yota Tsuji vs. Ren Narita (G1 Climax 33, 18.07.2023)

The most memorable G1 Climax match for me by a long shot. Physical, deranged, so many gorgeous spots (that I will miss dearly from Narita specifically as he heads off to do…whatever it is that you can call House of Torture spots). I rewatched this three times. I loved the tie booking for the Reiwa Three Muskateers, it made A-block super fun. I was really hopeful after Tsuji’s backstage comments that they’d make a story out of Narita shedding Shibata’s shadow…alas for the booking that wasn’t.

Saki Akai Retirement Match (Tag match with Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani, vs. Kazusada Higuchi & Naomichi Marufuji & Miyu Yamashita, 12.11.2023)

There is so much to miss about Saki Akai. Although I honestly and sincerely wish more wrestlers would retire younger and let their bodies rest (or at least do a soft retirement and then come back to do bullshit) – god, I’m going to miss her. She’s been a mainstay on the DDT roster for as long as I’ve been watching and before, and carries the intergender work with unparalleled grace. This match was booked as a unique treat for me; who had an Eruption moment back when Sakaguchi and Higuchi had their singles match, and who loves both Marufuji and Yamashita.

Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page Texas Deathmatch (AEW Full Gear 18.11.2023)

TOXIC!!! YAOI!!! DEATHMATCH!! INSANE!!! This match probably would have made it on the list for the “stapling my son’s drawing and then drinking the blood from the wound” spot alone, good god. If people didn’t believe Swerve was a mega-star before this match, they surely do now. Match that made me dissolve into monkey noises, and easily my favourite AEW match this year.

Mask vs. Mask 5-Way Cage Survival (Dragon Kid vs Shun Skywalker vs Strong Machine J vs Ultimo Dragon vs Diamante, 02.07.2023)

Dragongate is honestly a promotion I’d love to have the time and attention span to carve out some more space for. Luckily I do have puro friends who are willing to catch me up on the dynamics so I can swing by for banger matches like these. And wow, holy shit, this was a cagematch for the age. Pulling on the drama of Dragon Kid who promised the survival of his older mentor Ultimo Dragon – leading into the personal beef of Strong Machine J and Diamante, and crystallizing to another horrible moment from one of wrestling’s best working heels right now, Shun Skywalker. This match had it all!

Honorable Mentions

Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW Grand Slam 2023, 20.09.2023)

Jun Kasai & El Desperado vs. Masashi Takeda & Rina Yamashita Thumbtack Board & Razor Cross Board Alpha Death (Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS, 11.08.2023)

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kazuki Hirata"Let's Have Fun!!" What Will Happen!? Fun Death Match (DDT Ultimate Party 2023, 12.11.2023)

#syb 2023 moty list #new year #pro wrestling #match recs #aew #njpw #dragongate #ddt pro wrestling

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the-whole-shebang · 10 months

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So I just finished watching the movie Nimona on Netflix and even though not many people are going to understand this I wanted to rant about something I noticed after watching.

I wanted to talk about the scene at the very beginning when Ambrosius cuts off Ballister's arm when his sword accidently kills the queen and what it says about the Knight's Institute. At the beginning, it's very quickly established that Ambrosius and Ballister are not only dating but love and trust each other and have know one another for years. Ambrosius knows Ballister and understands his dedication to the queen and the Institute, which at first made me wonder why he reacted to the queen's death by chopping off Ballister's arm. Surely he knows Ballister enough to notice the complete shock and surprise on his face when it happened and to realize that it didn't align with Ballister's beliefs and actions thus far, and even if he didn't pick up on that, why would he immediately default to cutting off the arm of the man he loves?

I think the reason for this is likely because of the way the Institute raises and trains the knights. It teaches them to put orders and fearful instinct over their own reasoning and understanding. Fear is what guides their decisions, and it leaves no room for rational thinking or a growth mindset. Furthermore, Nimona acknowledges this later in the movie when she questions why Ballister is going to Ambrosius for help after he chopped off his arm. He responds by saying that Ambrosius didn't do anything wrong and was just disarming a weapon, and Nimona says that they (the Institute) really brainwashed him good. Ambrosius also acknowledges that his reaction was out of character and impulsive in his pretend monolouge to the Director and more subtly in his shocked and horrified expression at his own actions.

I definitely didn't pick up on this when I first watched the scene and found it very strange, but I now think that's exactly the point. It's meant to sow doubt in the system and the Institute because it reveals how flawed their mindset is. The focus on instinctual fear over true justice and open-mindedness was holding the kingdom back, keeping them trapped in a cycle of fear and ignorance, which is symbolized in Ambrosius' actions.

Maybe this was obvious, but I found it fascinating nonetheless. I highly recommend watching the whole movie if you haven't yet!

#nimona #nimona movie #nimona netflix #nimona analysis #movie analysis #movie #netflix #netflix movie #new netflix movie

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mediawhorefics · 28 days

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hi, i saw you recommended some lgbtq books a while ago but it's impossible to find anything from tumblr later on, so do you know any good fantasy/sci-fi/action/contemporary m/m books? like with actual plot instead of just romance and also with characters and (platonic) relationships other than the main couple. thanks!

hiiiii, sorry this is super late, but of course i can!

(apologies in advance cos some of these are prob books i’ve recced before 🤪✌🏻)

-> captive prince trilogy (cs pacat) | if you’re looking for something with actual plot, cp has a big political overarching plot that’s super compelling about the two princes of neighbouring enemy kingdoms trying to reclaim their respective thrones. there’s lots of triggering content so do look it up before… but while the romance is the main event, the political aspect of the book is really detailed and engaging.

-> dark rise trilogy (cs pacat) | 2 out of 3 books are out currently and the m/m romance is not the focus so far though it’s been well teased/a good slow start. the whole trilogy is a subversion of the classic medieval chosen one trope ft. an old world of magic being reawakened, a dark king’s return and an order of knights trying to prevent it. great found family vibes. ya historical fantasy.

-> hither page (cat sebastian) | a jaded spy and a shell-shocked country doctor team up to solve a murder in postwar england. historical murder mystery!

-> big bad wolf series (charlie adhara) | an ex fbi agent gets transferred to a secret agency dealing with werewolf crimes after being attacked by one of them. human and werewolf relations are tense and he ends up paired with a wolf agent from the wolf agency that echoes his to solve a series of brutal crimes. ok, i know this sounds like straight up werewolf porn, but i was really surprised by how engaging and well written the mysteries were in this series. i’m talking twists and shit, compelling/complex side characters…. this series completely took me by surprise.

-> seven summer nights (harper fox) | post war england, a shell-shocked archaeologist and a vicar fall in love while trying to uncover a small town’s archaeological mystery in the south downs.

-> the last binding series (freya markse) | edwardian magical mystery series, each book focuses on a different queer couple while following an overarching mystery/plot that threatens the welfare of magical britain. big found family vibes, lots of great side characters introduced in each book that then become leads in later books, beautiful writing.

-> a taste of gold and iron (alexandra rowland) | ottoman empire inspired fantasy world, a prince and his bodyguard must investigate a break in at one of their guilds, the results of which could save their queen’s reign.

-> the will darling adventures (kj charles) | 1920s mystery adventure series. great side characters, insp by 20s pulp novels. a wwi vet turned bookseller get swiped up in mystery and a spy he’s not sure he can trust. first one is a bit slower, but it picks up in book 2 & 3.

-> the kingdoms (natasha pulley) | 19th century alternate history mystery. an amnesiac journeys from london to a scottish lighthouse to try and unlock the mystery of his forgotten past. complex narrative and extremely immersive storytelling. the romance is central but subtle.

-> the binding (bridget collins) | 19th century historical fantasy. emmet is training to be a bookbinder in a world where books contain people’s memories and are highly controversial… eternal sunshine of the spotless mind vibes.

-> less (andrew sean greer) | arthur less is going on a worldwide literary tour to avoid going to his ex’s wedding. this book really took me by surprise, it was so delightful.

-> the house in the cerulean sea (tj klune) | linus baker, a case worker for the department in charge of magical youth, gets sent to an orphanage for so labelled 'dangerous' children in order to evaluate whether they're about/able to end the world and if the orphanage/the man in charge of it is best for them. big feel good book, really funny, great found family vibes, subtle love story, wonderful side characters.

-> the bedlam stacks (natasha pulley) | merrick tremayne is called upon by the india office to go on a dangerous expedition deep in peru to fetch quinine (essential for the treatment of malaria) despite the debilitating injury that almost cost him a leg. every expedition before his has yielded no results apart from dead bodies, but merrick has family history deep in the country so he goes against his better judgement. there, he meets raphael, a priest surrounded by strange stories of disappearances, cursed woods and living stones, and who might hold the key to his family’s past. really cool world building, really immersive writing, very subtle romance. more plot heavy than romance heavy, but it's still !!!!

-> salt magic, skin magic (lee welch) | lord thorny is cursed and can't leave his father's estate. trapped there for over a year now, he is slowly losing his mind. until industrial magical john blake arrives on the land to investigate an unrelated case involving witchcraft. soon enough the men get closer and must work together to figure out a way to break thorny's curse. historical fantasy, good mystery, fun twists. i haven't read this one in a while, but i remember really enjoying the mythology.

-> the watchmaker of filiigree street & sequel (natasha pulley) | telegraphist thaniel receives a mysterious watch on his birthday whose pre-set alarm saves him from a terrorist bombing on scotland yard. since the bomb was made with clockwork parts and only the bomber could have known when to set the alarm, thaniel is sent by a detective investigating the bombing to live with the suspected watchmaker to figure out what’s going on. sherlock holmes vibes. slow burn/subtle romance. delightful writing.

-> under the whispering door (tj klune) | an unpleasant and selfish man in life, wallace price meets his reaper at his near-empty funeral and gets taken to a whimsical tea shop where he meets hugo, the ferryman whose job it is to help him move on and crossover into the afterlife. a task that becomes complicated as wallace starts developing feelings for hugo. found family vibes.

#about me #books #book rec

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tessa-liam · 5 months

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Smoke and Mirrors

11 –The Lantern Festival

Book: The Royal Romance Finale AU

Series Premise: Hidden in the shadows, poised to challenge the status quo are enemies of the state. The loyalties and honesty of family and friends will be tested. ‘Keep your friends close, your enemies closer’.

Smoke and Mirrors Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks-Rys, OTP ‘LiRi’

2nd Pairings: Leo Rys x Amalas, Drake Walker x F!OC Delaney Leigh, Olivia Nevrakis x M!OC Alex Cossoy

*Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios

*Not Beta’d, please excuse all errors

Rating: M🔞*Series Warnings: NSFW material, sexual innuendo, adult language/swearing/drinking/gun violence. Not recommended for anyone under 18 years of age.

Category: Alternate Universe/on-going series/angst/fluff

Words: 2476

Smoke and Mirrors

The Lantern Festival - 11

Chapter Summary: The Cordonian Royal Family join in the celebrations for the annual Valtorian Lantern Festival.

Music Inspiration: Feels Like Home, Diana Krall, Bryan Adams

A/N1: My submission for @choicesflashfics Week #61, Prompt 1, "You're my favorite."➡️"Favorite what?"➡️"Everything." and Week #60, Prompt 1, “I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

Valtorian Estate, Cordonia

King Liam leisurely descended the opulent grand staircase after carrying his sleeping daughter to her room; Princess Eleanor was exhausted from the day’s events and fell asleep watching the countless number of lanterns floating gently carrying the hopes and dreams of the people into the night sky. He paused at the foot of the staircase and looked up to see Riley, starting to step down to follow him.

Inside his soul, he felt complete. He has everything that he had always wanted and dreamed of. Three beautiful, healthy children, a prosperous and peaceful kingdom, and the woman of his dreams by his side. His radiant queen.

Smiling, Riley called down, “wait for me, your Majesty.” Riley had just finished breast feeding their son, Stefan, and when he fell sound asleep along with his brother, William, she softly closed their nursery door to join Liam as they prepared to go outside the estate to give the closing remarks to the awaiting press.

The annual Lantern Festival had another successful run in Valtoria, being a much-loved festive favorite in Cordonia. The closing ceremonies to conclude the celebrations now awaited the King and Queen.

Liam chuckled as he held out his hand to her and when she took it, he gently pulled her into his embrace, kissing her cheek, his voice husky, but gentle as he replied,

"I would never leave without my Queen."

"Ah, yes, but you can't go anywhere without saying goodbye to those you love." Riley coyly responded.

"You're my favorite." Liam snickered.

"Favorite what?" Riley saucily replied.

He raised a brow and smirked. My "everything."

Smiling, Liam challenged, "who says?"

"This one." Riley giggled as she pressed a kiss to his jaw.

"Mmmm." Liam hummed, wrapping his arms around her, his hands sliding down to her bottom.

"Liam!"

"You know we can't do that here," she whispered, though her lips trailed kisses down his neck.

"It wouldn't be the first time..." He murmured back, his breath tickling her ear.

"I'm sure there are reporters watching the estate now, waiting for you."

Liam let out a small growl and reluctantly released his wife. She laughed, knowing full well how much Liam hated having his alone time with her cut short.

She took his hand in hers, and he laced their fingers together as they exited the estate and headed towards the podium and the awaiting press.

"Good evening. Thank you, all, for coming. Tonight was a great success, thanks to all of your efforts and that of our staff. We're honored to have you with us to celebrate a tradition that spans generations and is the highlight of Valtorian tradition. It warms my heart to see so many people come out and show their support. So, thank you all. And now, if you'll excuse me, I will see you next year. Enjoy the rest of the festival and please be safe on your journeys home. Have a good night."

The crowd clapped and cheered, and then started to disperse. Riley waved as she walked off the podium with Liam by her side.

"That was nice." Riley grinned.

"What was, love?"

"The way you spoke to the reporters. It was a little different from what you would normally say."

"Was it now?" Liam questioned.

Riley nodded and smiled knowingly.

"Maybe because I am just trying to get through this as soon as possible. So, I can have some quality alone time with my beautiful wife." He replied, his hand slipping onto the small of her back and moving downward, squeezing her bottom gently.

Riley gasped and bit her lip.

"Behave, my king. We're not alone yet."

"I can't wait."

After saying their goodbyes to the remaining lingering nobles, they hurried back inside the estate and up to their bedroom, where Liam immediately began removing his jacket and tie.

Riley giggled and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Eager, aren't we, Liam?"

He turned, his shirt partially unbuttoned, revealing his toned chest, and stared at her with such heat in his eyes.

"Only for you, my Queen. Now come over here, so I can kiss you properly."

She stood and stepped over to him. As soon as she was within arm's reach, Liam grabbed her waist and pulled her into him. He captured her mouth with his, and their tongues danced as they kissed deeply. Liam's hand quickly unzipped her gown, with his fingers brushing her warm skin. Riley moaned and pulled away, smiling.

"You're so beautiful." he said softly, his hand caressing her face, his thumb grazing her cheek.

She blushed and turned her head, kissing his palm.

"You're charming, my King."

"I love when you call me that."

"Then you shall always hear it, my King."

"I'll never get tired of it."

"Nor will I." Riley softly responded.

“I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

"Let's continue this in the bath, shall we?" Liam wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Absolutely."

