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#the fountains in the palace gardens are full of these golden statues

the-fiction-witch · 1 year

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Home To Rome

Media The Last Legion

Character Romulus Augustus

Couple Romulus X Reader

Rating: Sweet AF

Concept The Villa

I gently pushed my body up out of the sea of cotton, silk and other sweet fabrics that made up the bedding. I pushed it away and pulled myself out of bed stepping onto the cold marble floor I made the bed behind me and hopped across the cold floor. I looked around of course the bedroom being empty but myself our sweet bed with the red and gold curtains lining it, the porch to the garden with its curtains fluttering, all the wardrobes, chamise and other such furniture littered about the room many tables lined with books from the great library that had been brought here apon my request. Even though it was so beautiful and so comforting I couldn't help but feel lonesome.

I went to the door pushing it open and closing it behind me as I did a little stretch looking out across the Villa's centre. The Villa itself was laid out like a large square of stone in the centre a beautiful fountain a statue of a woman pouring water from a vase in her hand into a square pool, this pool then lined two rectangular gardens full of exotic non-native flowers and plants the pool from the fountain feeding the plants in the garden. the roof open to let in the sweet sun and the sounds of birds. The rooms on either side of the garden, with the door to the greeting room at one end and the door to the gardens at the other. Once I arrived in the corridor I was greeted by the two handmaidens in their long yellow dresses and golden chains.

"Empress" they each bowed to me

"Morning" I smiled back

"Where to this morning My lady?"

"Just the Baths this morning I think. No need to worry you girls can go" I told them they each bowed and headed off to the kitchens, I hurried down the corridor until I reached the door to the baths, I pushed open the door smiling sweetly at the room within a large stone room with five unique sections the first beside the door mostly storage with towels, brushes, sponges and the two robes I sighed a little noticing how long it had been since one of the robes had moved. The second closest to the door was a small five or so-inch deep pool with a little box of salt beside it a small trowel inside the box sat in the salt, this was a pool mostly for feet care of course as often walking in sandals even in the smaller distances can cause blisters and calluses that and any time we did leave this sanctity of our villa the outside roman streets where often not as clean we where used to. The third pool and the next size up was a long thin pool along the left-hand side of the room with three metal taps in the all that fed it, this water was always cold from the fresh spring meer inches from our villa filtered through various cloth's of course before it came into the villa's pool today a few springs of lavender and rosemary graced the waters top. The fourth pool was the largest the hot water that came from a hot spring only a mile or so up the mountain and piped down for our villa this pool had a beautiful but small waterfall to feed it the steam hovering off the warm pool, the fifth area of the room was in fact a smaller room a stone and wood-lined room with a large black kettle and stones steam already emanating from the open door a small but rather sweet steam room to help melt away the stress of the day. It was impressive even given the standard.

I began my usual daily route of washing my feet, my hair, having a little while in the sauna spending a good part of my morning making sure I was as clean as possible.

I did adore the villa even if it hadn't been my home for long honestly the place hadn't existed that long. The Villa began its construction just six years ago and it was a marvel in itself that it was finished. The Emporer had spent his life in the Palace near the centre of the city, but began the construction of this beautiful villa just six years ago, personalty overseeing the construction and design of the villa from start to finish sparing no expense and hiring all the best workers from across the empire to get it finished in time. He of course wanted it to be perfect given it was to be his permanent home, but the villa served another purpose. An Engagement gift for his empress, well for me.

Romulus and I had been aware of each other since our childhood given the rules and regulations of his upbringing we didn't have much time together much less alone, But we still were friendly. when his advisors began to push him towards his bride considerations he didn't need much time to think it over. He immediately began the design and construction of the villa and as soon as it was done he lead me out on a walk alone bringing me here, showing me all the amenities and all the little details he had designed as offering it, as our home. If I was to marry him. Of course, I accepted and we were married only a week later the two of us moving in immediately, unfortunately, I hadn't seen him much, as only a month after our wedding one of the counties of the empire had a small spark turn into a full out revolution against us, so Romulus had to go with his armies to sort it all out. He writes me letters whenever he has the time but I hadn't seen him in almost a year.

"My Lady" A handmaiden called knocking on the door loudly

"Yes?"

"The legion has been spotted on the hill, my lady"

"Is it true?" I asked

"It is my lady"

I quickly finished up with my bath and hurried to the bedroom getting into my best little lilac dress doing my hair and making sure I looked as nice as possible, once dressed I headed into the small entryway room at the front of the villa I was nervous but excited it if was indeed true and suddenly the door opened a few soldiers heading in with the advisors in tow who had gone out to greet them I was fearful as I didn't see him but I blushed hard as he marched into the room still in his armour of red and gold.

"My Emporer" I bowed low

He threw his helmet to the floor and dropped his amour immediately taking me into his arms kissing me intensely and pulling me as close to him as possible "I've missed you y/n"

"I've missed you too Romulus"

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iricathel · 2 years

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-> O w l T e r r i t o r y 🗺

>> Κεφαλονιά [Kefaloniá] (Céphalonie)

[I made a map by hand of what I had imagined; the names are in greek in honor of the philosophy so... they are a bit complicated]

Map

The Owl territory consists of a biodiversity of: Snowy mountainous areas; lakes, lagoons, rivers, waterfalls and seas; islands and archipelagos; hills of humid leafy forests and conical and evergreen trees; caves, pits and natural wells.

Keep in mind that it is a territory with altitude, cold, wet and dark; In addition to the fact that fog is very common, the water is usually ice cold.

Communities and Regions

The clan only has 3 communities and 2 regions, where they distinguish important properties in each area:

-> Chrysí Poli (Golden City): It is the capital of the Clan, therefore it is where there is a greater number of inhabitants (bourgeois and mixed workers) due to its proximity to the craft market, rustic shops, fountains, statues, schools, libraries and a main square to meet and celebrate their festivals. It has two large hills where the guards live and military training is carried out.

-> Vrysis (Briseis): It is a community mainly dedicated to the collection of fresh water from Lake Briseis and Suri Lagoon. Around the coast live small fishermen, aquaculture hatcheries, barns and farms as well as animal keepers.

-> To Sofó Vounó (The Wise Mountain): A community dedicated to the housing of high society such as nobles, royalty and their guards. In this area there are the private gardens of each owner, swimming pools, saunas and other luxuries; In addition, the altitude of the mountains is used to excavate its interior to find minerals and jewels, in addition to creating tunnels to create an underground city where it is dedicated to council meetings, the casino, bars and other places of entertainment. In this area is the White Palace, taking advantage of the height to have a better view of everything; and Ameyalí, a small coupling of cultural buildings such as theaters with plays and operas, coliseums, planetariums, museums and galleries.

-> Periochi Tantálou (Tantalum Region): The Tantalum Region is mainly used for agriculture, therefore, only peasants who work in this sector live in this agrarian place.

-> Periferéira Kirki (Circe Region): The Circe Region is mainly dedicated to hunting, providing maritime, aerial, mountainous and forest biodiversity. Here reside a few cabins and large boats barred to practice major fishing on the high seas. It goes without saying that wild animals and even captive humans that are released in this region are hunted in this area to hunt them for entertainment, sport or with the intention of providing food (although they can also be used to feed this wild animals).

-> Lefkó Paláti (White Palace): The White Palace is the residence of the royalty of the Owl clan, the Avenel family. As its name indicates, it is completely white because it was built with marble, although it contains golden details. There are high pillars and ceilings as well as hand-chiseled walls to decorate the palace, as well as three guard towers. This site will be discussed in more detail in the "Locations" post.