Riley grinned as they both stripped their formal wear and then walked hand in hand into the bathroom, which had a huge bathtub that was more like a hot tub. Liam set the water to the right temperature and added some soothing bath salts. As the water filled, they kissed and touched each other. Liam's fingers skimmed her back, and he pulled her closer, his erection pressed against her stomach. Riley reached between them, wrapped her hand around his engorged member and stroked him, his moans vibrating her lips as he continued to kiss her.

They parted for air, and Liam lifted Riley, placing her on the counter. He slid his hands down her thighs and pulled her knees apart. When his fingers found her center, he grinned and began circling her clit, teasing her.

"Oh god..." She moaned, her legs spreading, granting him better access.

"You're so wet, Riley..."

"And it's all for you, my King.

Liam, I need you …" she breathed in and closed her eyes. “Please …"

"Fuck... I cannot wait any longer..."

"Then don't."

Liam grabbed her ass and lifted her into the tub. The water was the perfect temperature, and the soothing jets relaxed her muscles. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and Liam positioned himself, pushing inside her, making her gasp and throw her head back.

"God, Riley..."

He started a steady pace, and his fingers found her clit again, circling her bud in time with his thrusts.

"Liam... Oh my god..."

"That's it, my Queen. Moan for me. Tell me how good I feel inside you."

"So... good. Fuck, Liam!" She screamed.

Her fingers raked his shoulders, and her walls clenched around him, her orgasm hitting her. He groaned and sped up, his thrusts harder and deeper.

"Liam... Yes..."

"Riley..."

Liam captured her mouth in a kiss, his tongue slipping between her lips. Riley moaned and pulled him closer, her nails digging into his skin.

When his orgasm came, he groaned and buried his face in the crook of her neck. They held each other until their breathing returned to normal.

Liam withdrew and moved back, settling against the edge of the tub.

"That was amazing," Riley said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It always is." He winked.

Riley rolled her eyes. "Cheeky."

Liam laughed, and she joined in.

After washing and drying off, Riley put on her silky pajamas and slipped into bed, Liam joining her. She snuggled close, resting her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, and his fingers caressed her skin.

"I have an idea.... now that our boys are here...". Liam paused as Riley propped up beside him to look into his eyes.

"I want to start a new Christmas tradition."

"What's that?"

"I'd like us to spend the week before Christmas at the Royal Blackspine Mountain Lodge, just the five of us. The boys will be old enough to enjoy the snow and sledding, and I know Ellie loves it there. What do you say?"

"I think that's a great idea. It would be nice for us to have some family time without any interruptions. But what about Leo and our friends?"

"They are more than welcome to join us. They are our extended family, and I would love to have them with us."

"You know, that sounds wonderful, Liam. I'm glad you suggested it. Maybe we could have the staff prepare a feast and a Christmas party for everyone. I will talk to Maxwell about it. You know how he is with the party planning."

Liam chuckled and leaned over, kissing her temple. "Yes, he does love his parties."

"That he does."

They laughed and then lay in silence for a few minutes.

"We should get some sleep. The twins will be awake before we know it." Riley yawned.

"Did you see their eyes when Ellie let go of the lantern off the balcony?"

"It was the sweetest thing. She loves her brothers so much. I'm glad she doesn't resent them for stealing our attention."

"Ellie is the sweetest child. She is always putting others first and is so compassionate and loving. She's a great big sister."

"She's growing up so fast." Liam sighed.

"Yes, she is. Soon she'll be a teenager, then a young woman."

"Oh, no, don't remind me." Liam shook his head, chuckling.

"She'll always be our little girl, no matter how old she gets."

"I hope you're right." Liam tittered.

"I'm always right."

"I wouldn't go that far." Liam guffawed.

Riley gasped, feigning offence, and poked his ribs.

"I'm joking, love. Of course, you are right. And you're always sexy."

"And you're always cheeky."

"But you love me."

"With all my heart, always."

Liam pressed a tender kiss to her lips. "I love you too."

"Goodnight, my king."

"Goodnight, my queen."

***

The next morning, Riley was awakened by her cell phone ringing.

Maxwell is calling in response to the party planning text for the Christmas party that Liam had sent the night before.

She answered the phone. "Good morning, Max."

"Little blosom! My favorite Queen. How are you, my friend? It's so nice to hear from you. How's life at Valtoria treating you?" maxwell rambled.

"Life is great. Liam and I are looking forward to spending Christmas at the Lodge this year. It'll be our first Christmas with the twins, and we wanted to make it special. That's why we reached out to you. We're thinking of having a big party and inviting all our friends. Would you like to plan the event?"

Maxwell didn't hesitate with his response. "Oh, oh, absolutely!, Riley. I'm all over this. Can you give me some more deets!?, like what you're looking for and how many guests? We need to make this the biggest and best party of the season."

" I knew you were the right person to ask," Riley snickered.

"That's what we were hoping for. Here's what I have in mind...."

After Riley ended the call, Liam reached over, wrapping his arm around her waist pulling her back to his chest. "Who were you talking to?" He whispered, his lips grazing her ear.

"Just Maxwell, he's excited to help plan the Christmas party."

The sound of the twins crying sounded on the monitor.

"And that's my cue to feed the twins."

Liam sat up and stretched. "I'll come with you. Ellie is probably awake, too. I'll make us some breakfast while you get the boys ready. Sound good?"

"That sounds wonderful, my love."

They climbed out of bed, and Riley threw on her robe and slippers while Liam got dressed. Then, they headed out the door and down the hallway towards the nursery, where their children were waiting.

***

After heating the griddle for pancakes, Liam took a sip of his coffee.

Suddenly, the calmness of the moment was disrupted by a subtle vibration against Liam’s thigh. Reaching for his phone, it was lit up with a call from Leo. His brows furrowed in concern, immediately answering the call.

“Leo? What’s up?” Liam’s voice held a sense of urgency, worried that something unexpected had occurred in the Capital.

Thanks for reading 🤗⚘️🫶

📌All fics & edits: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

📌TRR/TRH/TRF Liam & Riley: @irisk12 @walkerdrakewalker @thesvnsins @jared2612

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics

#tessa liam writes #choices trr #liam rys #the royal romance #riley brooks #trr #trr fanfic #king liam #king liam rys #trr liam x mc #always liam and riley #choices fandom #choicesflashfics #choices fic writers creations #smoke and mirrors

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aliflower88 · 11 months

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Royai Fanfic Recommendations:

I've posted this in parts before but since it's royai week I thought I'd do a complete fic rec list, enjoy!!

Delicate:

Summary: Riza's upbringing leaves her with scars.

Most have already read this one since it's so popular, but if not it's a character study of Riza that spans from her early childhood to post-canon. It honestly gives so much more depth and meaning to Riza's character as well as her relationship with Roy.

Our embalmed hearts, our desolate kingdoms

Summary: "He leans back, palms connecting with the concrete, and looks up over their city, their desolate kingdom. In the rain, Central City might as well be the ruins of Xerxes, empty and grey, and he and she may as well be the last two people on earth."

Or, Love in the Time of Giant Robots

This fic is an Evangelion au and it absolutely destroyed me. The way the relationships between the characters are written is so complex and interesting. It’s a fantastic slow burn and story overall. (And it’s still really great even if you've never watched Eva.)

Dismantle the Sun

Summary: Dairut is a crossroads. A settlement on the border of Amestris and the Great Desert, a hub of Ishvalan and Xerxian history, it is a place caught between past regret and future hope.

In Central City, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye prepare to return to Ishval for the first time. In Resembool, Edward Elric navigates the complicated minutia of his personal life, but remains unable to shake the feeling that his work in Amestris is not yet finished. In Dairut, Miles and the new Muhaddith break ground on Al’Arshif, the sacred Archive, in the hope of restoring a sense of continuity to their long-suffering people.

Then archeologist Winnie Stokes uncovers an ancient relic in the desert. Then a mysterious cult called the Risen strip Captain Hawkeye from the Flame Alchemist’s side. Then something monstrous begins to stir in the mind of Selim Bradley. Five years after the Promised Day, Ed, Roy, and Miles must face an evil of apocalyptic scale, before it destroys everything they’ve worked for, and everyone they hold dear.

Dairut is a crossroads. But Dairut is also the end of the line. Things are changing in Amestris, and not everyone will survive.

My all-time favourite post-canon fic! It has stunning writing and a super well-thought-out plot. It's so much more than royai and even if that is all you're looking for I still urge you to read this incredible story.

The Amestrian Candidate:

Summary: General Roy Mustang—charming, intelligent, heroic—is predicted to be the next Fuhrer of Amestris. But a series of acts of terrorism drive the General into a ruthless race against a magnetic opponent. Mustang and his team scramble to salvage a campaign in the face of rising nationalism, scandal, and international tension. If they succeed, they can save an infant democracy from collapse. Mustang must consider what and whom he is willing to sacrifice, and he must ask himself the most difficult question of his life: can one be a good politician and a good man?

This fic has an intriguing plot and painfully realistic post-canon politics. I always have preferred romance within a larger plot and this story executes that perfectly.

Homefront:

Summary: Miss Riza's arrival in Resembool has the potential to ruin everything.

Riza becomes Ed and Al’s caretaker after their mother passes. This fic is wonderful, it feels historically accurate which is great and if you are a fan of parental Riza then you'll definitely enjoy this.

We That Are Young:

Summary: It's a well-known fact that innocents make poor soldiers. Fortunately, Riza Hawkeye's childhood was not entirely innocent. She had to grow up fast... though she wasn't the only one. The early years of the Colonel and his First Lieutenant.

I believe this was written before Brotherhood so there are a few discrepancies between this and canon but it's definitely still worth the read. The fic details Roy and Riza’s life from ages 3 and 8 to 13 and 17. And is a wonderful coming-of-age story though upsetting at times.

Beautiful People

Summary: Soon after the conclusion of the Ishvalan Civil War, Captain Maes Hughes receives a phone call in the middle of the night. The message is short, concise... and perhaps the most terrifying thing Hughes has ever heard.

Hawkeye's apartment. Now. Come alone. Someone has been hurt.

A promise was once made amidst the sands of a distant desert land: oaths will be upheld, and secrets will be scorched away. The sinful had waited too long; Roy Mustang was indebted to his promise, and Riza Hawkeye had come to collect.

This is probably my favourite depiction of Roy burning Riza's back that I've read. It's super intense and vivid, I really loved it!!

Baby Your a Haunted House:

Summary: Riza Hawkeye, aged 11, knows two things:

1. Roy Mustang is a useless city-kid

2. There's a haint in the woods

Roy Mustang, aged 15, knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's no such thing as ghosts.

This fic has excellent writing and a wonderfully creepy atmosphere. I've re-read it many, many times. (also I adore feral young Riza and this definitely delivers on that.)

When Thou Shalt Come To Judge the World By Fire

Summary: Roy was silent, unable to answer. Hughes was right. There hadn’t been any other girl for him, not really. Something about her. Something about Riza Hawkeye that made her so much more than a memory.

Hughes leaned against the bar, shadows lengthening on his face. “So, what was it? What ruined dating? A regret, or a promise?”

Pre-canon royai with absolutely gorgeous writing! I adore the depiction of each period in their lives from the time they spent with Berthold to Ishval to before Ed and Al. It's all done perfectly.

Order 3066

Summary: Everyone who returned from Ishval changed, and Riza Hawkeye was no different. She caused more deaths than any other person - not only with her own hands but also with the weapon she unleashed upon the world. No one could return from a massacre like that the way they were before.

This fic is a really good exploration of Roy and Riza's time in Ishval. The characterization is great and their descent into war criminals is very well done.

Atlas

Summary: After six years apart, intelligence agent Roy Mustang attempts to rebuild his relationship with a former partner. But when past and present intertwine, their reunion triggers one of life's most difficult decisions: duty or family.

The dual timeline of younger royai and older royal in this au is super interesting. This fic is exciting, heartwarming and a really well-crafted story.

Not All of Me Will End:

Summary: Nothing remains of her but what must be left behind.

In this fic, Riza gets cancer and passes away. I rarely feel sad when reading or watching emotional things but this made me cry. It's beautifully written and made in a way that feels so personal, as though Riza was a real person. It’s a difficult read but ends on a relatively hopeful note.

The Lathe of Hell

Summary: 1908 • Ishval

An uneasy ceasefire grips the ruins of Ishval, but near the medical station at Daliha, Amestrian soldiers are dying. Desperate to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, the 27th Infantry Division sends Riza Hawkeye and Solf J. Kimblee to smoke the assassin out.

But Roy Mustang suspects Kimblee's aim isn't the death of one rogue Ishvalan.

For Hawkeye has a secret, one the Crimson Alchemist hungers for... a power forged in fire.

This is one of the two great labyrinths into which human minds are drawn: the question of duty versus predestination...

There is an old story... perhaps you've heard of it. A man falls asleep and loses his way on the journey through life. He encounters a poet and the two begin a series of travels through Hell where they witness the many punishments for those who disobeyed God during their lives.

I adore Kimblee in this fic. I know this list is about royai but seeing him interact with them is super interesting.

Ex Tempore

Summary: Riza Hawkeye comes into the possession of a family heirloom upon her grandfather's final words: "Keep him safe." Confused and grief-stricken, Riza finds herself pulled in time to Prohibition Era New York, recovering from a gang-related firefight under the care of Dr. Roy Mustang, a reluctant member of the Hughes-Mustang crime family and a self-proclaimed guardian to two boys by the names of Edward and Alphonse.

This is a 1920s mafia/time travel au, it has such a fun premise that is executed really really well.

Here Dead We Lie

Following a disastrous operation in Aerugo, Colonel Mustang wakes from a coma to discover his world has fallen apart. Under the shadow of the state, he tries to find impossible answers before it is too late.

I don't have much to say about this one except that it's very good and has a brilliant story but is also very very dark so be warned before starting this fic. If angst is your thing though definitely check it out!

#royai #royaiweek23 #fanfic #fic rec #fmab #roy mustang #riza hawkeye

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agent-calivide · 5 months

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So- normally this blog is exclusively for IEYTD content- but I think I'm gonna shift to just be my interests, because there is one thing that I'm absolutely feral about and desperately need to scream into the void over.

Discussion surrounding the 2004 film Barbie Princess and the Pauper makes me irrationally angry.

Barbie’s Princess and the Pauper is a surprisingly decent film for being made purely to shill doll, with music that's absolutely gorgeous and a story that's a bit less dark than the original novel it's parodying.

A brief summary for those who don’t know- though if my YouTube recommended’s anything to go by Barbie is taking over the collective hivemind of nostalgia at the moment- Barbie Princess and the Pauper is the story of two young women, Anneliese and Erica, living two completely separate lives, one being a princess and one being a pauper. The twist, however, is that they were completely identical, save for their hair and a shockingly relevant birthmark for only being mentioned twice.

Erica is a poor seamstress who’s worked like a dog by her wicked boss, Madame Carp, trying to pay off her parent’s debts so she can pursue life as a singer. Truly, the best rep for anyone who’s suffered through retail with a shitty boss. Annelise meanwhile, is a princess who spends her days being lavishly spoiled as a princess typically would, but she doesn’t want to be spoiled. On the contrary, she would rather spend her day studying than getting her feet massaged and faffing about. At least- that’s what the song “I am a girl like you” and most of the fandom would have you believe.

In the song “I am a girl like you", we start with Annelise and Erica meeting, Annelise saying that she’s not looking forward to marrying this king and Erica responding with “At least you’re not an indentured servant”. Annelise asks for elaboration, and the song starts. Erica talks about how her mornings start with paying her boss money for a hot breakfast, then having to get up, walk a mile through cold, wet roads just to get the eggs for breakfast and then come back when all she wants to do is sleep in. Once again, relatable. She then looks at Annelise and asks her how her morning starts. Annelise pauses, and is visibly bashful, clearly hesitant to share, but Erica asks her to go on. Then, Annelise tells Erica that if she wants eggs she rings a bell and her maid runs in with breakfast and cookies, and while she eats she gets a foot rub and has live music being played for her, but she doesn’t want to be spoiled and doted on, she wants to be in the library!

If this was the beginning and ending of Annelise’s characterization? I’d get it. If Erica thought Annelise was spoiled, I’d get it. But she doesn’t. On the contrary, Erica hears this rich girl complaining about how she doesn’t like her life but is aware of how good she has it, and chooses to reach out. To say “hey, I can relate to that." “There’s somewhere else we’d rather be, somewhere that’s our, somewhere that dreams come true” If anything, this is a testament to Erica’s empathy, her kindness, and her ability to put herself in someone else’s shoes even when they objectively have it better. Throughout this song Erica will talk about work and Annelise will talk about the lighthearted fun parts of being a princess, but will casually mention how she’s in a position that she doesn’t want. Erica has to walk through the mud every morning for breakfast, Annelise gets it served literally on a silver platter, Erica has to make dresses, Annelise gets to dance around in frilly dresses. But Annelise also mentions that she’d rather be in the library and get to marry who she chooses, not be betrothed for the sake of her kingdom, more on that in a minute.

And time and time again, I see people talk about how Annelise is tone deaf, how she’s complaining about what is, objectively, a better situation. But honestly, I find this stance to be major character assassination, and is one that I’m seeing more and more frequently in regards to Annelise and most other “rich” characters quite frankly. Now, normally I don’t mind opinions like “this character is spoiled and should have more development than just crappy parents” or “it’s bad that they rushed this antagonistic character’s ark so they can have them for the series finale” I think that argument works just fine on the spoiled rich girl archetype, like Pacifica Northwest and Sasha Waybright, but I see a lot of people slapping that sticker onto any character that grew up wealthy regardless if they were an antagonist or not.

I get not liking a character if they’re antagonistic, or relating better to a character who had to work for everything they had. Most of us didn’t grow up as princesses in fancy castles and have been stuck with horrible bosses. I understand why people relate to Erica more, especially as someone who worked at a fabric shop with a crappy manager. But on more than one occasion I’ve seen people take the stance that Annelise’s part in the song “just like you” is insensitive and Erica should’ve shouted at Annelise, reminded her of her privilege, “laid the verbal smackdown on her and show her how hard it was being a peasant” before quickly following it up with a “I was just kidding!” when anyone calls out that Annelise isn’t a one dimensional privileged white girl. And if that was the only context we got of Annelise, I’d understand where it came from.

But if we look at Annelise throughout the course of the whole movie, that’s not true at all, quite the opposite. Our first scene we get of Annelise is her, getting fitted for a wedding gown to marry a man she doesn’t want to be with while a servant is fretting over her schedule for the day. That doesn’t sound like the typical Disney princess who gets to spend her days doing whatever she wants post-coronation. This is an actual princess, with real responsibilities. She has to give speeches, attend meetings, speak with upper class societies, and all she wants, the first thing she says in the introduction song “Free”, is “all my life I’ve always wanted to have one day just for me, nothing to do and for once nowhere I need to be”.

While she is bemoaning to herself, she’s not exactly fighting her scheduler on this either. She doesn’t complain, she doesn’t fight back, no quips or whining or witty banter, she simply accepts that she has to do what is told and dreams of a world where she doesn’t have to do all that. And that’s the big point that I see a lot of people ignoring. She is absolutely busting her ass every day, in and out, doing as told and not getting a second to breathe.

Let’s look at the one day we see that is truly just Annelise in her environment. She is getting a fitting for a wedding dress to marry some king while the royal scheduler tells her she has to give a speech at the Historical Society, then has to rush over to a Horticultural Society Tea, then has Math lessons, Geography lessons, and presumably much more after if we’re basing it off the massive to-do list of parchment we see. As someone who survived the public education system, the thought of giving a speech, going to a high pressure lunch that’s basically a work meeting, then having to do a full day of school after that makes me want to simply wither away and cry. She’s not sitting around, looking pretty and riding horses all day. She has responsibilities, duties, commitments to her mother and her kingdom.

We then cut to Erica, who shares much of the same sentiment. “All my life I’ve always wanted to have one day for myself, not waking up with a pile of work on every shelf” before singing about all the work she has to do as a low-class seamstress. This is what we’d expect from the pauper side of things. Erica works hard to earn a living at a small seamstress shop and wishes she could be doing something more with her life. This is when Madame Carp walks in and we see a glint of Erica’s personality. She’s spunky, she talks back, she calls Madame Carp’s dress shop a debtor’s prison to her face and argues about her parent’s debts. While she is committed to paying back her parent’s debts, she’s not taking it lying down, and that is a fundamental difference between Annelise and Erica.

While Erica will see a problem and call out that it really sucks, Annelise will look at a problem and simply accept that she has to fix it with little more than a comment to herself. Both of these girls are dreaming about freedom, but Erica is fighting for her freedom while to Annelise, it’s little more than a fantasy.

And that includes the freedom to marry whom she chooses. And this is when we see just how far Annelise will go to please her mother, as she looks out and sees the love of her life, her tutor, Julian. Julian is implied to be a good friend who’s been her teacher for a long while, and he feeds her passions. He teaches her, he encourages her to learn, he is one of the few people in her life who feels joy in Annelise’s happiness. Because, truly, when we see the way she interacts with the other servants and maids, she doesn’t have many friends. She doesn’t have anyone to talk to about her grievances, her lack of freedom, any of it. All she has is Julian, and she likely will lose him in the marriage to King Dominick. He's already calling her "your highness" like an authority figure rather and Annelise, his friend, and she hasn't even met the king yet.

She can’t even have her fantasy to marry Julian, as it’s quickly interrupted by her mother cutting her off and saying “I’m so sorry my darling, but as you know, it is vital you marry king Dominick. It is the only way to take care of our people”. And Annelise just accepts this. She just goes “yeah, I know, I have to do this for the kingdom” and pushes her fantasies away. And the very next line is Annelise talking about how she knows she’s lucky, she knows she’s privileged to have all of this nice stuff, this nice life, but is quickly realizing that every present comes with strings. While she may get to have a lavish life, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

We then see Erica, who’s talking about how while she doesn’t have nice things, she has spirit, determination, and she will achieve her dreams no matter what. This song truly establishes just how different the girls are, specifically in regards to their challenges and the obstacles they encounter. Erica, though currently trapped by her parents' debts at Madam Carp’s, has a fire, a will, a determination. She, though in debt as a pauper, isn’t willing to give up on her goal and aspirations of being a professional singer.

Annelise meanwhile, could have resources. She could reach out and get help, or run away with Julian, or do something to get out of her situation, but she refuses to. She can’t get past this mental barrier of duty and responsibility, and even while downright miserable, she won’t complain and won’t voice her needs. But the kicker is truly in the bridge of Free. Erica says “Soon I will forever be free” while Annelise says “Now I fear I’ll never be free” Erica is damn near counting the days, she’s looking at freedom as an inevitability, something that she will be getting soon. Annelise knows and accepts that freedom simply isn’t in the cards for her. In the end, both girls dream of leaving their situations, but they both decide to stay in their respective positions for the good of those around them. They both are committed to their duties, but Erica’s duty will hopefully finish in the near future, while Annelise’s duty is her entire life.

Later in the film, Erica takes Annelise’s place at the castle as Annelise has been kidnapped by Priminger and Julian needs someone to pretend to be the princess so the king doesn’t leave. In “To be a princess” he proceeds to educate Erica on a lot of aspects of being a princess. This pertains but is not limited to: be charming but detached and yet amused, do keep a grip and never crack, always look your best, never get to rest, never show dismay, be there when people call, and never show a thing you feel inside. With lessons like that, it’s no wonder that Annelise feels an absolute commitment to being a princess and never has a day to herself. Everything and everyone around her, including her best friend, says that she’s not allowed to feel, to breathe, to relax. She always has to be alert, aware, she has to have a thought and a response for every single possible comment and retort. And when Erica’s taught all this, it’s painted as overwhelming to learn, but imagine that being every day of your life for every week of every month of every year. That sounds absolutely crushing. Erica at least gets to let off some steam. She snaps at Madame Carp, she jokes with Bertie, she sneaks out to town square and sings. She has outlets away from work that Annelise simply does not have.

Okay, so Annelise is completely committed to her job as a princess, big whoop. She still is filthy stinking rich and royals were married to people they didn’t like all the time, she still is incredibly privileged. Maybe so, however, there’s more to this marriage than just some sort of uniting of kingdoms or prior arrangement. The reason that she’s getting married to Dominick is the kingdom has fallen bankrupt. Why has it gone bankrupt? Has the queen spent an egregious amount of money on castles? Was the king a warmonger who put all their funds into their armies? Does princess Annelise have a penchant for expensive travel and one of a kind crowns?

No.

The kingdom is bankrupt because the queen’s advisor has mined their mines dry of gold in hopes of taking over the kingdom. With no gold coming in, there was nothing to exchange, and the queen had to fix the problem before it started to hurt her people more than it already has. Her solution? The only one. Marry Annelise off to the nearest wealthy suitor and hope that it injects money into their economy.

The royals of this kingdom did nothing wrong, other than letting an evil man have so much access to power, which I don’t think any of us have the right to judge. If anything, the only one who’s privileged and trying to take advantage of it is the royal advisor Preminger. He talks about how he’s scraped by for years to climb the ranks and deserves to be a king, but in that same vein he doesn’t care about the kingdom, the people who are affected by his decisions. He’s so hellbent on becoming king, he doesn’t think about the fact that for all intents and purposes, he’s made it. He’s wealthy, absurdly so unlike Erica, but he’s also not a royal and thus has no duties to do any work he doesn’t feel like it, able to disappear for weeks on end and not have anyone on his back unlike Annelise. He has everything the girls want, but it’s not enough for him. He wants more.

Annelise meanwhile, is very aware of her privilege as a princess and tries to relate to those around her, even if she’s a bit unsuccessful at it. Before Annelise meets King Dominick, Julian decides that, as her friend, he thinks she needs some air. To get out of this stuffy castle and go see the kingdom as a normal girl before she loses it all. So, he gets her a cloak and takes her down to the nearby village, and here we can really see that she’s aware of her privileges when she’s outside of the castle.

As she and Julien walk around the town she asks him which house is his and he says “more of a room really, we couldn’t afford a house.” and immediately Annelise feels guilty, backtracking and starting to apologize for assuming he had a house. She doesn’t look at him in confusion or make fun of him for not having a house to himself, she instantly realizes that she was “in the wrong” to assume and tries to apologize for being presumptuous or assuming he was wealthier than he was. But Julien doesn’t laugh at her, doesn’t scoff, doesn’t tell her to “check her privilege”. He simply gives her a small smile and says “I know”. He assures her that, as his friend, she didn’t cause offense, he’s aware that she simply didn’t know he was in that bad of a financial situation growing up. He simply laughs it off then carries on with the conversation.

And this entire next section is Julien just being the absolute best. He engages with her interests, he gets Annelise her favorite flower, he calls the flower by its (fake) scientific name as he hands it off to her and he knows that it’s her favorite and that she'd appreciate him talking about science with her. He’s simply engaging with her as a mutual, a friend, and shows interest in her- well- interests. She gets to happily indulge in fantasy for a moment, but it’s quickly ripped away as she looks around the market and notices that the kingdom’s bankruptcy is already setting in. Shops are getting boarded up, families are being forced to leave, and she’s reminded that she has to get married to King Dominick for their sake. And she is visibly saddened by this. Not that she has to marry Dominick, but that her people are suffering over something that she and her mother couldn’t have possibly prevented.

Her train of thought gets interrupted by Erica singing in town square, Erica having snuck out from work to sing in the town square for coin, and she is doing a damn good job. We see she earns a decent amount of money for just singing on the road. People gather around Erica and listen to her song, she gives a sense of hope, she is pursuing her own freedom and people are enjoying it. Erica once again gets a reminder that her dream of freedom is not only soon, but achievable. It’s in reach, it’s not a completely absurd notion like Annelise's freedom. This is quickly interrupted by Madame Carp stepping in and yelling at Erica for leaving work, stealing her hard earned money and telling her to get back to work- which on one hand, bitch. On the other, Erica leaving work in the middle of the day to sing in town square is… a choice.

But, regardless, Erica’s left with nothing and is alone on the street, and who steps in to put coins in her cup after Madame Carp’s left? Annelise! She comes over, gives Erica money, and the two talk for a bit. Erica finds out Annelise is the princess and asks why she’s outside the castle, and Annelise says “I’m savoring my first and last taste of freedom before getting married next week… to a total stranger.”

Note that she didn’t say “I’m getting a breather” or “I'm taking a break”. She said “I’m getting my first and last taste of freedom before getting married NEXT. WEEK. She has never, ever, ever gotten a day off, taken a break, gotten to truly rest and get a breather. Us viewers? We get weekends, holidays, a day off on occasion, but Annelise doesn’t. She doesn’t get a moment’s rest because her life is her job. She’s never even been outside the castle walls until this day! Her whole life has been work and has been dedicated to her kingdom, to her mother’s expectations. While yes she is definitely more privileged than Erica, it’s not fun and games. If anything, it’s a 24/7, 365 job, every day of the year. And then this happens. “At least you’re not an indentured servant”

This. This one line. Drives. Me. Insane. And I think this line primes people to take the stance that Annelise is simply spoiled. Just because your arm is broken, doesn’t mean my sprained ankle doesn’t hurt.

This is when “Girl like you” starts, and this is also what most people use as reference to say Annelise is spoiled and tone deaf. Because here’s the thing, Annelise never says she has it bad, she never claims that her life sucks. And when Erica tells her her morning routine, Annelise is visibly apprehensive to share her morning routine, because she is aware that it’s rather tone deaf to say that her life sucks because she’s marrying some guy she doesn’t know after hearing how Erica’s morning starts every. Single. Day. She clearly knows how absurd it is to complain, most likely because she’s friends with Julian, who seems to have also been a pauper before getting hired to tutor Annelise. But Erica presses so she folds and shares her morning routine and actively chooses to complain about something little, almost diminishing her misery in a way. Like “Oh, haha, yeah my morning’s pretty good, but I just want to do what I want to do for once rather than follow my mother’s schedule- but it’s fine! I’m fine!” And that is why it’s so important for Erica to reach out first and say “I’m just like you, you’re just like me”

Because it’s not just about reading science books. It’s Annelise wanting to rest, to pursue her interests, not the interests of her mother or her kingdom. Erica sees right through Annalise’s act and finds solidarity in it. She opens up about how miserable it is working at Madame Carp’s and Annalise, excited that she can actually carry this conversation, happily talks about how she loves Madame Carp’s dresses.