-> Amegialí (Ameyalí): A small coupling of cultural buildings such as theaters with plays and operas, coliseums, planetariums, museums and galleries.

-> Stóma tou Sánkar (Sankar's mouth): The mouth of Sankar is a slightly hidden area in the bay that forms the Wise Mountain. It is called in this way because there is a large cavern centered on one of the rocky walls, where an extensive waterfall filled with clear cyan water comes out due to its magical origin inside the natural tunnels; this water is used especially for the creation of formulas, medicines, potions, spells or even can be bottled to, after leaving it exposed outside to the light of the full moon, use it as moon water. It is also collected for the blessing of the newborn children of royalty to attract prosperity, strength, talent, wisdom, beauty and courage.

-> Okeánio Koralli (Coral Ocean): It is located between the Wise Mountain and the Circe Region, as mentioned before, it is used for major fishing and navigation; however, you can rest on its beaches of fine white sand or collect witch stones, shells or seawater.

-> Dídyma Nisiá (Twin Islands): These territories located in Briseis are private properties of the royals, who use these small plots to rest surrounded by tall coniferous trees and the fresh water of the Lake Briseis.

-> Soúri (Suri): A lagoon also located in Briseis, is considered another sacred place due to its natural thermal heat, turning its waters into thermal ones. The Owls bathe here every Blue Moon for good luck, although advance reservations are required and it is a privilege for high society.

#owl clan lore #owl clan #my art

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bakuliwrites · 2 years

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OT3 Challenge, Day 1, Part 2

Here's part two of yesterday's prompt! All prompts can be found here. All of my OT3 Challenge stories can be found here.

Day One, Part Two- First Meeting

So, at this point in Bakuli's timeline, she's already started working with Julian at his clinic and helping out with the search for a cure for the plague. She and Julian have also recently started seeing one another :) Someday, I will probably write out a full timeline of her life. I'll aim to have that up sometime within the next month with her backstory and family tree.

Meeting Lucio

Bakuli fidgets with the sleeves of her dress, staring anxiously around at the paintings lining the grand palace hallways. She feels thoroughly underdressed in her simple white and tawny outfit. When she passes a mirror, she pauses to fix her hair, pulling back a dark ringlet that's fallen out of its clip.

"You alright?" Julian's calming voice sounds beside her. Her hazel eyes meet his gray ones, and she frowns.

"Just a bit nervous," Bakuli admits, smoothing her hands along her skirt as if to iron out any wrinkles. She tries to smile at her companion, but knows it comes out more like an anxious grimace. Julian beams softly at her, pulling her close. He smells of coffee and leather, comforting and warm.

"Don't worry," he reassures, wrapping his arms around her, "He's all bark and no bite. Plus, if things go south, we can always grab some of the Golden Goose and sneak out to the fountain in the gardens. I think I spotted one when we were coming in."

Bakuli rolls her eyes and swats playfully at Julian's arm as he winks impishly at her. Though ridiculous, his offer does sound mighty tempting.

"Being entirely serious," Julian goes on, softly pressing his lips to hers, "You look lovely. There's nothing to fret about."

His tone is even as he says this, but Bakuli can feel his anxiety, too. His heart is pounding underneath his coat and his steady hands have the slightest quiver as he laces his fingers with hers. Bakuli hears the admiration and wonder in Julian's voice every time he speaks about the mighty Montag Morgasson. She knows he's just as fretful about reuniting with the Count as she is about meeting him for the first time. Plus, Lucio's garnered quite the reputation over the years. Bakuli's heard tell of patricide, temper-tantrums, coliseum fights, and unsavory dealings in magic. Though she's not inclined to believe just any rumor she hears, she recognizes the value in their warning.

And, by the looks of it, rumors of Lucio's grandiose sense of self are spot on. The palace halls are lined with painting-after-painting and statue-after-statue of the man, each one more gaudy than the last. They all depict Lucio on some battlefield, victorious over his enemies. Or sat atop thrones of gold and magnificent furs. As she and Julian are led towards the salon, Bakuli catches a glimpse of one portrait, hidden away in a study, and has to stifle a laugh.

"Ilya," she whispers harshly, trying desperately to hold in her laughter, but to no avail, "Don't look."

"Too late, I already saw it," he returns, voice strained from trying not to giggle. They dissolve into laughter, having to quickly rush past the rather well-endowed painting of Lucio draped over a bearskin rug. Even if the night is a disaster, at least they'll have paintings to make fun of when they get back to Julian's apartment.

As they draw nearer to the salon, Bakuli can hear a boisterous voice that she can only assume belongs to the Count. She feels Julian tense beside her.

"Don't worry, I'm here," she comforts, giving Julian's hand a small squeeze. He presses one final kiss to her temple before leading them both into the bustling salon. Nobles and physicians mill about the room, making small talk with one another; but, most are standing in a ring around the center, all eyes glued on someone in the middle.

Count Lucio stands there, wildly gesturing around as he animatedly describes some story from his youth about a muskbear. He's about thirty seconds away from spilling his champagne all over the carpet with his enthusiastic hand-gestures. He doesn't seem to notice his two newest guests entering the room.

Julian stands frozen beside Bakuli, the most shy and withdrawn she's ever seen him. His eyes are filled with that same awestruck look he always gets when he talks about his days tending to Montag, all those years ago. Bakuli wonders what it is about the man that Julian admires so much. He doesn't seem the type for Julian to get so attached to, especially given the rumors. But perhaps there's something more to this vain, ill-tempered mercenary-turned-royalty that Bakuli doesn't know about.

Her thoughts are interrupted when a booming voice cuts through the din of chatter.

"Julesy? Is that you???" Count Lucio exclaims, pushing through the crowd and bounding towards Julian and Bakuli. The Count pulls the doctor into a crushing hug. Bakuli watches with curiosity as the two men take a brief moment to catch up. They look one another over, comment on how they've each changed. Lucio ruffles Julian's hair and teases him about how he's still as skinny as he remembers. It's fascinating to watch them greet one another, picking up seemingly right where they left off. She wonders if that's how Julian feels, or if it feels like it's been a lifetime for him.

"Oh? And who's this enchanting creature you've brought with you?" Bakuli peripherally hears Lucio say to Julian before she realizes he's talking about her. Bakuli glances quickly at Julian before putting on her best smile and extending her hand for Lucio to shake.

"My name is Bakuli. Bakuli Björnsdottir. It's an honor to meet you, Count Lucio," she greets, opting to remain as formal as possible, not knowing what Count Lucio expects of her. Even if "Julesy" is his old friend. Something flashes in Lucio's silver irises, something curious and cold. Bakuli stores that flash in her mind for later, something she can pick at with Julian when they inevitably stop at the Rowdy Raven for drinks after all of this.

Lucio takes Bakuli's hand and presses a gentle kiss to the back. Bakuli can feel heat bloom across her cheeks as his gaze flits up to meet hers again. There's something hungry in his eyes as he looks between her and Julian, something covetous.

"Julesy, I had no idea you would bring along such a cute apprentice," Lucio winks, smiling devilishly before he takes them both by the arm, "C'mon. The two of you are my guests of honor tonight. You get to sit right beside me at dinner."

Julian leans back to catch Bakuli's eye. She knows they both look bewildered and probably a bit frightened. Who's to say where this night is going? It's barely just started and already things feel rather strange...