This is the other point I see a lot of people reference, as Erica talks about how abusive Madame Carp is and Annelise cuts in to say she loves the dresses that wicked woman sells. This, honestly, is just a mood to me. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been excited to carry on a conversation, only to immediately put my foot in my mouth as I realize I misread the tone. But once again, rather than Erica getting snobby, going “Did you not hear me? I just called it a penitentiary.” She simply smiles at the naïve princess and tells her she made the dress the princess was wearing.

Annelise proceeds to compliment her work, praise it for its detailing, and the two continue to talk, Erica talking bout how she has little issue with making dresses while Annelise has fun wearing them, and the two actually talk about her getting to “imagine life without the strife of an unfamiliar groom”.

Erica recognizes that Annelise’s situation, though much more comfortable than hers, absolutely sucks. That all of those privileges come at a cost and honestly questions if they’re worth it. And then Annelise proceeds to say “but I’d never let my mother know, I wouldn’t want to disappoint her!”

Once again, Annelise is not only diminishing her needs and putting her happiness aside for her mother’s happiness, but she shows that all of her issues are mental blocks. Social pressures that have been put on her from her life being raised as a princess. She’s not singing on a corner for pennies, but she also isn’t allowed to pursue her own happiness. She’s a tool, not a person.

And after these two talk and bond and get to know each other, what happens? Annelise uses her privilege to help Erica. She tells Erica “hey, I love your singing, I want you to perform at the castle, I’ll send someone to bring you up to the castle and perform”

This offer would be life changing for Erica. Having Erica come up to the castle, perform, and probably get paid quite a handsome sum for it? To a seamstress and street singer like Erica, that could literally get her out of debt and onto stage that much sooner. Annelise, rather than going “oh, she’s poor, I don’t want to be seen with her” like a stereotypical rich girl archetype says “Come, sing for us, you’re talented and I want to share your gift with others”. And Erica is rightfully ecstatic at that offer, and is over the moon when Annelise says she’ll send someone to get her.

Later, due to plot purposes, Annelise and Erica get mixed up, Anneilse stuck in the streets and Erica up in the castle. Annelise, in a moment of desperation, goes to Madame Carp’s dress emporium for shelter. The problem? Madame Carp thinks Annelise is Erica, and locks her in the back of the shop with the other seamstress, Bertie. While Bertie does think it’s Erica at first, Annelise tells Bertie the whole story (presumably) and proceeds to do exactly as instructed. She doesn’t throw a fit or refuse to help, she sits down, grabs a needle, and gets to work. Sloppy work, but work nonetheless. Even when Bertie tells Annelise that she doesn’t have to work on the dresses, she insists on helping. She doesn’t once say “I’m a princess, I shouldn’t be doing this” she simply accepts that this is her work now and adds it onto her plate. Even when she’s not in the castle, she thinks it’s her job to take on work that she’s assigned, and while it’s painted as a moment of empathy and kindness, Annelise is shown to put her desires as the very last thing to prioritize.

Eventually she’s released from Madam Carp’s by Preminger and he immediately locks her in a mine shaft and tries to murder her and Julian. Yes, he’s gone full blown Disney villain and locks the two away in a mineshaft then causes a cave in. Annelise and Julian are locked in a shaft in a caved in mine. Can I say this one more time: Annelise and Julian are buried alive in a m i n e. Most people in this situation would be panicking, crying, generally reacting distressed, we can see Julian sure as hell is, as he grabs a pick and immediately tries to dig himself and Annelise out. What is Annelise doing during all of this? Staying calm, comforting Julian, and finding her kingdom’s solution to bankruptcy.

Say what you will about how “it’s just a movie” but I know that were I trapped in a caved in mine, my mind would not be on how to fix a problem that looked like it wasn’t gonna be my issue very, very soon. But not only does Annelise use the rock as a touching analogy to make Julian feel better about himself, she keeps the crystals in mind and when they escape the mine collapse- due to cat shenaniganry- and informs her mother of them to solve the kingdom’s gold issues.

Here, Annelise once again is solving a problem that she didn’t even cause to get her happily ever after. She is truly doing all of the work on this school project, and people are digging at how she was raised in a fancy castle rather than acknowledging that Annelise did a lot of hard work. One video I saw was someone talking about how if they were Erika they would’ve stayed in Annelise’s position to “earn that bag” and make some actual changes to improve the kingdom, but Annelise does make changes to help the kingdom!

She finds a new export, saves her kingdom’s market from completely crashing, helps revitalize the economy, and because of all of that people can move back home and re-open their shops! We don’t know much about how this kingdom is run, but we do know that the royalty feel a duty to help their people, to do what is best for the masses regardless of how much they don’t want to do it. This isn’t like the modern day one percent where people tear down historical sites to make room for their mega yachts. The reason Annelise and the Queen are rich is they are the government. They are a monarchy. We don’t see any massive balls or galas like we do in Island Princess or Cinderella, they’re not just throwing money around for the amusement of it.

They’re bankrupt because their mines ran dry, and they managed to save their kingdom by finding a new export. “Why don’t they use their own money to help people if they’re so fabulously wealthy?” While that idea could be a good bandaid, eventually that money would also run out and then not only would the kingdom be bankrupt, but there’d be no incentive for any nearby kingdoms to marry Annelise because she’d be a poor princess to a broke kingdom that would offer effectively no benefits to any allyship. The best, and most to the point plan that the queen comes up with is to marry her daughter off so her kingdom would get an injection of money as soon as possible, because they effectively had no other solutions. They didn’t know about the crystal mines, and they didn’t know Preminger was fabulously wealthy. The only solution was to make themselves look good, like a viable, healthy(ish) kingdom and hope that Dominick would accept the proposal and save their kingdom.

And that leads me to Dominick. Dominick, unlike Annelise, doesn’t use his privilege to help anyone other than himself and Erica. And even then, that privilege mostly amounts to him getting to do what he wants. While Annelise simply accepts that she has to marry this king, Dominick goes out of his way to disguise himself as a page boy so he could get to know Annelise before agreeing to anything. Dominick preemptively gives himself an out and chooses to test Annelise, while Annelise has to take the hand she’s given and not complain. In all of this, Annelise isn’t the one with a choice, ever. Her mother chooses to marry her off, her mother chooses king Dominick, Dominick chooses to disguise himself, and then Preminger chooses to kidnap her so she can’t marry Dominick. She has no agency in her life.

The only reason Dominick reveals himself to Erica (who is pretending to be Annelise at the moment so the marriage to save the kingdom doesn’t get called off) is because he thinks Annelise ran away because she didn’t want to marry a stranger. But he still is the one with the agency, and he only reveals his true self when he thinks that Annelise acted on her own behalf.

So Annelies isn’t allowed to have her own agency, but is spoiled because she’s rich, meanwhile Dominick is a king who practices his own agency regularly throughout the movie and he is rarely if ever criticized for it. He gets to meet Erica, fall in love with her, he gets to choose her, and when Erica is revealed to be a pauper and thrown in the dungeon he gets to use a suit of armor to sneak in and get her out of the prison safely. While I don’t think he got permission to break her out, he still was allowed to use his resources to go back to Annelise’s castle and get a suit of armor to sneak into the dungeon and break Erica out.

No one else in this film would’ve had access to resources like that other than maybe Annelise, and yet I don’t see anyone saying that Erica should check King Dominick’s privilege and lecture him on how he was lucky that he was allowed to get have the money to be a king and access to a suit of armor to sneak into the dungeons and save her from probably a death sentence. In this situation, Dominick is purely using his privileges for himself. Yes, he saves Erica, but at this point he’s also in love with her, and he’s saving her not just because she’s a good person, but because he’s fallen in love with her and doesn’t want to lose her.

When she’s accused of killing Annelise, he is distraught. He doesn’t believe it, he can’t fathom that this sweet young lady that he’s spent the week with would do something so horrid. That is why he saves her. Not because of some sense of justice, it’s because he’s smitten with her. Yes, he uses his privilege to help someone in a worse position than him, but according to people who are criticizing Annelise, that’s not enough. Especially when it’s a decision made out of self interest.

At the end of the film, Annelise and Dominick both help Erica with her situation. The royal family, having found out that Madame Carp’s business is corrupt at best, stops purchasing from her and she goes out of business. I can already hear people saying “The family shouldn’t have been buying dresses from Madame Carp in the first place! She’s vindictive and cruel to her workers!” and to that I raise you: How many beauty influencers and brands these days do something sketchy, and it’s later revealed that they were a horrible person or a bad corporation?

My first thought, as someone who wears alternative fashion, is DollsKill. I can admit that I’ve purchased things off of their website before I found out how unethical they are. Should I have done more research? Yes. And I don’t shop with them any more because of it. But if I, and many other people, were able to make that mistake in the year of 2023 with access to infinite information on the internet, then it’s easy to see how someone in the 1700’s could’ve made the same folly.

Especially since Madame Carp doesn’t exactly go around bragging that she abuses her seamstresses. We know that Annelise never met Madame Carp before the film, as Madame Carp claims she’s the princess’s “close personal friend” while actively calling Annelise "Erica" and refusing to believe it’s actually the princess in her boutique. Realistically, Annelise and the queen likely don’t even go shopping, they probably have a servant go into the market, buy a few gowns for upcoming events, and only know the gowns by their brands.

I do wonder what happened to Bertie after all of this, but she seems pretty happy that Madame Carp has to leave, so perhaps she has a backup plan or some sort of safety net. Maybe she was also in debt to Madame Carp and was just looking forward to paying off her debts before starting her own dress emporium, we don’t really know. Either way, the dress shop closing gives Erica the freedom to pursue her music career that she was being held back from and she does so. But that still leaves our boy Dominick. He talks to Erica, tries to convince her to stay with him, but she tells him that her dream is to travel and sing. He does eventually acquiesce and gives her an engagement ring, telling her that it was for her anyways, and that it wasn’t a promise nor pressure, simply a gift. In the end, after performing for a long while, Erica decides that she wants to be with Dominick and travels to his kingdom to marry him.

I think that Annelise and Dominick are both good people for being Monarchs that put the interest of those around them before themselves. But for some reason, Annelise is held to a much higher standard than Dominick, even when she makes very human mistakes. They both are raised as royalty, King Dominick likely even more so as he’s king of a wealthy kingdom, but he is never put under the same scrutiny as Annelise. Sure, he never claims to relate to Julian, but Annelise never claimed to relate to Erica until she suggested it.

And Annelise’s privileges aren’t always a good thing. I feel like people neglect the whole section of the story where she was kidnapped and held prisoner because of her mother’s advisor. Not figuratively, literally. Taken from her home and locked in a random cabin because Preminger wanted to be king and figured that kidnapping her was the wisest choice rather than just advising the queen to not marry her off. Annelise is actively put in danger and harm’s way because of her status.

Honestly, Annelise really gets the shaft, full pun intended, in the second half of the film, a lot of time being spent on Erica and King Dominick’s relationship. Despite being The Princess and the Pauper, Annelise’s story is really the B plot to Erica’s love story. This makes sense, after all, she spends a lot of time just kidnapped and locked in various rooms, but in a weird way this just shows yet again that she has no autonomy even in her own story. And yet, she’s the one who’s scorned for being spoiled.

“Well, she is spoiled. She had a roof over her head and warm food and we see how Erika is baffled at the spoils when she’s a princess” But I'm gonna say something that's likely gonna get the pitchforks out: Money doesn't buy happiness. Before anyone hits me with a “I’d rather cry in a bugatti than a gutter”, let me explain.

The phrase “money can’t buy happiness” has two very different interpretations, and I find that both sides refuse to listen to the other even though both have valid arguments. There’s the stance that it can buy happiness, as money provides all sorts of things. On the surface, it’s shallow things, jewelry, gaming consoles, toys, fashion, knick knacks and trinkets that provide short term serotonin by buying something that you really want. But dig a bit deeper, and it gives more than that. Money is stability, shelter, food, water. It’s hard to be happy if you can’t have those things. To further elaborate, if you’re in a bad enough position that you can’t afford to heat your home, or buy a meal, or get clean drinking water, being able to afford that, either by your own means or by having someone else get it for you, is something that can’t be put into a monetary value- even if it literally is given a price. Getting to have access to water, shelter, knowing that you’ll have food in the morning, that’s something that you likely won’t understand the value of if you’ve always had it. Money may not buy literal happiness, but it provides security, and that security can lead to happiness.

Then there’s the argument that it can’t buy happiness, and people who have this opinion usually aren’t wondering where their next meal will be coming from or if they can pay rent this month. This stance is usually painted as privileged and spoiled because “well, you can say that because you’ve never had to worry about paying to survive”, but in my experience it’s quite the contrary. Most people I’ve met who say “money can’t buy happiness” usually include a caveat that if someone is in a position where they can’t afford food or shelter then of course money buys happiness. Stability is the foundation of comfort and comfort leads to happiness. No one is saying that someone’s ridiculous for being happy they can afford to live. And if you have seen that stance, then I'm sorry humans just suck.

Rather, “money can’t buy happiness” means that material objects cannot replace emotional intimacy or support. Surface level items have short-term pleasure that cannot be sustainable as the happiness lasts less and less with each material object. And this feeling of dissatisfaction only increases the more things you get. This is especially true when it comes to gifts. While gift giving is a valid love language, the whole point of it is giving or receiving items that have sentimental value more than monetary value. A pebble that’s their favorite color means way more than a PS5 when they exclusively use Nintendo products.

But when you don’t have a support system, healthy relationships, and the people you do have around you try to replace emotional intimacy with shallow gifts that don’t amount to anything, you find yourself downright miserable. Most people that I’ve met that have the stance that money can’t buy happiness tend to reach that conclusion after a guardian figure causes intense emotional distress or neglect then tries to purchase love with a shallow but expensive gift. It’s not that money can’t provide you with things that make you happy, it’s that money can’t provide emotional intimacy or a genuine support system.

If anything, Princess and the Pauper is the perfect allegory for this phrase, as Erica, though poor and struggling to get by, has emotional support in Bertie, her singing, her dreams. But, she doesn’t have access to security, stability, physical comforts, and is blocked from pursuing her goals because of external factors. Annelise meanwhile, is in a position of comfort and stability, but doesn’t have any emotional support nor outlets, her only friend being her teacher and her mother having a strict regime for her to follow regardless of her desires while being surrounded by luxurious gifts from other royalty that are ultimately empty gestures.

All of this to say, while Annelise is a princess who lives with the privileges of being a rich, upper class girl with access to many things that Erica could only dream of, her life isn’t one of luxury and spoils. She doesn’t get to indulge in her pleasures and can only appreciate things on a surface level because that is all she has time for. I don’t think most of the people who criticize Annelise could actually handle her schedule every day of every month of every year. She’s not some Disney princess who’s only job is to be pretty and interesting for the male love interest, she has duty. Responsibility. A full time job that dictates her sleep schedule.

She’s not unaware of her privileges and if anything is always using them to help everyone else, and at the end of the film she still doesn’t get that freedom that she’s searching for. She invites a pauper to sing at the castle, she tries to find solutions to the kingdom’s bankruptcy for her people, she goes out of her way to help when she can, and she’s not completely insensitive to the struggles of her friends. Even when she’s supposed to be taking a break, or is in a dire situation, she’s still constantly thinking of how to help others first.