#the arcana #the arcana game #julian x oc #lucio x oc #julian x lucio #julian x lucio x oc #fan apprentice bakuli #fan apprentice #bakuli bjornsdottir #ot3 challenge #my writing #bakuli's ot3 stories #i did not realize how important eyes and gaze was to me until I started writing fan fic #like i'm obsessed with talking about people passing glances to one another #or having hidden emotion in their eyes #why #dani writes

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phoenix-of-jade · 4 months

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[dream] ㄱㅅㄱ - ^--^

𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬

[ 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 ] : receiver is having a wet dream about sender.

T;w: The following contains NSFW content, press "keep reading" for getting the full access.

Getting used to sleeping next to someone sure had an interesting effect on Xuan. Feeling the other's warmth and scent as they'd sleep embraced translated even into his dreams nowadays, the raven haired finding himself dreaming more and more about his little precious cat boy. The dreams varied from the cutest and wholesomest of dreams to really spicy and intense fuck sessions between him and Gyu that felt as real as can be. And probably the most surprising of facts had to be that some of those passionate wet dreams didn't even involve Xuan being the one on top.

Maybe it was the way Gyu teased him, or how quick he was learning the things that Xuan liked and turned him on most that contributed to the fact, but a thing was undeniable: he was slowly growing infatuated with his new lover! He wasn't yet sure if this was actual romantic love, but Xuan could tell that what he felt for Gyu went far beyond just the lustful desires the younger awoke within him and probably that's what his unconscious was trying to tell him too through those dreams: the idea of giving full control to Gyu, of submitting to him and him alone whilst he'd never had done it for anyone else before, it all implied a trust that Xuan was sure he hadn't felt before in his life and that's what made him think that what he and Gyu had must've been special.

Holding Gyu close to him after another passionate evening of making love again and again until they both dropped exhausted on the bed, Xuan wandered once again on the sweet realms of dreams. Even if his body was already exhausted from the exercises from earlier, his mind was still very much in the mood to continue that erotic pleasure, because it looked like this was going to be yet another intense wet dream!

Mere moments into the dream, Xuan found himself in a beautiful exquisite palace like setting. It looked almost story like in a way: he was surrounded by riches, beautiful statues and paintings and surprisingly, even what looked to be an inner garden surrounding a giant inner marble fountain. Looking around, Xuan's attention was soon caught by the white tiled floor covered by a soft carpet scattered with rose petals that seemed to lead to a specific destination. He didn't know exactly where, but at the same time he also felt as if he knew... It was hard to explain, it was as if an invisible hand was pulling him towards where he had to go.

Finally, the raven haired man arrived to what appeared to be a giant bedroom, similar in look to the rest of the palace so far. The carpet now lead to a giant bed adorned with silk sheets that must've been very soft to the touch, and on top of those sheets laid none other than Gyu. But this Gyu looked a bit different from the one he was used to: his hair was longer, the cat ears a bit bigger and his tail fluffier. Plus his facial expression was a bit more imposing and confident than usual. He looked almost like a god... A cat god that is!

Only a beautifully golden woven robe covered his naked body and the cat man's eyes locked with his, slowly pulling Xuan in as if in a trance. He wasn't even going to try to fight it, since he too wanted to get to that bed already and wrap his arms around that sexy beauty stealing playful glances from him. And finally, once on the bed, Xuan dove right in for a kiss, his lips crashing over the other's in a hungry passionate dance and his hands already roaming all over Gyu's body, playful and naughty in their desire to feel up his gorgeous body.

Usually, by this time, Gyu would've started melting under Xuan's touch, moaning and begging to be claimed already, but this dream's Gyu seemed to have other plans, because in a swift motion, the cat man gained the upper hand over the other, switching their positions by pinning Xuan to the bed. His playful narrowed eyes seized Xuan up, taking pleasure in the way the other seemed extremely surprised by the turn of events. There was something about this Gyu... About the way he looked at him with hungry eyes as if he wanted to devour the older... Something almost primal, but at the same time very sensual, that made Xuan's blood rush with excitement and his body to fill with desire, manifesting itself in the hard on poking now Gyu's thigh.

Xuan didn't even need to say a word, because his partner seemed to understand immediately what was desired of him, his beautiful lips taking with assault the exposed skin of the young mob's neck and chest, leaving prominent red marks of love in their way, while his hands made sure to touch and squeeze him in all the right places. It was such an intense feeling of pleasure that Xuan didn't even care anymore that Gyu had gained full control over him and soon enough he even began craving for this beautiful feline god to just cut the chase short and just claim him already.

"A-Ah... G-Gyu... P-Please...~" The man whimpered, feeling Gyu's hand take hold of his hardened twitching cock, rubbing it at an already quick pace. His pleas seemed to please the cat man, because his lips parted from the other's skin as Gyu pulled back slightly, starting to undress himself with his free hand, while the one on Xuan's erection didn't stop it's work for even a second. And while he did so, the green eyed man bit his lip and obediently spread open his legs, allowing for his partner to push himself between them, positioning himself at his entrance, Gyu soon starting to rub the tip of his own cock against Xuan's hole. Ah, finally! Xuan could barely refrain his excitement and eagerness for that sweet feeling of release that Gyu's dick would bring him, except...

Right when Gyu was about to shove his full length into him, the dream was shattered by the painful feeling of his stomach being crushed under something heavy and the sound of an irritated meow following soon after. "Chonker you fucking cockblocker!" Xuan groaned and pushed the hungry cat off of him. It was unfortunately time to wake up and he was having a mad unsatisfied erection...

[@beom-bear]

#xuan interactions #beom bear #kitty boy #xuan x gyu #v1: main

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yellowbg · 2 years

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ROME REVISITED

The citizen of the future will live in a City, through which silver streams will flow, in which the air will be spotless of soot, when water will bubble forth in fountains and reservoirs at every corner, where gardens, promenades, open squares, flowers, green lawns, porticos, and noble monuments will abound; the air and water as fresh as at Bern, with gardens, statues as plentiful as they are in Paris, and more beautiful in art. At Rome, the citizen was reminded at every turn of his country’s history by some monument, shrine, bust, or statue. There is but one city of the modern world — the French capital, where any attempt is made to develop this noble instrument of city life.

Museums, statues, galleries, colleges, schools, and public halls will no longer be concentrated in overgrown capitals; they will be universal in every moderate town. No town would be worth living in, if it does not offer a free library, a good art-gallery, lecture and music halls, baths, and gymnasia — free to all and within reach of all. To use all these, we shall need a day of rest in the week, as well as a day of worship on Sunday. Every citizen will be free of all the resources needed to cultivate his body, his mind, his heart: — his enjoyment of life, health, skill, and grace, his sense of beauty, his desire for society, his thirst for knowledge. If he does not use these resources, the fault will be his.

These things are not to be had by Acts of Parliament, nor by multiplying Inspectors, nor perhaps by any single machinery whatever. Ideals are realised slowly, by long efforts, after many failures and constant mistakes. To reach ideals we have to reach a higher social morality, an enlarged conception of human life, a more humane type of religious duty coastal bulgaria holidays.

ROME REVISITED

He who revisits Rome to-day in these busy times of King Umberto, having known the Eternal City of the last generation in the torpid reign of Pio Nono, cannot stifle the poignant sense of having lost one of the most rare visions that this earth had ever to present. The Colosseum, it is true, the Forum, the Vatican, and St. Peter’s are there still; the antiquarians make constant new discoveries — fresh sites, statues, palaces, tombs, and museums are year by year revealed to the eager tourist; and many a cloister and chapel, once hermetically closed, is now a public show. But the light and poetry have gone out of Rome for ever. Vast historic convents are cold and silent as the grave, and the Papal city is like a mediaeval town under interdict. French boulevards are being driven through the embattled strongholds of Colonnas and Orsinis, and omnibus and tram-car roll through the Forum of Trajan, and by the Golden House of Nero. The yellow Tiber now peacefully flows between granite quays, but the mouldering palaces and the festooned arches that Piranesi loved have been improved away.

One who is neither codino, ultramontane, nor pessimist may still utter one groan of regret for the halo that once enveloped Rome. We may know that it was inevitable, that it was the price of a nation’s life, and yet feel the sorrow which is due to the passing away of some majestic thing that the world can never see again. It is now twenty years since the late Professor Freeman, then visiting Rome for the first time, wrote as his forecast that if Rome, as the capital of Italy, should grow and flourish, a great part of its unique charm would be lost, and the havoc to be wrought in its antiquities would be frightful. The havoc is wrought; the charm is gone, in spite of startling discoveries and whole museums full of new antiquities. It had to be.

#ROME REVISITED

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terezabg · 2 years

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ROME REVISITED

#ROME REVISITED

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fashionphotograpybg · 2 years

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ROME REVISITED

#ROME REVISITED

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historyhologram · 2 years

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ROME REVISITED

#ROME REVISITED

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hopegooday · 2 years

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ROME REVISITED

#ROME REVISITED

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istanbuldaily · 2 years

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ROME REVISITED

#ROME REVISITED

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birdbeaty · 2 years

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ROME REVISITED

#ROME REVISITED

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lokijiro · 3 years

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Imagine

Little Thor and toddler Loki are to pose for a painting, but Loki refuses point blank to wear clothes. However, he insists on wearing wings.

So they make do by asking Thor to also take off his clothes and put on wings (he happily agrees), and the painter paints the princes as they frolick together.

The painting receives excellent reviews. Everyone thinks it’s lovely. The boys, who had a lot of fun, want to pose again.

That’s why one can find many paintings, statues, tapestries and stained glass windows that represent naked winged little Odinsons in Asgard.

#thor #loki #thor and loki’s childhood #asgard #angel odinsons #the fountains in the palace gardens are full of these golden statues

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olliepig · 3 years

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Centre Stage, ch 10

It’s taken a while thanks to real life thoroughly kicking my ass, but the next chapter is finally here! Massive thanks to my amazing beta and cheerleader @willow-salix, who, along with @misssquidtracy, @sugar-fiend, @inertplanetary and @chenria have all variously listened to me moaning and picked me up over the last few months.

As always, the whole thing is also on AO3 here.

**************

Tucking his phone into his pocket, Scott pushed himself away from the wall he’d been leaning against, letting his long legs quickly take him around the groups of tourists as he made his way back towards the entrance to the gardens of the Peterhof. The unplanned alone time while Cat was stuck in an overrunning rehearsal had been a rare treat that he’d made the most of, exploring almost every inch of the palace and its extensive grounds as he enjoyed the peace of solitude that was hard to find on the busy island.

Now, alerted to her imminent arrival, he glanced at his watch impatiently, calculating that, despite her lateness, they would still have a gloriously uninterrupted twenty hours together before she was due back at the theatre the following evening.

Her debut with the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg was a big deal, and he’d lost count of the number of times she had told him about the history of the company and the honour of being asked to dance with them. Her excitement had been infectious and, despite it causing a raised eyebrow from his dad when he had asked for the time off rota to attend, he wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

He was ashamed to admit that he hadn’t officially told his father about her, despite them having been dating for close to eight months. He knew Jeff wasn’t stupid and was completely aware that he had a girlfriend, but something had always held him back from sitting down with him and bringing it up. The obvious time for that would have been right after his return from the Oort Cloud, but it had been such early days in their relationship that he hadn’t wanted to do anything that might put more pressure on it. As the weeks went on and they grew closer, it never seemed to be the right time and, with every passing week, it became harder and harder to admit that it had been going on the whole time.

Turning his collar up against the bitterly cold wind coming off the Baltic Sea, Scott made it to the entrance just in time to see a sleek black car pull in. A smile crept onto his lips as he caught sight of Cat peering out at the golden domes of the palace behind him, reminding him of her first arrival onto the island where he was completely ignored in favour of Two behind him. This time, however, he didn’t have to fight for her attention when she got out. She flew into his arms, catching his lips with hers in a fierce kiss before disentangling herself.

“Well, hello there,” Scott smiled as she grabbed her bag from the back of the car, slamming the door with a force that made him wince. “It’s nice of you to finally join me.”

“Oh shut it,” Cat grinned in response, taking the opportunity to snuggle back into him again. “It couldn’t be helped today and well you know it. Anyway, you know I’m worth the wait.”

“You sure are,” he agreed, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead as he tightened his arms around her, taking comfort from her presence. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” she murmured as she pulled back, taking him in properly for the first time, his pale skin and the dark circles under his eyes making her eyes widen in surprise. “Are you OK?” she asked, concern firing through her, “You look tired.” “I always look tired,” Scott countered, meeting her gaze briefly before quickly looking away, finding a passing bird very interesting as he saw the worry written on her face.

“OK then, smartarse,” Cat pressed, his lack of eye contact making her even more suspicious that something was amiss. “You look more tired than usual.”

“I’m OK, honestly,” Scott reassured her, finally looking at her properly, his eyes a studied calm that Cat didn’t fully trust. “It’s just been a busy week that’s all. You don’t need to worry.”

Cat nodded slightly, accepting his answer without further comment but making a mental note to keep an eye on him over their time together. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she knew him well enough to know when something wasn’t quite right and all her instincts were screaming at her, telling her that this was one of those times.

“Shall we?” Scott asked, effectively changing the subject as he gestured to the entrance before them.

“Lead on,” she declared as they set off. They navigated their way through the imposing gates and past the grand palace, following the path that Scott had discovered on his previous exploration that would take them into the lower gardens with their spectacular fountains.

Despite the significant difference in their height, they fell into a comfortable stride with each other, Cat matching Scott’s pace with ease as they made their way around the beautiful grounds. Her hand fitted perfectly in his and he found himself absentmindedly tracing circles on her soft skin with his thumb as they walked together, not feeling the need to talk as they simply enjoyed being in each other's company for the first time in several weeks.

Cat lost track of time as they wandered, marvelling at the multitude of little fountains and walkways that littered the Lower Gardens. Scott confidently led the way down paths covered by archways of carefully trained trees, their fresh Spring leaves rustling as they provided merciful shelter from the contrasting warmth of the sun and the coldness of the breeze.

Finally coming out into the open, they came to a halt underneath the rear aspect of the palace, taking in the full vista. The late afternoon sun made the golden statues in the fountains sparkle as the water droplets created rainbows in the breeze.

“It’s so beautiful,” Cat sighed wistfully. “It reminds me a lot of Versailles.”

“Funny you should say that,” Scott smiled. “Apparently, Peter the Great extended the original plans after he visited Versailles, so I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it looks so similar.”

“How on earth do you know that?” Cat asked, trying but failing to keep the incredulity out of her voice.

“Because I’m amazing?” Scott tried, batting his eyelashes at her and making her giggle.

“Well yeah, we know you are, but generally, even amazing people need to find stuff out for themselves somehow,” she pointed out, raising an eyebrow as she spoke.

“Aah, but I’m not just any person,” he reminded her.

“Also true, but you’re not known for your interest in Imperial Russian history either, so spill it,” Cat pressed playfully, giving him a nudge and fixing him with her best pleading stare.

“Not fair,” he complained, the effect ruined slightly by the smile playing on the corners of his lips. “You know I can’t resist when you look at me like that.”