Yes, she gets to marry Julian, but she’s still a princess and still likely follows her royal schedule to a T. While Erica got to learn what it’s like to be a princess, got to pursue her music, and got to marry King Dominick, becoming a princess herself, Annelise’s conclusion is ultimately that she managed to solve the kingdom’s bankruptcy so she could marry whom she chooses and then proceeds to fall back into the same routine of fixing everything for everyone else. She only gets freedom in one aspect, and we never see her actually get a day to herself, a day to relax. The only “relaxation” we see happening is with Erica while she spends time with Dominick, and that week likely was going to be Annelise’s only break before the marriage. So even after saving the day, Annelise still doesn’t get what she wants, and yet supposedly she’s spoiled rotten.

Truly, she does do what she says in the first song Free. “I’ll remain forever royal… Duty means doing the things your heart may well regret.” Erica never actually repays her parent’s debts, Madame Carp goes out of business and Erica gets let off the hook probably because she has two very powerful royals on her side. And this once again is Annelise using her privileges to help those who don't have the same as her by choosing to not support a business that is bad for its workers.

Erica gets released from her servitude early and then gets to chase after her dreams, but Annelise only gets to marry Julian after putting in the work to solve the bankruptcy so she doesn’t have to marry some other rich king that isn’t the one who fell for her best friend.

#barbie #barbie princess and the pauper #barbie analysis #barbie 2004 #character analysis #I forgot too include this in the main post #but the only place we really see Annelise being spoiled is when Erica wakes up in Annelise's shoes #and she's baffled by the spoils in the big breakfast #but that's not something Annelise decided to do #it likely was a lifestyle encouraged/enforced by her parents #and how would she know any different if she was raised that way #If you say she's spoiled because she doesn't give the maid a portion of her breakfast every morning #when the servants were very likely fed well and the maid was SUPER weirded out by Erica's attitude then idk what to tell you #mild rant #probably too passionate about this

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onewomancitadel · 3 months

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A smattering of general updates:

I played Tears of the Kingdom. I didn't really enjoy it. I understand why it was popular though; I'm just not the demographic for these types of video games anymore. I didn't find it creatively rewarding and after a time I sat there thinking 'I would rather be writing right now', and since then I have learnt that writing is made easier by doing things which are not writing, because it makes me miss it. My dad also doesn't really like it but for some reason has played hundreds of hours in it. I don't know either - I think he will take anything called Zelda at this point.

I spectated the Doctor Who David Tennant Special and watched some clips of the new season. I'm not a fan of RTD, and not a DW fan anymore (not for a long time), but it was an interesting study in how studios try to attract old and new fans.

I read a lot of books, and that lie people tell you about all books being good for you is a lie, because a cyberpunk anthology of short stories made me so angry I got heartburn. I think people who say that are saying so because they wish that they could read a lot, in which case I say, yes I think reading is a gift and we should engage with it, however, sometimes I get so physically angry from something stupid/bad I've read because bad writers exist that it gives me actual pain. I am reading Howl's Moving Castle right now and it's very joyful; I am very surprised by the liberties the animated film took! However so far I do think both experiences are worthwhile, and if you enjoyed the Ghibli film, I very much recommend checking out the original book if you want to revisit that world again. The prose is straightforward but a little whimsical, and Howl is very, very funny. I have laughed aloud a few times.

Well, you know I rewatched Dark, and it's funny that during my exile I said 'this is like if RWBY got the ending it deserves' and then, er, I found out it's not renewed yet, and that's still up in the air, which for the entirety of RWBY I have only had one true moment of doubt of such a thing, and that was a while ago.

On that topic, yes, I still ship Jaune/Cinder, believe Cinder's redemption is likely, etc., although there are some more external concerns I would wager now than before. Before I thought it very possible to do without any commercial influence, and it depends what compromises they do or don't end up making or having already made. My analysis of Jaune's arc in V9 may not hold water as much (e.g. if you lean towards the view there were rewrites to cater to growing the audience, or perhaps it's two ideas married? I'm not sure) so I'm going to think about it more, and there always has been a tension in RWBY between what is being expected/baited and what is foreshadowed/said/actually happens.

I figured out how to write again and what was blocking me, so there's that. To talk about it a bit more, since my break I have worked every single day on writing. My key takeaways are that you need a delicate balance of delusion and self-doubt to get anything done - you don't know you can do something until you actually do it - and every excuse I invented for not writing was not the reason I was not writing. I can write with a migraine beginning to set in on an uncomfortable desk where I can't even rest my elbows properly on the end of a bed with no back support without aircon in the middle of summer before I've even taken my hair out from bedtime plaits in my pyjamas. I didn't even expect to get my fic done right before midnight, actually I was like 'well lol that's not going to happen, I'll write anyway though, fuck New Year's' because I wasn't doing anything, and then I finished and looked at the time and was like ooooh. I actually completed my goal! So I'm very proud of that. Anyway writing is breathing, to me, I go crazy if I don't do it, no matter what it is, and every single piece of nonsense advice of productivity was not helpful, ever, but I did figure it out. Also admittedly I got a fire burning under me again because I found out I was actually right about Raven, in which case I took that as a sign from heaven I was on the right track. One should hope.

I am excited about Dune Part Two, yes, although I am trying to avoid Villeneuve talking about the film because I know all the marketing is basically directed at people who aren't Dune fans, and I have to see it for myself to see what it's worth. I enjoyed the first film, and Villeneuve seems excited to direct Dune Messiah, in which case I am willing to do whatever possible to make that happen. Because that's about as complete a story you're going to get in a major motion picture adaptation and it would be So Fucking Good.

#seraphina party hour

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minsungchronology · 5 months

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My Personal Opinions on Minsung's Dynamic (2021)

Disclaimer: I am not trying to pass off my opinions as facts. This is my personal interpretation of what is laid out right in front of us. I could be completely off base because I don’t know these guys personally, so take this with a grain of salt and feel free to disagree!

Good god their flirting has really ramped up this year.

If 2020 was subtle, then this year it’s more on the surface. I really think 2021 is where you get to see just how good their chemistry is and how well they bounce off of each other.

I think at this point they’ve found their footing and are very comfortable with each other. It’s so interesting to see their progression on camera, when you get to watch everything in order from the beginning to now. I keep saying this but it’s actually such a fun experience. There’s not a lot of content during the first half of the year because of Kingdom mostly. But the show really shows you how insane each member’s work ethic is, how talented they are, and how hard they work as a group. Not just with each other, but the staff who are with them 24/7 as well.

But back to the main topic:

They seem a lot surer of themselves and are blatantly flirty. Han is the boldest he’s ever been (the development). The members are openly more 😏🤔😟 of them. I think the teasing comes back in full force this year.

First (I noted this in the video), this moment is debatable to me:

I know a lot of shippers talk about this one even though it’s not explicitly confirmed, but it’s during the Chan’s room Vlive where Lee Know recommends a few songs, one of them being Johnny Balik’s Honey. They briefly talk about the song and how LK has an affinity for listening to multiple songs of the same artist, etc. Then all of a sudden Chan asks if he likes “honey” with an almost teasing? tone of voice. LK is a bit taken aback by his question and is like “why do you ask?” And Chan says, “just because”.

I’m on the side that Chan was deliberately trying to tease him about Han “Hannie” (his name sounds like honey when you add the -ie particle). On multiple occasions, the members have also made connections with Han’s name and honey before, especially with JYP’s “Honey” song. LK’s confused reaction kind of adds on to that with him quickly saving the question by answering about actual 🍯. But again, this moment is debatable b/c it’s not as clear cut like the other moments I’ve placed in this project. I’m actually curious to see what opinions people have on this moment.

Then there’s Seungmin who blatantly says they act “lovey dovey” off camera (lmfao what tf does he see??????) and commenting on their photobooth photos and how they look like a couple. I think out of all the members, him and Changbin have the least filter when it comes to LK and Han. Chan is a close third.

Then there’s I.N feeling like a “third wheel” during the cooking show and subtlety alluding to that because of their high energy together.

Now onto the moments that make me go “what??”:

In Mysterious Kitchen, Lee Know asks himself what his favorite food is and Han very quietly but instantly blurts out “Me”. Man forgot the cameras were on for a second. 😭

Then comes the infamous Vlive where LK forgets to tell Han he turned on the speaker to his phone. Han ends up calling him “Jagi” through the phone and starts stuttering and panicking as soon as he realizes that everyone and their mom can hear him. If they played it off as a joke I wouldn’t raise my brows towards it at all, but Han panicked, so it must mean something and how they want/don’t want to be perceived at this point in time.

Han does come on his next live and clarifies that he also calls the other members that and vice versa (which again, it’s normal to use terms of endearment towards your friends), but him getting nervous and stuttering on himself when being caught with calling LK that is quite telling.

And then all of a sudden after this incident you have them openly calling other members “Jagi” on camera,,, when that has NEVER happened before. (LK did it as a joke back in 2018 at a fansign, but it was still a joke at the end of the day so…)

Another moment I want to point out is how LK mentioned on the radio show that Han is a “Yes man” when it comes to him (feel like this is also very much reciprocated, you’ll see this a lot next year). Recently, a Two Kids show episode came out and Han talked about how he doesn’t like hanging out with people in general. In the past, he’s also been open about being more of a homebody than someone who is constantly out and about. Compared to him, LK is more outdoorsy and adventurous, so it’s speaks volumes when Han almost always agrees to LK’s suggestions, and LK immediately understanding Han’s boundaries without any protest when he’s like “I don’t want to go out today, I already used up my energy for that”. Getting a little glimpse of that just shows you how well they “get” each other and how mutual/healthy their friendship (as we can see) is.

Personal Opinions:

I think this year, they are very much at a place where they’re the most comfortable they’ve ever been with each other. I still think at this point they consider each other to be just friends and are able to maintain that, but they have no reservations playfully flirting with each other and even toe the line sometimes. Like the other members also seem to be very much aware that they have a special bond and aren’t shy about teasing them.

I also believe very, very late into this year, there’s a glaring awareness between them that the “more than platonic” feelings are mutual. But, again, they’re able to maintain their friendship while realizing that they might have something *special*. That’s probably why all of the playful flirting manifested this year.

2022 is where things start to get noticeably blurrier in the platonic/non-platonic department. It’s where I also believe at some point, maybe in the middle of that year, before or very early on in the Maniac Tour, is when they started something.

#minsung

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pascaloverx · 20 days

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Forbidden Romance (+18)

Summary: You are in love with Prince Thor. He will soon be King and is hosting a ball between Kingdoms so he can find his future bride. Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Asgard is not ready to accept the Chief of the Royal Guard as the new Queen.

Warnings: inappropriate language, use of violence and adult content in the future of fanfic. some characters belong to the Marvel universe and others were created by the author. This chapter has adult content (smut). Minors do not read or interact with this fanfic.

chapter five chapter seven

Chapter Six

A week after King Odin's illness became public, Asgard was in Thor's hands. What didn't seem like a big problem until power started corrupting the man you love. Thor decided that no marriage would be officialized until he got married. Which now seemed to be the last thing on his mind. Although he was seen with Lady Sif and on another occasion with Princess Jane, no marriage seems to be forthcoming. Odin looks too pale for a King as he murmurs in pain on his large bed. You approach gently, as if afraid of what will come next. And you are afraid of what comes next.

"Your Majesty, I fear for the well-being of our realm. I know your health is fragile, but your eldest son will cause the ruin of Asgard. I can assure you of that," you speak assertively as you approach Odin's bed. He looks at you with weakness. He is too weak.

"Child, do you fear my son's recklessness or that he loves you more than he loves Asgard?" King Odin speaks with great effort. You feel sorry for the King who once embodied the greatness of Asgard, but now symbolizes its potential decline.

"Since when, Your Majesty, have you known?" You ask, ashamed, feeling like a complete idiot for thinking the King didn't suspect your affair with Thor.

"My brave child, since Thor laid eyes on you, I knew. It is the duty of the King to know everything that happens in his realm. Know that by my will, you two would never have been involved, but Thor begged me, swearing to become a successor worthy of Asgard. That's why he will not marry you. Believe me, separately, I hold you both in great esteem. But together, you will be the end of all that is good in Asgard. Therefore, even on my deathbed, I will tell you what you must do, so that my son does not prevent you from marrying Prince Steve." King Odin speaks with a certain superiority. Even in his dying moments, the old man feels superior to you, even though he doesn't seem to hate you.

"You put me where I am today? I'm where I am today because your son couldn't control an erection? Give up this speech of superiority. You've aged poorly like a rotten bag. I'll probably be a Queen who, besides being loved by the people, will be loved by my husband. Whoever he may be. Now choose, do you want me to be the queen of Asgard or of Kyrax? Decide quickly, for by the course of our conversation, you will die before your son decides his bride. Trust me, Allfather, if I don't marry Steve, your son will be the first King of Asgard to have a non-noble wife. You can count on that." You say, approaching the King of Asgard, while he seems almost sickened by your threat. Amidst sideways glances and coughs, Odin finally managed to approach you.

"Have a ceremony under the sacred fire captured in the war against the Starks, you need someone from the nobility to officiate. Loki can help in this situation. That's all you need. I should add that you should consummate this marriage as soon as possible." King Odin looks defeated as he trembles in bed. Not all the royalty in the world can save the soul of a great sinner.

"Any other recommendations, Your Majesty?" You speak with contempt and pity at the same time. Odin looks at him as if he had to deliver bad news.

"I'm sorry to inform you, young lady, but you will have to do me one last favor before this is all over. I want my son engaged to Princess Jane. I beg for your help in this matter." Every word that came out of Odin's mouth seemed to be his last. His breathing is so weakened that you fear he will die before you leave the room.

"Consider done." You say leaving the room quickly, a little upset with what you're about to do. It will be the official end of your story with Asgard. Your story with Thor. You walk with heavy steps to the King Regent's room. Thor is lying in his bed. As soon as you enter his room, he stares at you.

"If you're going to come into my room like this, wouldn't it be better to lie down next to me?" Thor speaks with his eyes half open as you slowly approach his bed.

"I believe this is your future wife's task, no woman who has spent the last few years seeing your dick almost every day, Your Majesty." You respond, standing in front of Thor's bed.he is covered by sheets but visible naked.

"Jealousy looks good on you. I never thought you would feel threatened by anyone in this realm I've been involved with. It seems like it was wrong." Thor says as he slowly crawls onto the bed to standing with his legs open in front of you. All that stopped you from seeing him naked was the sheet.

"Your father asked me for something. I want to know if there's any logical reasoning left in that brain of yours. He wants his marriage to Jane. He thinks you and her will be a good couple." You say, getting closer and closer to Thor. He doesn't seem to pay attention to what you're saying but at the same time he is paying attention to you. Horny was never a problem in our relationship.

"What do you think?" Thor asks as his hands roam your body. He gently touches your belly, moving up to your breasts. You know how this will end. After all, that's what you came for. You take off the clothes you're wearing, mentally thanking yourself for not wearing armor.

"I think you should marry her. You two are a good match, she will be a good queen. You two will probably have beautiful children." You say as you feel Thor's hand grip your ass tightly. An involuntary moan came out of your mouth.

"And you came to have sex with me to convince me that I should marry Jane?" Thor says as he holds your waist, laying you down on his bed. You kiss him, with desire. This is your farewell to him, the end of an era. Your lips felt like they belonged together. Your hands held tight to Thor's hair as your lips took possession of his lips.