“Who said anything about fair,” she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, batting her own eyelashes a few times for good measure.

“Fine,” he groaned, conceding defeat and wriggling out of her grasp to pull a guidebook out of his pocket. “I had to pass the time somehow when I was waiting for you, so I thought I’d try to learn a few things to impress you when you got here.”

“OK, that might be the cutest thing I’ve ever heard,” Cat murmured as she wrapped her arms around him again and buried her face in his shoulder, unsure what she’d done to be so lucky as to have someone as wonderful as him in her life.

Scott didn’t hesitate. Sliding a hand into her hair, he pulled her head back, meeting her lips with his own in a bruising kiss, the intensity of which took both of them by surprise. Pulling back, their eyes met briefly before Cat tightened her grip, burying her face in his shoulder once more as he cradled her head in his hand, holding her close against him, the outside world ceasing to exist.

For a long moment they remained there, cocooned in their own little world, until a sudden flash caught Scott’s eye, jolting him out of his reverie, his whole body stiffening at the first sign of a threat. Looking around he became aware that they had attracted quite the crowd, a number of whom were snapping pictures of them. Most concerningly was the woman he could see further behind the rest with what looked to him to be a telephoto lens on a professional camera. Immediately, he lost all sense of calm as his mind started working through all the options for getting them out of the situation.

Sensing his discomfort, Cat pulled back, looking up at him, taking in his troubled eyes before craning her head around to try and see what was upsetting him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, only seeing groups of people milling around and flashing a smile at someone who seemed to be taking pictures of them.

“There’s a photographer over there,” Scott told her quietly, not wanting to make a scene and draw even more attention to them.

“OK,” Cat agreed warily, her smile fading as she took in his serious demeanour, unclear as to why he was suddenly so worried about being photographed when it had happened plenty of times in the past. “And this is a problem because…?”

“Because some of these pictures will end up in the press, and then we’ll have to decide whether to confirm or deny the speculation about our relationship,” Scott finished, suddenly unsure as to whether to keep her close or put some distance between them.

“Why do we have to do either?” Cat asked, looking up at him in confusion. “Can we not just let them talk and while they’re busy doing that, we can get on with our lives?”

“I mean, I guess that could be an option?” Scott mused uncertainly, his mind still whirling with the ramifications of them being pictured together as he reluctantly let go of her and dropped his arms to his sides.

Refusing to let anyone put an enforced distance between them, Cat discreetly slipped her hand into his and gave it a squeeze. She looked around, trying to decide on the best way to get them away from the situation that seemed to be making Scott so uncomfortable. Spotting a narrow path, she moved off, leading him away from the Grand Cascade and into a more secluded area in which she hoped they could talk more privately. Walking together quietly, she could feel him relaxing as the onlookers thinned out, allowing her the space to gather her thoughts before continuing the conversation.

The idea of making a private relationship public had always seemed absurd to her and wasn’t a subject she’d thought they would have to decide on so soon, despite the constant media interest in the love lives of the Tracy brothers and the fact that Selene had been erroneously linked with Scott only a few months before. While a few pictures of them together had made their way into the press already, they had just laughed about them and brushed them off, so she had no reason to think that any others wouldn’t be treated the same way. But Scott’s reaction, and their current conversation, suggested that she’d been mistaken about that and was going to have to think quickly.

“I’ll be honest, I hadn’t really given this a lot of thought yet,” Cat admitted, breaking the silence. “My instinct is to say nothing because it really isn’t any of their business, but I don’t know if that’ll make life harder in the long run.”

“Well, in my experience, when the press think that there’s a story, they’ll pick at it until it’s either confirmed or denied,” he replied with a sneer of disdain. “I don’t particularly like my private life being splashed across the papers, but if it comes to it, I don’t have any issues with putting a statement out confirming that we’re dating in the hopes that you’ll be left alone if we take away the mystery before it even arises.”

“Wow,” Cat breathed, her heart skipping a beat at the realisation that he was prepared to sacrifice some of his fiercely guarded privacy to shield her from the press. “I didn’t think you’d ever want to do that.”

“Of course I would; I love you,” Scott declared, stopping to pull her into him for a kiss, amazed that she could possibly think that he wouldn’t do anything to make sure that she was protected. “I don’t have any issues with telling the world if it means you’re not hounded for a story. I’m just worried that if we don’t say anything, you’ll end up being the prime target for them because you’re much more accessible than I am, so really, it’s your decision. We both need to be happy with what we do but I think it’s only right to be led by you here.”

“I just don’t know,” Cat sighed as they started walking again. “I don’t like the idea of having the press at my door, but if we say something, my concern is that my family will find out and start trying to find a way back into my life because of who you are.”

“Yeah, I can understand that, and given your previous experiences with them, I can’t say I’m surprised you’re worried about that,” Scott sympathised, giving her hand a squeeze of reassurance. “But just remember that if they do start bothering you, you’ve got my full support now and I’ll do everything I can to help in any way that you want.”

“Thank you,” Cat smiled gratefully as they came to a stop at a viewpoint looking out over the Baltic Sea. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“There's nothing you have to face on your own now, remember that,” Scott reassured her, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and smiling as she leant into his touch. “The way I see it, we have two options right now. We either put out a press release, confirm that we’re together before the speculation gets too much and deal with whatever consequences come our way from your family, or we say nothing, continue as we are and deal with whatever that brings us in terms of disruption if the press interest becomes too much for you.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, not particularly wanting to make a decision but knowing that she had to. Her privacy was important to her too and not just because of her family, so the thought of the world knowing about her still relatively new relationship made her deeply uncomfortable. Equally, the idea of potentially having the press at her theatre or worse, following her home, didn’t exactly fill her with joy either.

Snuggling into him against the bitingly cold wind, she took a moment just to enjoy the feeling of his arms around her, holding her close and reminding her that they were in this together, regardless of what they decided.

“Neither option sounds great, does it?” she admitted as the silence stretched between them, knowing that the decision was hers alone.

“Not really,” Scott agreed sadly, tightening his arms around her just a little bit more. “Trust me, I wish we didn’t have to deal with this sort of thing but unfortunately it seems to come with the territory.”

“I know,” she replied softly. “I guess I kinda knew we’d have to decide on this at some point. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Or in Russia.”

“Yeah, I have to admit that this wasn’t top of my list of places I thought we’d be when we had to have this conversation,” Scott laughed.

“Right,” Cat declared, straightening up in a way that told Scott a decision had been made, causing him to release her from his arms. “I say that we just let the press stew. We’ve done perfectly well without confirming anything so far, and I sort of feel that as soon as you tell the world about something, you start to get expectations put on you about it and I don’t know about you, but I cannot be fucked dealing with that shit.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Scott smiled, leaning over to press a soft kiss on her head as they leant on a railing next to each other, looking out to sea.

“It’s a deal then,” Cat declared with an emphatic nod. “Let's get on with our lives and if people want to speculate, then that’s up to them. We don’t even know what’s going to happen if those pictures get published and obviously if the situation changes then we can revisit it, but I think for the moment at least, we’re better off not saying anything.”

“That sounds like an excellent plan,” he agreed, slinging an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close as she shivered slightly. “Shall we head back now?”

“Yeah,” Cat agreed readily. “It’s bloody freezing, isn’t it?”

“It really is,” he laughed, offering her his arm before leading the way back into the maze of pathways.

Walking quietly, Cat found that now the mood had lifted, she was much more aware of her surroundings. The part of the gardens by the sea was exquisite and she found herself dawdling, slowing Scott’s stride as she took in all the floral arrangements surrounding an ornate building that Scott informed her was in fact Peter the Great’s summer house, pointing out ones to him that particularly took her fancy.