"I came to say goodbye. So please, Your Majesty, shut up and enjoy." You say, dragging the sheet that still covered Thor's body and throwing it away. Thor holds your ass, slapping each buttock as he guides you to ride him. When his dick enters you, you feel an impulse to bounce, causing a strangely pleasant sensation. You and Thor look like animals, as he scratches your ass while holding onto it, you bite all over his neck. Sometimes biting Thor's lips and holding tight to his hair, you feel like it's going to overflow.

"I don't want to say goodbye to you." Thor says as he enters you again, at a slow pace as if he doesn't want to end. However, you don't want to talk about feelings, so you start to sit on the Thor's cock faster, letting out grunts as you felt him inside you. Your hands hold Thor's body tight as you feel your orgasm coming. Thor seemed lost between moans and the desire to take over your entire body. His hands firmly holding your thighs as he pulls you closer as if he wants to tease you. His dick moving in and out of you faster and faster, your bodies getting sweatier and sweatier while your heart feels like it's going to come out of your mouth. Your breasts bump against Thor's chest causing a good sensation, until you feel his hands cupping your breasts. It all felt very carnal and real. The desire between you is very real.Moments later, you and Thor cum. You then allow yourself to give him one last kiss, tasting blood as you ended up causing a slight injury to his mouth while biting it.

"I don't like Jane. She seems like the perfect match for you and that bothers me. But it's very clear that you and I have a destiny to follow and that destiny is not with each other. I hope that one day you see that." You speak while you still feel Thor inside you. You hug him while still sitting on him and get up, picking up your clothes. It's time to put your plan into action.

"You know all this doesn't change my opinion, your Prince Steve will return to the kingdom of Kyrax. And you will stay here. By my side." Thor says and you almost feel the need to laugh. He really thinks he owns you.

"Obviously, Your Majesty. I will withdraw because there is no room in this room for me and your ego. Make good use of your solitude." You go to the exit, where among Thor's things, you find what you came looking for. The key to the secret hall that holds the sacred fire. Now let's see who will side with whom.

To be continued...

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bthump · 10 months

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Hi dear bthump! I was thinking about this earlier today and was wondering your thoughts on it, even if it’s not directly griffguts related; what do you think of berserk’s stance on the concept of “ambition” or of the pursuit of one’s “dreams” ?

When I think of the way griffiths ambition is presented, it’s on face value an obvious condemnation of his over ambition- he chooses his “dream” over his comrades and friends, over the most important person in his life, guts, and becomes a literal monster/demon as a result.. and throughout the story, even though there are times guts himself (no less because of Griffith ofc) feels self conscious about being “unambitious” and just drifting in life, without strong goals etc. But when I think of the story as a whole with everything that’s happened in the eclipse and afterwards, I guess we’re meant to see guts as kind of the better, more grounded and humane alternative to a super focused, obsessive, dream chaser like Griffith, who ends up literally rejecting his humanity out of ambition? But then when I think of more recent neo Griffith chapters, that chapter where Griffith is talking about essentially revolutionizing the educational system in his utopia really stands out to me as an more obviously positive example/consequence of his “ambition”..

I wonder what you think about this? I think in another post you wrote about how, in many ways a lot of berserk is commenting on internalized homophobia/masculinity. Does this play into that?

As always love your posts and thanks for everything you do:) (also I’m really thrilled you liked my recommendation of human sadness!!)

Thank you, and thanks for the ask 💖

I think Berserk's take on dreams is a little nuanced, but falls on the negative side. As that one guy during the troll plotline says, "Dreams can make for courageous challenges but also opportune escapes."

Or much earlier you have Guts' Statement(TM): "The cost of ambition too great is self destruction." Which definitely feels like a narrative statement to me, not just reflective of Guts' character. Dreams are what motivate people to become apostles or godhands, dreams are what ruin everyone's lives in the Golden Age, and dreams are generally presented in opposition to genuine healthy relationships, requiring the sacrifice of one for the other.

But I do think Miura showed us the positive side of dreams too, in part to show why they're so seductive and the characters are obsessed with them, and in part just because it's realistic, probably. Griffith's dream of creating a utopian kingdom is genuinely pretty awesome and could do a lot of good in the world. But it was still bad for Griffith on an individual level, because his motivation was essentially a desire to escape from trauma, as neatly illustrated here:

And ultimately in Berserk, that's what dreams tend to boil down to. They're ways of coping with trauma, and they're not particularly healthy ways. They're band-aid solutions to make someone feel better about themselves that don't solve the deep-seated issues causing pain in the first place.

I have a post here that gets into the story's portrayal of dreams a little more in depth, and probably answers your main question pretty well.

And yeah along with that I think you can take that internalized homophobia and/or toxic masculinity reading and apply it very easily - I mean Griffith's dream comes complete with a princess to marry and is placed in direct opposition to his relationship with Guts. Guts' dream is to be the best swordsman ever, so he can be the strongest and most powerful guy around and never be victimized again, and you can at least argue that that plays into some of his shitty arrogance in the latter half of the Golden Age, though it may not be intentional.

I think realistically dreams and ambition are neutral at worst and can be great and have great results and Berserk acknowledges this, but the story itself is much more interested in exploring the negatives, and I feel like that works very well with the story's themes.

Ultimately I do think we're meant to see Guts' initial attitude during the Golden Age, pre Promrose Hall speech, as the more correct one: live for your day to day life and the people you care about rather than for a distant goal. This is a sentiment I think we can see echoed a lot throughout the story, from Godo and co telling Guts to stay with the remaining Hawks rather than going monster hunting, to Troll Arc's old man talking about wanting to escape his hardships at home but ultimately finding greater fulfillment staying with his village, to Guts' realization that he should never have left the Hawks, etc.

#ask #anonymous #a #b #theme: dreams #theme: trauma

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peachysooxo · 2 months

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The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 8

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal fluff word count: 4,527 description: on the day of Kyungsoo and Alina’s wedding, Kyungsoo realizes just how deep he fell for Alina. Chanyeol takes a big step. Alina misses the presence of her brothers and sister on her special day. warnings: none this time (:

author’s note: hello dear reader (: We made it to Kyungsoo and Alina’s wedding! I felt like I planned this wedding like it was my own lol, I had to make sure everything was perfect and how I envisioned it in my head. Two songs are mentioned that I highly recommend, All of My Life by Park Won (their first dance song) and Por Amarte Asi by Cristian Castro (ending scene). I really do appreciate all of your love and support. Just the fact that all of you are reading this work means so much to me, my heart is warm at your likes and reads. Thank you so much! Photos are not mine. Dividers by @saradika-graphics . Enjoy!

ALINA

The day has finally come that I had prepared for quite literally my entire life.

By the end of the day, I will be Crown Princess Alina I of the Seoul Kingdom.

Kyungsoo’s wife.

From the moment I woke up to the moment the makeup artist, Ofelia, finished with my look for the day was a complete blur. Ofelia moves on to Mami and the hair stylist starts working with me. Mami got here late last night with Papa just for the wedding ceremony, then they have to go back to Valencia. There’s too much happening at the borders with Azteco that they can’t be away for too long.

Though I understand the reasoning, it still makes me sad that they have to leave so soon. Not even my brothers or Ana could come. Ana is too pregnant to travel, and my brothers are fighting a senseless war. As for Maria, she just isn’t invited for obvious reasons. I try to not think about it too much, because this is going to be a beautiful day. I take a second to realize that this isn’t a dream or a nightmare anymore. It’s a reality I’m happily living.

I open my eyes and watch my hairstylist, Belen, braid my hair and collect it in a low bun at the nape of my neck. Loose, curled pieces were pulled out of the braid to create a soft look, I opted to mix tradition with modern style.

“Oh, Mija, you look so beautiful.” Mami glances over at me with tearful eyes, Ofelia laughs and dabs Mami’s eyes.

“When my daughter got married, Your Highness, my eyes were constantly watering. We will wipe your eyes as much as we need to, and I was sure to bring waterproof makeup just for this occasion!” Ofelia wipes Mami’s eyes and the women laugh together.

“Princess Alina is a gorgeous girl, a lucky one too. Crown Prince Kyungsoo is very easy on the eyes.” Belen adds as she finished my hair.

“He has to be the most handsome Crown Prince, wouldn’t you agree?” Lisette giggles and takes my dress out of the garment bag it sat in. The glittering and glowing of the jewels and the accents of lace and tulle remind me that this is really happening. Colors dance in the mirrors surrounding us as everyone else giggles and talks amongst themselves about how handsome my fiancé is.

Nerves intertwine with the curiosity of how Kyungsoo and I getting married is going to change not only us, but the world. Kyungsoo’s words linger in the air around me, softly working me through my anxiety. The thought of what he did to me in the library makes my cheeks warm. The memory of his lips touching other places on my body is etched in my mind forever. He made me want more, to feel that good again. Lisette’s fingers snapping in my face jolts me back to reality.

“Are you with us, Princess?” She asks in a concerned tone. I nod mindlessly and the room choruses with laughter.

“Sorry, everyone.” I lower my head.

“Not to worry, hija. It’s your wedding day, you’re nervous. I have something for you from your brothers.” Mami takes her phone from the makeup counter and places it softly in my hands.

“Lina! Congratulations on your wedding and coronation! We are so proud of you and miss you. We’re sorry we couldn’t be there, Papa assigned us here and of course, no leave for the Princes.” Ignacio grins, pettiness dripping in his tone.

“Regardless, we will see you soon, we promise! We’re having Lisette send us pictures. And you better tell that Crown Prince that if he for one second thinks of not treating you well, he’s dead.” Santiago leans into the camera, then his eyes soften. “Baby sister, do good things. Please, be happy. We hope to see you soon, a war must be fought to protect our kingdom. Well, your former kingdom. Traitor!”

“What we’re trying to say is that we love you and we are so proud of you. Be the strong, wise, fearless leader we know you’re going to be. We’ll see you on the other side of this war.” Ignacio announces, and they wave goodbye as the video ends.

“Wow, of course I would still get teased on my wedding day.” I laugh softly, wiping my eyes. “Ugh, I can’t mess up my makeup!”

“Princess, we have arrived to help you dress for the ceremony.” Maids come and help me into my dress.

“Thank you, please forgive me. It’s a very emotional day today!” I shake off my tears. I step onto the platform next to the makeup counters and allow the maids to dress me.

“It’s quite alright, Your Highness.” Once the buttons are fastened along my spine, I look at myself in the mirror, not even surprised with how lovely everything came together. The lace dress sleeves fit just right and complimented the dress perfectly. The neckline dropping down to my chest and fit my torso and waist like a glove. The skirt fanned out and cascaded down to the floor in a perfect A-Line. Lisette once again didn’t disappoint. I turned around and the room fell silent… Except for Mami’s soft sobs.

“What do you all think?” I ask hopefully.

“You look lovely, Princess.” Ofelia smiles. Choruses of compliments fill the room and I blush at the attention. Mami approaches me with my Valencian crown and I kneel before her, allowing her shaking hands to place the crown on my head. I stand up and Lisette appears at Mami’s side.

“This is a gift from your sister, Ana.” Lisette approaches me and opens a velvet box in front of me. A gold bracelet with an “A” and “K” charm sits in the box. I smile up at the ladies surrounding me, Mami reaches for the bracelet and fastens it around my wrist.

“It’s perfect, Mija. Are you ready for your wedding?”

“More than you can imagine.”

KYUNGSOO

“Today is the day!” Baekhyun grins.

“How are you feeling?” Yixing asks.

“Ready, nervous.” I exhale, tying my tie and buttoning up my military uniform coat.

“I heard she’s looking gorgeous, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun nudges me. I stare him down and without a word, he gives me the answer I was looking for. “I heard from the maids!”

“You’re such a gossip.” Yixing rolls his eyes. I slick my hair back and listen to Baekhyun and Yixing bicker behind me as usual. Chanyeol enters the room with a serious look on his face. I stiffen and straighten my posture at the sight of him. His lip is healed, I hope I won’t have to reopen the wound.

“Crown Prince, may I have a word with you?” Chanyeol asks with a lowered head. I groan and adjust my cufflinks.

“Fine.” I get up and walk outside of the chambers with Chanyeol, a nervous look in his eye. “What did you need to talk to me about? On my wedding day?”

“I wanted to apologize for how I treated Alina. It was selfish and wrong of me to think I had any right to be near her like that. I disrespected you and her. I don’t have any secret feelings. I don’t want to be punched again, please don’t ever do that again. I… I found someone I’m actually interested in, and I won’t be coming after your bride ever again.” Chanyeol nervously explains.

“Thank you, because I’ll kill you if you ever try again.” I nod, lips pressed into a thin line.

Silence sits in between us, then we burst into laughter. This is how we always were, in the few times we disagreed. Chanyeol brings me into a hug and pats my back. I’m honestly glad this is over. It was unnecessary and stressful. “She’s going to make you a happy man. I’m glad you’re seeing that now.”

“Crown Prince, it’s time.” A Royal Guard bows to me.

“We’ll be there straight away.” I reply.

This is it.

I’m marrying Alina.

Standing at the altar waiting for Alina was the worst form of torture. The urge to pace tingled my legs and I had to grip my wrist to stay still. For 60 seconds, the entire world fell silent, and my heart stopped.

Yixing and Baekhyun opened the doors to the Ceremony Hall, a soft piano melody playing through the air. Alina is standing at the doorway in her beautiful white dress, her bouquet clutched tightly in her hands. The light pouring through the windows was envious of her, she baffled and amazed me with her beauty. I had to blink and remind myself that she was even real in the first place, not a dream. My jaw drops as King Ignacio walks her down the aisle, I adjust my posture which earned a small laugh from the guests.

Thoughts race through my mind as Alina reaches me, handing her bouquet to Lisette sitting in the front row. King Ignacio patted her hand and wiped his eyes, it was the first time he cried at one of his children’s weddings from what I’ve ever seen or heard. I often surmised that Alina was their favorite daughter, neither of them looked this emotional at Maria or Ana’s wedding from the press photos and videos I saw. Out of their entire family, I’m happiest that they’re here for Alina.

“You’re a beautiful bride, Mija.” King Ignacio whispers as he embraces his daughter in front of me. I bow to King Ignacio, taking Alina’s hand from the emotional king. He looked at me with fire in his eyes. “You need to take care of her, she’s our precious daughter, our Kingdom’s most prized possession.”

“Papa…” Alina blushes. The statement is true, I just wish she’d believe it.

“I will do nothing but take care of her, Your Highness. I promise she is safe with me.” I lower my head and offer a handshake. King Ignacio receives it and steps down to stand beside Queen Evelina. The Queen dabs her eyes and smiles at me, assuring me kindly. My focus turns to Alina, she takes my breath away. I’m moved to kneel before her with her hands in mine, pressing my lips on her knuckles.

“You’re so irrevocably gorgeous, darling.” I shiver. Nothing and no one can make me shake this way, and of course she is the one who managed to do this to me. A man is never to bow before a woman at the altar, it is the woman who must be at the feet of the man, as they say. I don’t care, any man would be a fool to not bow before Alina. She giggles and caresses my cheek, that earns more camera shutters than before. I rise to my feet and kiss her hands one more time, holding them tightly in mine.