A persistent chime coming from Scott’s wrist broke their conversation, taking her by surprise and his face, when she glanced up before he answered it, suggested that he was not the only one unhappy about the unwelcome intrusion into their day.

“What is it, John?” he answered smoothly, turning away from Cat as he did his best to hide his displeasure.

“I’m afraid we have a situation,” John informed him. “Four climbers trapped in the Southern Alps. Virgil and Gordon are coming to get you in Two.”

“Can’t they handle it themselves?” Scott asked. “I’m on leave and even if I wasn’t, I’m not exactly on the way.”

“I know and I’m sorry,” John sighed, his displeasure at the task that had befallen him apparent. “I’ve already checked, but Dad - “

“Gotcha,” Scott growled before John could finish. “I’ll be waiting when they get here.”

Cutting the call without even waiting for John’s response, Scott turned on his heel and began to stalk back towards the entrance to the gardens, leaving Cat to scurry along behind him.

Gone was the relaxed attitude of a few moments before and as Cat hurried to keep pace, she took in the firm set of his jaw and the way his eyebrows gathered together. She was at a loss as to his response to John’s call. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for leave to be cut short or cancelled at the last moment because of a rescue, and his reluctance to jump into action was very out of character.

The more she thought about it, the more she realised that John’s demeanour on the call had been strange too. It wasn’t the first time that he had called to report a rescue while Scott had technically been on leave but from what little she had seen, there seemed to be a tension there that she’d never been aware of in the past.

“Sorry about this,” Scott started as they reached the car park and found space large enough for Two to land, helped by the late hour and the fact that the majority of tourists had left for the day.

“You don’t need to apologise,” Cat reassured him, taking his hand in her own and giving it a squeeze as she scanned his face for clues. “It’s not the first time this has happened, and I very much doubt it’ll be the last.”

“I know,” Scott sighed, seeming to deflate a little as he stood. “It’s just really frustrating that’s all.”

“You sure that’s all that’s bothering you?” Cat pushed, no more convinced by Scott’s words than he was.

“I sure am,” Scott replied, the forced jollity in his tone grating with the tension radiating off him as he forced a smile.

“Fair enough,” Cat agreed, knowing better than to push him.

Getting Scott to talk was a delicate operation when he didn’t want to, and when he was still in the first phase of being angry or upset it was well-nigh impossible. Experience had taught her that giving him some time to process things by himself was essential and forcing the issue at this early stage would be counterproductive in the long run, making him defensive and less likely to talk even when he had calmed down, so she let it lie.

“How long do you think we’ve got before you’re picked up?” she asked, changing the subject as best she could. “Do you think we’ve got time for a walk around the Upper Gardens before they arrive?”

“I reckon so,” Scott smiled, feeling the tension easing just a little as he realised that there wasn’t any immediate need to leave. Even his usual form of transport would take a little time to get to him, and by his calculations, they should have almost an hour before he was needed. “Anyway, it’s not like we won’t see them coming.”

Cat smiled as they turned back into the gardens once more, glad that he seemed to be making the best of the situation, despite his initial reaction. Whatever was going on, she intended to get to the bottom of it, but for now, she was going to make damn sure that they enjoyed the last little bit of time they had before duty took him away again.

-x-

Letting the door swing shut behind her, Cat crossed the room and flopped onto the bed, letting her bag and keycard fall beside her as she sank slowly into the soft mattress. It wasn’t exactly the way she’d expected to return to the hotel when she’d left that morning, and she eyed the bottle of champagne that she’d ordered accusingly, as if it was responsible for her lack of company, her mind whirling as she tried to piece together the events that had brought her here.

It wasn’t the first time they had been forced to change plans because of a rescue, but it was the first time that Scott had seemed genuinely angry about it. There had always been a quiet acceptance that it was part and parcel of what he did and while it had been a blow, he had never seemed as angry as he had been when the call came through that afternoon. The way he’d cut John off and then cancelled the call without waiting for a reply had made her wonder whether there was something going on that she wasn’t privy to, and it was fast becoming a nagging doubt that her mind wouldn’t let go of.

All her instincts told her that something to do with his dad held the key to the mystery, but she had no idea what it could be. They had promised to be completely open and honest with each other and until now, Scott had never given any hint that there was anything that he was keeping from her so she hadn’t had any indication that something might be amiss.

As she started thinking back however, she realised that there had been a steady decline in the amount of times that he had mentioned Jeff over the past months, aside from brief updates about his health. When he was first back on Earth, a large portion of their conversations had focussed on how he was and Scott’s hopes for his recovery, but they had steadily lessened over time and now it seemed that he barely featured. It seemed to have happened so subtly in the six months since his rescue that she hadn’t even noticed it at the time, but given the afternoons’ events, she found herself wondering if it was more than just the natural waning of interest in a well discussed subject.

With a start, she realised that Scott never brought him up any more, and a sudden chill ran through her at the thought that when she asked after him, he had started giving the briefest of answers before rapidly changing the subject. Given his desperation to get their father home again and the risks they had all taken in doing so, it now struck her as strange that he was not the centre of more of their discussions. Aside from this, there was nothing to suggest that anything was amiss and Cat found herself desperately hoping that her instincts were incorrect, but no matter how she dressed it up, Scott’s reaction to John mentioning him seemed out of character and spoke of some underlying issue that she wasn’t aware of.

Unable to lie still any longer, she hauled herself up, pulling her phone out of her bag and dropping it on the bed before quickly tidying the rest of her belongings away in the wardrobe. It wasn’t in her nature to be fastidiously neat but she knew how much her messiness irritated him and, while Scott had never made her feel bad about it or like she had to change for him, she wanted to make sure he had a nice, tidy room to come back to when he returned.

Finding that the movement was calming her mind, she allowed herself a few moments to stretch out her legs which were beginning to protest a little after a full day of rehearsals followed by the long walk around the gardens of the Peterhof. She knew they would be absolutely fine in the morning regardless of what she did, but the familiar stretches soothed her and gave her the thinking space to decide what to do next.

Her stomach rumbling alerted her to a more immediate need to order some food. Dinner reservations had already been missed so she quickly grabbed the room service menu and ordered herself some pasta for a quick energy fix, trying to not feel too regretful of the beef stroganoff that she desperately wanted but knew would leave her too bloated and uncomfortable for her performance the next day.

She had no idea how long Scott was likely to be. Although she very much hoped it would be a simple rescue, she was thankful that at least he had another keycard to the hotel room from when he had dropped off his bags before they met so there was no need for her to stay up until he got back. With nothing to do but wait for both her dinner and her boyfriend, she grabbed her phone and perched herself on the small seat in the window, idly watching the cars go by as she scrolled through her contacts until she found the one she needed.

“Catriona, what a lovely surprise,” Penelope answered, her voice sounding strangely tinny through the phone speaker. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”

“Oh, charming,” Cat laughed. “Can’t a girl even give her best friend a call with no warning these days?”

“I just meant that I thought Scott was with you this weekend,” Penny huffed, though Cat could hear the smile in her voice.

“He is,” Cat confirmed. “Well, he was. He’s been called out on a rescue.”

“So you thought you’d call me to pass the time?” Penny queried.

“Something like that, yeah,” Cat agreed, finding herself annoyingly at a loss for words, her worry about the outcome suddenly outweighing her desire to ask Penny’s opinion.

“Well, you've caught me at a good time. I’m just on my way to dinner with the Swedish ambassador.”