“On behalf of the Valencian Crown, the King and Queen offer their daughter to the Crown Prince Kyungsoo I of Seoul. Is your betrothed one of whom you accept?” The Ceremony Master looks at us.

“Yes. On behalf of the Seoul Crown, I accept my betrothed.” I nod slowly, not taking my eyes away from my princess.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to join two nations in unity, bound by the marriage of Crown Prince Kyungsoo I of Seoul and Princess Alina II of Mariposa, Kingdom of Valencia. The world shall rejoice at the union of these fair nations, especially in these times of war. King Ignacio III of Valencia and King Bonhwa VII of Seoul, do you accept the union of your nations by means of the Crown Prince and Princess?”

“We accept,” our fathers call in unity.

“Your Highnesses, please be seated with your lovely Queens.”

My heart pounds as Alina smiles at me, she somehow did it. She managed to have me fall in love with her. I want to give her the best life I could give and treat her better than anyone else in this world has. She deserves it, she deserves every single good thing that this world had to offer. She didn’t have to do much, her existence was enough for me to be captivated. Neither of us were paying attention during the Ceremony Master’s speech, but our attention turned as Alina was set to kneel before my parents.

“Today, marking the welcoming of our new Princess, we coronate Princess Alina II of Mariposa, Kingdom of Valencia, as Crown Princess Alina I of Seoul. Queen Hyunae, please replace the Valencian Crown bestowed on the head of the Crown Princess with her Crown of Seoul.”

Alina folds her hands and lowers her head. Mother replaces her Valencian Crown with the one Alina chose before the wedding. She looks gorgeous in my Kingdom’s Crown. Alina looks up to Mother, her eyes quickly downcast at the stoic, disappointed look on Mother’s face. Now the Crown Princess, Alina bows to the King and Queen, then bows to me, her Crown Prince and future King. I take her hands and nod happily, wanting to kiss her right then and there.

“Now, for the vows. Please, repeat these vows after me, Crown Prince.” I listen carefully to the vows and nod. I didn’t like the vows, I never liked how any of it was phrased because I would have to demand that Alina obey me. It felt wrong to ask any of this from a woman. I didn’t want to hear Alina say that she would “serve” me, “bow before me with honor”, “be obedient to the Crown Prince.” It’s ancient, it’s wrong, and it’s not something I’d ever expect her to do. The wedding vows needed updating and it was up to me to change them, starting with my vows to Alina.

“I, Crown Prince Kyungsoo I of Seoul, take thee, Crown Princess Alina I of Seoul, to be my lawful wife and princess to my Kingdom. I will serve your every need, bow before you with honor, and listen intently to your input in all decisions moving forward. I promise to protect you with my life and keep you safe from any harm. I will love you with all of my heart and never make you feel inferior to me. You are to be my compliment, we will be dedicated to each other and to the Crown, for as long as we are alive and into eternity.” I disobediently vow, Alina’s eyes widen. She bows her head in respect, also in an attempt to hide her laugh.

“That is certainly new…Very well. Crown Princess, please repeat after me.” Alina’s eyes were calm, but nerves riddled her face. She always did what she was told, but this time I hoped she’d think for herself. I rubbed her palm softly, a silent encouragement to say what she wanted to say to me.

“I, Crown Princess Alina I of Seoul, take thee, Crown Prince of Kyungsoo of Seoul, to be my lawful husband and my honored crown prince. I will stand by your side and support you in every decision. I promise to take care of you and respect you as you respect me. Today, I give you my heart and will never betray this promise. I will be your compliment, your trusted confidant, and closest friend. I will love you with all of my heart and never demean you. We will be dedicated to each other and to the Crown, for as long as we are alive and into eternity.” Alina smiles at me and basks in my silent praise. Murmurs ensue around us and Father gives me his disapproving look, but I could care less. If I’m not going to follow his path, I have to forge my own and it starts today. The Ceremony Master offers rings to us, and we slide them onto each other’s fingers.

“These rings symbolize the union of The Crown Prince and Crown Princess. They also symbolize the unity of the Seoul Kingdom and the Kingdom of Valencia. It is with great honor that I pronounce the Crown Prince and Crown Princess as husband and wife. Crown Prince Kyungsoo, you may kiss your bride.”

I gladly bring Alina closer until our lips gently melt together. The world fell away from us, we couldn’t hear the applause, we couldn’t feel the people around us, it was just Alina and me. We break apart and I proudly present my bride to everyone in the room. Taking the lead, I bring her down the aisle and across the front lawn to the front of the palace where hundreds of people are waiting to greet the new Crown Princess of Seoul. Though it was freezing cold, we greeted our subjects. I held Alina’s waist tightly as our subjects take pictures of us, mainly her. I didn’t mind, she is so beautiful that she deserves to be preserved in photographs for centuries to know how gorgeous she is.

“Kiss! Kiss!” They chant, Alina shyly turns to me, holding my hand and silently asks me to take the lead. I grin down at her and dip her down, kissing her lips softly. The press captures the moment in the cold autumn air, the Crown’s photographers whisk us away to take official photos for the archives. We take a few photos with our parents, then the entire Seoul family. I noticed that Alina looked uncomfortable between pictures, her hands were shaking in her lap. She shivers and my attention immediately goes to her. I rub my hands up and down her arms as the family clears out for our couple photos. I lean down and wrap my arms around my wife, attempting to soothe her chill.

“Are you cold? Should I have them bring you a coat? A blanket?” I say lowly in her ear. She looks up at me and quickly shakes her head no. I know she doesn’t want to feel like an inconvenience. That should be easy, because she isn’t.

“Your Highnesses, please face the front. Is Her Highness cold? We can bring the heater closer.” The photographer suggests.

“No, thank you, I’m…”

“Yes, bring it closer to her. She’s freezing.” I firmly insist. Alina squeezes my hand and I laugh to myself. “Sorry to speak for you, but I will not allow you to stay cold, my beautiful bride.”

Alina relaxes and we started to take our photos. She followed the direction of the photographer and took my lead, thawing out under my touch. I held her in my arms and pressed my forehead against hers, our crowns clashing against each other. I smile and rub my nose on hers. The camera flashes in front of us, we laugh at a silent joke and kiss once more. I pull back and caress her cheek.

“You’re beautiful.” I whisper.

“You’re handsome.” Alina whispers back.

“Perfect, Your Highnesses. Please, enjoy your reception.”

As soon as we walked into the room, applause bounced off of the walls. Immediately, our ceremony song starts to play. It’s tradition for us to dance first, before the celebration can commence. The singer we chose begins vocalizing softly and Alina smiles at the lyrics.

“If I translated it correctly in my head, is he talking about a man that falls in love with a woman and she becomes his reason for living?” Alina questions with a smirk on her face. I turn her and bring her back to my chest.

“Yes, darling. That’s exactly why I picked this song. It’s all of the words I’ve tried to say to you. Every single day, I’m so grateful you were promised to me. I don’t think I could be this happy with anyone else.” I sweep my lips over hers, causing a sharp reaction from our guests.

“I feel the same, amorcito.”

“Amorcito?” I ask.

“You gave me a nickname, it’s only right I give you one.” Alina’s cheeks redden. I laugh and we dance across the floor.

“I love it, especially how gorgeous the name sounds coming out of your mouth.” I can’t stop smiling. Murmurs start up again of how I’ve never been this happy, and everyone in this room is right. Alina starts to look around, and my heart breaks instantly.

“I’m so sorry your brothers couldn’t be here today.” I say, trying to console my wife. Ah, my wife. It’s heavenly to know Alina is now my wife.

“I know it’s stupid that I believe they’re going to walk through that door any minute. They’re halfway across the world. It’s not fair Papa made them go fight in Azteco. None of my siblings are here. The only one I could accept not being here is Ana, she’s going to give birth any day. It’s a beautiful day, a perfect day, I just wish they were here to celebrate with us.” She sighs, the immediate need to fix her sadness overcame me. I offer another slow kiss as we danced.

“I’ll be sure to extend an invitation to them to our home once their tour is over.” I nod, Alina’s eyes brighten.

“Our home?”

“Yes, darling, our home.” I smile.

“I like the sound of that, amorcito. Nothing would make me happier than having everyone I love under the same roof. Mmm, to think just a couple months ago we hated each other. Who would’ve thought we’d be this happy and falling in love?”

“Being in love with you feels right. My princess, I will stop at nothing to make you smile, make you happier than you’ve ever been. And for the record, darling, I never hated you.”

The song ends and we bow in thanks to everyone in attendance. Alina bows to me and I bow in return. I watch her smile at me, the jewels in her dress glowing under the lights. I never imagined that the love of my life would be my betrothed, but Alina has proven to be full of surprises. Time passes and we made small talk as we watched our families dance together from the vantage point of the banquet table. No one seemed to be paying attention to us anymore, which is perfect timing for what I have planned for Alina.

“I need some air, care to join me, Princess?” I offer, and Alina excitedly nods. “Let’s go.”

I get her up and guide her out of the reception, Lisette and Daeun await her at the exit.

“Crown Princess,” Daeun bows her head. “Crown Prince Kyungsoo has asked us to take you to change your dress.”

“Change my dress?” Alina asks curiously whilst tilting her head. Lisette laughs and takes Alina’s hands.

“Yes, Crown Princess, it’s a must for this part of the wedding.” Lisette smirks, offering a wink to me. The two women rush Alina away and I loosen my tie, wondering what Alina will look like in the dress I had made for her. My mind wanders as I make my way to the outer door, taking off my uniform jacket and push my white dress shirt sleeves up to my elbows. I unbutton the first few buttons and slick my hair back from my face, a few strands of hair brush against my brow.

“Your Highness?” I hear Alina’s voice behind me. I turn and drink in her gorgeous figure in the light blue gown I’d chosen for her. Alina’s long, luscious hair cascades around her body, falling softly on her back. All of the words I was going to say escape me at her presence. I smirk and wrap my jacket around my wife and extend my hands out to her, softly brushing her back with my fingertips underneath the coat.

“Come on, darling.” I manage to say, leading the way into Alina’s favorite place: the garden. For the wedding, the castle had lights strung about in the bushes of flowers. Small lamps in the shape of flowers light the way to a small section that is lit up more than the others and lined with heaters to keep it warm. I stop Alina and take my phone out of my pocket, tapping it a few times.

“What are we doing here?” Alina asks. Then, the song starts. Alina looks around and wonders where the music is coming from, but her demeanor changes from confusion to happiness when she hears the lyrics.

Siempre serás la niña que me llena el alma…

I holds out my hand and shyly motion for Alina to come to me. I take a shaky breath and offer a smile. “Ven a bailar conmigo, mi amor.”

Alina’s eyes widen at my attempt to speak Valencian, grinning with approval. With watery eyes, Alina takes my hand and we dance, swaying to the lyrics. Dancing together is slowly becoming our thing. If I could, I’d dance with her forever. I twirl Alina and pull her closer, humming softly. This song is completely in Valencian and is one of her favorites. Once I learned the lyrics, I understood why.

“This is magical,” Alina grins.

“You are magical.” I breathe, pressing my forehead against Alina’s. I turn her again and dip her down slowly, kissing her as I bring her up. I drown in the taste of her kiss, falling deeper into her. We part and I gaze nervously in Alina’s eyes, worry filling me. This fluttery feeling is settling in me, and I’m not accustomed to it. Only this woman in my arms has made me feel this and that alone has taken ahold of me and grips tightly around my neck. “Darling…”

“Yes?” Alina curiously asks.

“I know without a doubt that I love you. I know it’s fast to say that, but this entire situation has been anything but traditional. You made me fall so fast, darling. I didn’t think it could be so.” I admit. “It’s a new sensation, loving you.”

Alina serenely smiles and kisses me again. “I love you too, Kyungsoo. Without any doubt in my mind. I know this is all new, but we’ll figure it all out together.”

“Together?”

“Yes. From now on, every single step we take will be together.” Alina nods.

“I want that, I really want that.” I turn Alina and holds her in my arms. “You look so beautiful in blue. I love it when you wear this exact shade of blue.”

“I’ll wear more of it. Ah, this is a perfect night.”

“It is a perfect night, darling. We have forever together. I’ll spend every single day learning how to love you.” I sigh through a smile.

“Every single day will be a gift. And you… You made this whole day absolutely perfect. I love this moment. I want it to last forever.” Alina’s dreamy tone stops my heart. She could make me do anything if she asks me in that tone.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make it last forever, my darling,” I assure her, “whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

Alina presses her hands onto my cheeks and just smiles at me. “Let’s get through this war and live happily together.”

I wish I could’ve done so much more to keep this promise.

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silverynight · 10 months

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The dragon

<---Previous

Part II

At some point Katsuki lets go of his hand and puts the other on Izuku's waist. He supposes it's something common among shifters so he doesn't pay too much attention to it.

Although the people around are certainly looking at them, even though Katsuki looks like a barbarian now; the wings, tail and horns have disappeared completely.

Izuku needs to buy a few things there, mostly food and maybe a little bit of new clothes. However, when he's ready to pay for them, Katsuki steps forward and does it for him; he's carrying a lot of gold.

"You don't have to do this..."

"I do," Katsuki says, determined. "I'm with you now."

Izuku blinks; he had no idea the dragon shifter was planning on traveling with him. Although, he can't say he's disappointed, on the contrary, Izuku is absolutely happy to have a new friend.

"Oh..." Izuku smiles kindly. "Then what would you like to buy for our journey?"

Katsuki shakes his head.

"I'm fine, nerd. Don't worry about me," he makes a dismissive gesture with his hand before taking a few steps closer and rubbing his nose against Izuku's, prompting the human to giggle.

"Alright, then I think we're–Wait! I recognize that tent!" Before Katsuki can stop him, Izuku excitedly rushes towards it. "Kacchan, come!"

"Uraraka!" He happily says, right after walking inside. The young witch recognizes him immediately and pulls him into a very warm hug.

He's glad to see his friend again.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" She grins, her arms firmly wrapped around him. "I've missed you, everyone has!"

"Oi, round cheeks!" Katsuki growls, grabbing Izuku by the arm and yanking him away from her. "Careful!"

"Don't worry, Kacchan, she's not going to hurt me," Izuku assures him. "We're friends!"

"I don't think he's worried about me hurting you," Uraraka points out, narrowing her eyes at the blond. Then she turns around to face Izuku again: "What are you doing with a dragon shifter?"

Izuku looks at her in awe and Katsuki immediately huffs in annoyance.

"How can you tell? That's amazing!"

"Well... I... It's not that impressive actually," she blushes, making a dismissive gesture with her hand. "I can feel his magic."

For some reason Katsuki is not happy about it, but he doesn't say anything this time, he just wraps his arms around Izuku's middle and pulls him against his chest.

Uraraka rolls her eyes.

"Iida is worried about you, you know?" She blurts out. "And the prince of course, but that's obvious..."

"They worry too much," Izuku sighs. He really appreciates his friends, but sometimes it's like they think he can't take care of himself.

"I know, I know..." She agrees, although she seems to change her mind a little when looks up over Izuku's shoulder. "But at least you should pay them a visit every now and then."

"You're right!" Izuku grins, already inspecting the shelves with the potions. "Maybe I'll head there this autumn so I can get there before winter."

"That sounds like a good idea, although I'd recommend that your "friend" doesn't mention he's a dragon shifter."