“Ooh, that sounds fancy,” Cat cooed. “Are you in the car just now? And am I on speaker?”

“I certainly am, and yes, you are now,” Penny confirmed after a small pause, bracing herself for what she knew was coming.

“Hi, Parker,” yelled Cat, hoping that her friend had taken the phone far enough from her ear to avoid being deafened.

“Hello, Miss Catriona,” Parker replied without missing a beat, quite used to Cat’s tradition of greeting him as he was driving, one that had started when the girls were at school together.

“Now that you’ve got that out of the way,” Penny continued seamlessly, changing the phone back to its more private setting, “how are the rehearsals going?”

“Yeah, they’ve been fine, thanks,” Cat confirmed. “No matter how many lessons I got from John, my Russian is still pretty much non-existent but everyone speaks good English so it’s not been too bad.”

“Well, that’s good,” Penny replied. “And are you all set for tomorrow?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. The stage is massive though and the rake on it is more than anything I’ve ever danced on before so it’s a bit daunting. I don’t want to travel so far downstage during the fouette’s that I fall into the orchestra pit.”

“Yes, I can imagine that being a concern,” Penny soothed. “I’m sure you’ll be wonderful as always.”

“I hope so…” Cat tailed off, the weight of expectations for the following night weighing on her in a way that they hadn’t until now.

Admitting her fears made it feel like a lot to handle. Dancing Swan Lake with the company that it had originally been created on nearly 200 years before was scary enough, without the added stress of worrying about whatever was going on with Scott. She’d very much hoped for a relaxed evening that night, but it clearly wasn’t going to be on the cards.

“What’s wrong?” Penny asked when the silence stretched out between them. It wasn’t like Cat to sound so overwhelmed, and worry spiked through her.

“Nothing,” Cat sighed. “I just… Do you know if everything’s OK on the Island?”

“As far as I know,” Penny replied, her interest piqued. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t really know. Scott just seemed really tired and he wasn’t at all happy about being called out, which is really unlike him,” Cat replied, the words tumbling out now that she had opened the dam.

“I’m sure he was just disappointed to have to leave you,” Penny soothed. “And as far as him being tired goes, he’s probably just been burning the candle at both ends again. You know what he’s like.”

“That’s what he said but I just don’t know,” Cat sighed, rubbing her face with her free hand. “Something just doesn’t seem quite right.”

“I could always ask Gordon or see if I can find anything for you if you’re worried?” Penny asked, keen to do whatever she could to help out.

“No, no it’s OK. I don’t want to go snooping.” Cat squeaked, instantly regretting her choice to involve her friend. “Scott’ll tell me when he’s ready if there’s anything going on. I shouldn’t have asked. Sorry.”

“OK, well it’s your decision,” Penny replied smoothly. “The offer is always there if you want.”

“Thanks, but I couldn't invade his privacy like that,” Cat declared, already feeling uneasy about involving Penny in something that she was now sure Scott would rather be kept private.

“Yes, it might not be very popular,” agreed Penny.

“Anyway, how’re you?” Cat asked, rapidly changing the subject now that she was convinced that there wasn’t anything obvious going on that she’d missed. “How was that thing you and Gordon went to the other week?”

“Oh, the Governor’s garden party? Yes, it was lovely,” Penny confirmed, a hint of frustration in her voice making Cat instantly wary, even before she elaborated on the event. “Gordon though… well, you can’t take that boy anywhere.”

“Uh oh, what did he do?” Cat asked, moving away from the window and settling herself in a chair, feeling the need to be comfortable while she dealt with whatever complaints were heading her way.

This wasn’t the first time that Gordon’s natural exuberance had caused Penny to air her grievances about his behaviour after an event, but if she was honest, Cat had only occasionally felt that they were justified. The few events of this type that she had been forced to attend had been painfully boring and very restrictive in what was acceptable and her sympathies almost always lay with the aquanaut. However, her loyalty to her friend ran deep and so she felt she needed to be there to support and help in any way she could.

“Well, firstly, he wandered off while I was talking to the Governor's wife and was nowhere to be seen,” Penny began, her clipped tone making Cat wince slightly, her anger apparent. “And then when I did find him, he was in a corner of the grounds, playing what looked like rounders with some of the children.”

“And this was bad because…?” Cat asked, genuinely unsure as to why Penny was so upset about it.

“Because everyone knew he was with me and it is not how one is supposed to behave at these sorts of things,” Penny huffed. “There were lots of very important people there and I heard a good number of them making comments about it. There were chaperones employed to occupy the children so there was no need for him to be involved.”

“OK, I understand why that might be a bit embarrassing, but it sounds exactly like something Gordon would do,” Cat countered, wanting to challenge her a little.

“He used to act like this as a child,” Penny grumbled, the anger still evident in her voice. “He should have grown up by now. Anyway, it wasn’t just that. I spoke to him about it and he apologised but then he disappeared again and I found him holding a platter of canapes and offering them to people. Apparently, a waitress had fallen and he was ‘just trying to help,’ but that’s what the staff were there for. It’s unheard of for a guest to behave in such a manner.”

Cat sighed. She could see where Penny was coming from and why Gordon’s actions would have been embarrassing to her at the time, but that didn’t mean that it was the disaster that she was making it out to be. Getting her to admit she was overreacting was a delicate task, but she had time on her hands and she felt like she owed it to Gordon to at least try.

“Admittedly I don’t know him as well as you do,” she began cautiously, picking her words carefully, “but again, that sounds like something that’s absolutely in character for him. I know for a fact that Scott would too if it had been him that was there.” “In normal circumstances, yes, helping someone who has fallen is admirable,” Penny agreed, a concession that Cat was surprised she had made so quickly. “But you know how stuffy these events are. I don’t like some of it any more than I’m sure Gordon does, but it’s what is expected and you need to play a part to fit in. My standing depends on it and I simply cannot be shown up like that by my guests.”

“I know,” soothed Cat. “But remember, all of the boys save people for a living so it’s basically instinct for them now. Gordon probably just saw someone in need and went to do whatever he could to help her.”

“I know, but I just need him to think a bit more about where we are and the image he’s projecting,” Penny sniffed, the anger slowly leaving her voice.

“I understand that, but just don’t go nagging him too much, OK?” Cat warned. “Just remember that it was his attitude of making the most of every opportunity and grabbing life with both hands that was one of the things that made you fall in love with him in the first place. I know you’re pissed off just now, but you can’t just expect him to turn that off when it doesn’t suit you.”

Silence stretched between the friends as Cat’s words hit home. Ordinarily, she would have tried to fill the gap, offering more advice or sympathy for how Penny was feeling but she was suddenly worn out. She’d lost track of the number of times she’d had conversations just like this one with Penny over the years, her boyfriends never quite living up to her exacting standards.

“I know,” Penny finally replied, her voice unnaturally quiet. “Anyway,” she added, sounding much more like herself, “his heart was in the right place and I suppose that’s the most important thing, not what everyone else thinks.” “I think you’re right there,” Cat agreed, her energy lifting now that Penny seemed to have accepted her words. “Nobody's perfect, but you’ve got a good one with a heart of gold and ultimately that’s who you fell in love with.”

“It certainly is,” Penny agreed. “Anyway, darling, I’m just about to arrive so I need to go.”

“No worries,” Cat smiled. “My dinner should be here soon anyway so I’d better head off too. Have a fun evening.”

“I’m not sure I’d call it fun but I’m sure it will be fine,” Penny laughed, the smile back in her voice again now that they were on more neutral topics. “Best of luck tomorrow, not that you’ll need it. Goodbye.”