"Yeah, I think that's for the best," Izuku agrees, stopping Katsuki from hissing at Uraraka by stroking one of the hands that are grabbing his waist.

"If you're talking about the kingdom ruled by the Todoroki family then we shouldn't go there, Izuku," Katsuki grumbles before nuzzling against the green haired human's cheek. "The King hates dragons."

"I know... But... Prince Todoroki is different... I mean he doesn't trust your kind, but he's not like his father," Izuku assures him.

"We shouldn't go."

"Hey! He can do whatever he wants!" Uraraka narrows her eyes at the shifter, getting slightly irritated.

"It's okay," Izuku tries to calm them down. "We'll be on the road for a while before that happens, Kacchan. We can discuss it again, okay? We'll make a decision together."

Katsuki nods, relaxing a bit before turning Izuku around so he can rub their noses together; he does that a lot.

"Are you sure he's your friend?"

"Izuku is my mate."

Uraraka gasps like it's shocking news. Izuku is getting very confused; Katsuki is just confirming what she just asked...

Mate is certainly a funny word that is used for a lot of things, but he's sure it's just a dragon's way to say someone is their friend.

"Is that true, Midoriya?"

"Of course!" Izuku nods, surprised when Katsuki smirks, looking very pleased with himself before he kisses the human's cheek.

Uraraka looks from one to the other, hands Izuku a healing potion and then takes a deep breath.

"I refuse to help you this time. Figure it out on your own!" She huffs, rubbing her temples. And then she turns around, face looking almost terrifying as she talks to Katsuki: "You better take good care of him, alright?"

"You don't even have to say it, round cheeks! He's my mate, I'll treat him right and protect him with my life!"

"Kacchan, there's no nee–"

"Good," Uraraka nods in approval, ignoring Izuku. "Have a safe trip!"

***

Izuku wants to pay a visit to his mentor first, although according to the map, they're a little bit far away from the forest he's staying in.

Katsuki gets a little bit bored at some point and convinces Izuku to let him carry him (behind his back in dragon form) for a couple of hours.

Izuku enjoys it quite a bit. Katsuki's dragon form is beautiful and being up in the sky feels amazing.

They have to be careful though; Izuku doesn't want to attract the wrong type of people. There's always a wizard, knight or hunter interested in killing or at least getting a tooth, scale or something from a dragon.

He knows that Katsuki can take care of himself, but he doesn't want to risk it.

When the night comes, they have to find a cave to sleep in.

Izuku builds a small tent inside, that's just for one person, but Katsuki doesn't seem to care because he crawls inside and wraps himself around the human anyway.

It's not like it bothers Izuku, of course not, but it's somehow different to sleep so close to him now that he's in his human form.

Izuku feels himself blush to the tip of his ears and is certainly considering telling the dragon shifter there's something called "personal space" at least when it comes to humans...

"Listen, Kacchan–"

Lips crash into his and even though Izuku should ask what's going on, he can't help but melt right into the kiss.

Katsuki is a very hungry and desperate kisser, he pushes his tongue inside Izuku's mouth to explore it, prompting the human to let out an embarrassing moan in response.

"I saw two humans doing this when we were in the village and wanted to try it with you, nerd," he smirks, licking his own lips before leaning to kiss a very flustered Izuku again.

Despite enjoying the kiss, Izuku gently pushes Katsuki away, he tries not to chuckle when he notices the shifter pouting before trying to chase Izuku's lips again.

"Wait... Kacchan," he stops him. "Those humans you saw weren't just friends... A kiss on the lips means–"

"I know that, nerd. I mean... they smelled like each other, I knew they were mates."

Mates. That word again. Izuku stares into Katsuki's red eyes for a couple of seconds before realizing that there might be a misunderstanding between them.

"So when you told Uraraka I was your mate–"

"I know I haven't bitten you yet," Katsuki cuts him off, leaning closer to lick Izuku's neck. "Or that we haven't had one of those things your people call weddings, but to me you are already mine."

"O-Okay..." Well... Aside of finding Katsuki's words really endearing, Izuku thinks he needs to explain certain things to the shifter.

But then the blond nuzzles his cheek before biting Izuku's earlobe lightly and the human can't help but melt into his arms again.

"Can I mark you now, Izuku?"

The human shivers, realizing in shock that part of him really wants to, however, he decides to listen to his brain for once.

"I think we should get to k-know each other first," he stammers.

"Tch! Why?" Katsuki rolls his eyes, but he pulls Izuku closer.

"To see if we're compatible."

"We are compatible," the blond says before rubbing his nose against the curve of Izuku's neck. "I can tell by your scent."

"But we also have to wait to see if we fall in–"

"I'm already in love with you."

Izuku blushes to the tip of his ears, makes an embarrassing, yet surprised noise before covering his face with both hands. The worse thing is that it looks like Katsuki is just stating a fact and yet Izuku feels very much charmed already.

"But perhaps you want me to win your heart first?" Katsuki smirks, pulling Izuku's hands away to see his face. "I can do that too. I always win."

"I... uhh..."

"Brace yourself, nerd because by the end of this courtship, you'll beg me to give you a mating bite," Katsuki promises, making Izuku squeak.

Perhaps this is a bad idea.

It gets even worse when Katsuki smiles fondly at him and rubs their noses together, Izuku melts into the touch again and he thinks, at least for a brief moment, that maybe this explosive dragon shifter already won.

***

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#mha fantasy au #mha #bnha #my hero academia #bkdk #bakudeku #bakugou katsuki #izuku midoriya

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euphoric-melancholyy · 1 year

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Romantic Fantasy & Fantasy Romance Book Recs

I recently made a post looking for the book/reader community on Tumblr and I found a lot of you! A couple people asked for book recommendations so here they are. All of these have varying levels of spice unless otherwise mentioned. I do recommend going into all of these blind and just see if you like them with zero expectations. I find it makes the reading experience better if you aren’t expecting something to be the greatest thing ever. Then you can only be surprised if you like it (or hopefully love it!) All of these are fantasy romance!!

Tagging some peeps who said they also love fantasy romance or seemed like they would like to know about some book recs: @imhilien @raven-reads87 @accidentalspaceexplorer @the-dust-jacket @melindacopp @taylorsversion213 @siruisreader @faerie-smut-merchant @gwelwynn @hitchhikerbooks @astrid162 @arewedancer99 @bookwyrmtaz @sourpatchkid99 @caffeinated-bibliophile @books-and-cookies @eaterofbooks @franticvampirereads @carissabroadbent - sorry if I forgot anyone or if you did not want to be tagged. Happy reading!

- Daughter of No Worlds, the first book in The War of Lost Hearts trilogy by Carissa Broadbent. You’ve got grumpy/sunshine, badass female protagonist, a “who did this to you?” scene, and so much more!! It’s dark but still has so much love and is just. So, so good. I will never shut up about how much I adore this criminally underrated series. There is absolutely nothing I disliked about this book. This is my favorite trilogy ever, up there tied with my favorite series ever. There’s no miscommunication and the characters handle hard situations maturely. It’s dark at times and deals with slavery, torture, and the injustices that entails, but it’s also empowering and full of hope and funny quips. The characters are lovable and complex. The pacing is the best pacing of any book. The romance is sweet yet still full of tension. The plot is incredible. I cannot recommend this book enough. It flawlessly balances the mundanity of living with the largeness of this universe and literal world ending stakes. She balances joy and grief, laughter and sorrow, trauma and healing. It’s a true feat when your heart aches with all of it at the same time. Each book is incredible. The character I was hesitant to love in the first book had me sobbing with the realism and heartache that I felt for her in the last book. If you listen to the audiobook, the narrators were perfectly cast as well. Tisaanah, the FMC has a language barrier and it’s done so incredibly well, especially when listening to the audiobook. It remains one of my favorite things about Daughter of No Worlds. This series is criminally underrated and I will never understand how it isn’t at the top of booktok. 12/10, move this up to the top of your TBR. Each book is just as good as the one before it. I’m obsessed with this series. This series is on KU!! It’s a completed trilogy!!

- The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L Jenson. And it’s included in your Audible Plus subscription if you have one. The tension, the conflict, the romance. I love a morally grey mc as much as the next gal, but Aren is the equivalent of a golden retriever and I would die for him and Laura. Enemy kingdoms. Marriage. A perfect Enemies to lovers!! Also on KU!! Completed duology, with a third book focusing on a different couple.

- The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks. This is one of the best fantasy romances I’ve read! The FMC is a mute witch!! The plot, the tension, the characters, all of it is amazing. I fell in love with these characters and this world. Not to mention the ✨sexual tension✨ is some of the best I’ve ever read. It’s well earned too! Alexus and Raina have made my list of favorite ships. The sequel, City of Ruin, introduced a bunch of new characters and POVs (including the villains!) is a lot spicier, and just overall expands the world and the characters!! It’s action packed and made me look at the series in a new light! It does end on a major cliffhanger though, so be aware! Still read it. But it’s not tied up with a bow (yet!) I cannot express how excited I am for the third book and the direction this story is going. Highly, highly recommend! She also has signed copies on her Etsy!

- The Scribe by Elizabeth Hunter! This is a completed urban fantasy with romance series with 7 books. The first 3 books follow the same couple and can be read as a completed series - the other books focus on different couples and are just an extension. A race of beings ascended from angels are at war. Our main protagonist Ava is a human photojournalist who has heard voices in a nonexistent language her whole life and has always been told and believed she’s just crazy…but is she?? I love when we get a character thrown into a fantasy world who has no knowledge of it (like the reader!) it’s so fun. The romance is 🔥🔥🔥 and I love them. Ava is smart and savvy but not otherworldly strong like a lot of protagonists. She’s learning. And MAGIC! I love magic. I love the magic in this universe. The pacing is great and it’s a great balance of romance and plot. It’s a super interesting premise and I just think more people should read this series. I do not recommend the audiobook through - I hated the narrator. Book is great though! Also on KU!!

- I’ve found that whichever SJM series you start with is your favorite but Throne of Glass is next level. It was her first series and she spent half of her life writing it. You can see some of the groundwork for ACOTAR in it. But where ACOTAR is about the romance, ToG is about the plot. The romances are secondary to the plot. But for ACOTAR, the plot is secondary to the relationships and romance. ToG is so expertly planned out and it’s a slow burn into fantasy. It’s my number 1, favorite series. It’s definitely more YA but grows into what I would consider more New Adult towards the end of the series. Do not go into this series expecting spice. There is romance, but there are not any spicy scenes until the later books. The journey you go on with Celaena from Assassin’s Blade to Kingdom of Ash is unparalleled. It feels so special and epic. BUT I will say I went into the series completely blind with no expectations. So I suggest doing the same. And the first few books might seem slow. But KEEP GOING it’s worth it, I swear. And start with the prequel Assassin’s Blade!! It’s broken up into interconnected short novellas for the prequel only. The series has a more full circle feeling when you start with the prequel, and you don’t know things that you might otherwise know if you read Throne of Glass first. Starting with the prequel also made me love Celaena more. If you are just starting fantasy, start with Throne of Glass because it is a slow burn into fantasy. This is a completed series

- The Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither. I was told this book would cure my Throne of Glass hangover. I’d agree! It also gives me major From Blood and Ash vibes, but with better characters. It’s got a great magic system, fun friendship dynamics and banter, a slow burn enemies to lovers, and some good ol’ fashion mystery surrounding the protagonist. I’m really enjoying it so far and if you like fantasy, I highly recommend!!

- Hollow Heathens (Tales of Weeping Hollow) by Nicole Fiorina - it’s like if Halloweentown met Storybrooke from Once Upon a Time, and had a child. It’s a gothic romance and is just so different from everything I’ve read. Also on KU!! This is a standalone.

- The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick. It’s a fun enemies to lovers Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone retelling. Mix elements of those stories together and you have The North Wind. Also on KU!! Can be read as a stand-alone. The next book, which isn’t out yet, focuses on a different couple.

- An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. You’ve got a spy posing as a slave to save her brother. A trained assassin brought up in a merciless, brutal school where he wants to escape. There’s a love triangle of sorts, which I usually hate but I didn’t mind it in this! It’s action packed and has made me love YA again. Dark, with themes of generational trauma, the importance of storytelling, the ✨power of love✨, breaking generational cycles, mercy, and tragedy of war. Lots of character growth for everyone!! Inspired by the gladiator times in the Roman Empire. Young Adult but very violent. No spice, all fade to black.

- The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent!! I had high expectations for this book. Carissa’s other series, The War of Lost Hearts, is my favorite series ever. And now with one book out so far, Crown of Nyaxia is making that list too. The world building. The characters. The complexity and emotions and just everything about it. It’s a masterpiece. I love the relationships!! And the last quarter of the book had me on an emotional rollercoaster through the end. I wanted to reread this book the moment I finished it. If a dark, gritty, high stakes fantasy romance with Hunger Games meets vampires and swoon worthy, epic romance (and some spice!!) sounds like your thing, drop everything else your reading and start this. This is the first book in a series and was just released. Carissa is my favorite author and one thing that she does really well is write strong, healthy relationships. Her characters don’t fall into lust and then in love - it’s a buildup of respect, trust, friendship, and then love. (And 🌶️🌶️ of course, but the relationships are more than that.) Raihn is my new #1 book boyfriend!!

- The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen is a new comfort read for me. but if you want a super fun, quirky, romance with You’ve Got Mail vibes set in a fantasy universe that also has zombie like creatures, this is it. I know that sounds weird af, but it is so cute and I can’t stop smiling as I read it!! It’s a new favorite and is just SO CUTE! And I cried!!

- A Deal With the Elf King by Elise Kova! This is a standalone, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage fantasy romance!! I love all the characters in this, especially the growth of the MMC! The FMC feels a lot of responsibility to take care of everyone around her and she doesn’t allow others to disrespect her (especially the MMC!) There are lots of swoon worthy lines that had me smiling and blushing and some spice! Highly recommend!!

- The High Mountain Court by A.K. Mulford. It has witches, fae, a fun magic system, mates, natural LGBTQIA+ and POC representation, spicy, enemies to lovers, touch her and die (and the opposite touch him and die!), a truly wonderful and swoon worthy romance, and is just a great NA fantasy romance! Each book focuses on a different couple and follows a cohesive storyline!

- Between Wrath and Mercy by Jess Wisecup. You’ve got a mom hellbent on getting her kidnapped teenage daughter back. She needs the help of the Crown Prince - her first love - to do it. A spicy fantasy romance that is both character driven and plot driven. It’s so refreshing to read “older” (ie not 16 - 25 years old) characters in a fantasy romance!! The tension is high and the grief and love that intermingle to form the emotional backbone of these characters is so poignant and beautifully done. It’s also nice to see a mom who has an identity outside of being a mom! But she’s still a great mom! It was so refreshing to read and the second book is even better than the first! Very dark and yet also sweet and romantic and intense.

- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black! Also known as The Folk of the Air trilogy. If you’re looking for a spicy fantasy series, this isn’t it. There’s no spice. But if you’re looking for an AMAZING YA fantasy villain arc with enemies to lovers, fantastic storytelling, plot twists, and just an overall faerie adventure, read this series. I was hesitant to read it because of its YA rating/audience. But it’s easily one of my favorite series of all time! I love the characters, the plot, the arc, and the writing style! I read each book in less than two days. Highly, highly recommend. I also read them on audiobook and the narration is fantastic!

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