“Byeeee,” Cat sang cheerily, hanging up the call as she crossed back to her perch in the window.

Looking down idly once more at the cars speeding past on the street below, Cat let her mind wander back over the conversation with Penny. It definitely didn’t seem to her like Gordon had made any massive mistakes, and even Penny herself had admitted that she didn’t always agree with the expected behaviour at the events she was so often called upon to attend.

Having been in attendance at some of these events herself in the past, she had first-hand experience of the rigidity of the class division between guests and staff. She had always found it laughable and so her sympathies were firmly with Gordon for acting as he had, especially in regard to the waitress. In any other circumstances, Penny would have been commending his behaviour, so she knew that her friend's anger had come from embarrassment caused by the situation rather than any real judgement on his actions.

Cat sighed, hoping that Penny would allow Gordon the time to mellow into the experience of attending high society events and not become too overbearing in her desire to help him fit in. Even though her concern always came from a place of generosity, Cat had found to her cost that it was sometimes misplaced and unwanted and she was well aware of how hard it could be not to get swept along with her, although she had a sneaking suspicion that Gordon might stand a better chance at avoiding it than most.

Quickly shrugging away unwelcome memories of her own painful experience of being on the receiving end of Penny’s help, she checked the time on her phone, wondering where her dinner was as her stomach let out another loud grumble of protest. No reassuring message from Scott telling her that he was on his way back was yet forthcoming either she noted, so she figured she probably had at least another hour or so before he was back too, depending on the complexity of the rescue.

She had to admit that she felt a little calmer than she had before now that she knew Penny wasn’t aware of anything that could be causing issues on the island. Aside from her obvious concern that Scott was unhappy, the fact that John seemed to share his anger had made her worry that her physical distance from the family meant that she had missed a more general issue and hadn’t been a support to him when he had needed her.

It was clear to her now that the issue was perhaps more limited to Scott and possibly John as she was sure that if Gordon was directly involved, then Penny would have known about it too. A little twinge of guilt spiked through her at the thought that she might have given Penny a hint of something that he might have rather be kept private but she shot it down quickly, reminding herself that she had only asked in the most general sense, not mentioning anything to do with her own suspicions as to the cause of his earlier anger.

A sharp knock at the door shook her out of her musings and sent her scurrying across the room to retrieve her dinner, having to stop herself from grabbing it from the bemused looking porter on the other side. Her stomach growled at the delicious smells radiating from the plate in front of her as she settled herself down at the small table and tucked in, but her troubled mind continued to whirl. All of her instincts were screaming at her that something was going on so, with a sigh, she grabbed her phone and scrolled through to find the number she needed. Placing it down, she drummed her fingers on the table as she listened to the rings until finally it was answered.

“Hiya Tippytoes!” sang the voice on the other end.

“Selene? Can I ask you something?”

#Scott Tracy #Catriona George #Penelope Creighton Ward #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds 2015

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yandere-society · 5 years

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Delphinium | M

Summary: To bridge two kingdoms together, you and Kim Taehyung are planned for marriage. In an unfamiliar home, garden filled with delphiniums and the looming, unknown future of the Kim family, you place your trust in your soon-to-be husband. Surely, he could never break your heart.

Pairing: Prince!Taehyung x Princess!OC (slight Jimin x OC)

Genre: Royalty!au, romance, smut, drama, fantasy.

Word Count: 10K

Admins: @nomnomsik and smut written by @kimseokmomjins

A/N: This oneshot is for the 2K giveaway winner, @dazedspiral ! I hope you enjoyed this royalty au! This was their request!

Trigger warnings: soft yandere-themes, infidelity, multiple character deaths, jealousy, impregnation kink, virgin reader, and smut. Please read with caution.

»»————- ♔ ————-««

There was something with how the sunrise illuminated on the exterior of the white brick and stone walls of the palace, sunlight hitting the sloping slate roofing at the top. Workers rushing out of the palace gates with carriages full of cargo, guards standing on each side as they watched in attendance. Even the water that sprinkled out of the multiple fountains decorated at the center of each garden sparkled amidst the bright rays of the Sun.

Groves of trees were being tended to, statues cleaned, and grottos of fruits picked. There was a rush of people, sculptors, and painters carrying large bags filled with supplies who bowed at the man that took powerful strides in the palace. The off-white walls of the palace were hung with large plaques, tapestries, trophies, and paintings.

The gentleman took quick steps up the grand stairways, ornate designs on the walls and ceilings as he ascended them, more trophies that he could observe that showed off the processions of his family, the Kim family.

His palm pushed against the glossy and polished surface of the wooden doors, revealing a sleeping figure buried in the light and transparent sheets, hair sprawled over the pillows and figure shriveled up. He slowly crept over, taking a seat next to you with his thumb trailing over your cheek.

“Y/n, the sun is up.”

Taehyung’s sweet voice seemed to reach your ears as you stirred awake, groaning and shuffling in the soft bed, only to roll around and bump his leg, a groggy apology slipping from your lips as one of your eyes peeked open to see the small smile on his face and his crisp, sharp black hair styled out.

He lifted his hand up from where it lay on the mattress, resting his palm on your head as he stroked it back and forth, golden jewelry jingling and dangling down from his wrist. You succumbed to his gentle touch, a soothing and peaceful feeling washing over you in the bright morning sun. When you finally sat up, you tugged onto the blanket that was sewn with golden thread, pulling it to your chest as you stared at him with wide eyes, shying away as his black cloak, patterned with intricate lining, draped onto the floor.

A chuckle escaped his salmon-colored lips, his dark locks falling over his eyes as he shuffled toward you, his arms seeming to find their way around you and bringing you into his torso, your head laying on his shoulder. “It’s best to get up before Jimin comes in to scold you.”

You gave him a small nod, moving away as your feet made contact onto the surface of the cold tile of the bedroom floor, your nightgown fluttering behind you as you walked over to the spacious closets, opening one of the sculpted doors and gazing at the hundreds upon hundreds of articles of clothing of different fabric: velvet, satin, cotton. Taehyung came up behind you, his arm reaching out and into the bundles of fabrics, pulling out a white and blue dress that held transparency to it which easily show off the form of your body.

He raised it in front of you, softly closing the door, your accepting hands clutching it to your chest. It was crazy how the lavish lifestyle you once had back in your kingdom was now unparalleled to how you lived in his home. Unlike your closet back at the palace, Taehyung’s was filled with the most expensive pieces of clothing, all personally designed to his tastes. The life you believed to be luxurious was not to the extent of thousands of rhinestones that were laid upon each inch of the dresses in his palace.

“Your highness?” A voice outside your room called, followed by a soft knock. “I’m coming in.” The doors gently pushed opened and in came Jimin with quick strides, Taehyung’s most loyal servant that had tended his family for years. But to you, he was your new assistant who aided and guided you in all your activities around your new home, observing the progress of your adjustment in the palace.

His hair was a soft blonde, a polyester beige top whose sleeves came up to his wrists. Jimin halted in his tracks as his warm brown eyes spotted Taehyung sitting back onto your bed, legs sprawled out and falling off the edge. It was an instinct, Jimin immediately bowing despite the crude and lack of manners in the way Taehyung presented himself, a normality for him to gaze upon. Jimin slowly lifted his head back up, giving his greetings to the prince and looking over, only to see you fumble with the dress in your hands, an expression of confusion as you raised it into the air, looking at it from side to side.

“Do you need help with that, your majesty?”

“Ahh, I might…” You mumbled, fumbling with the fabric as Taehyung narrowed his eyes at the pair in front of him. He watched as Jimin walked over, his hand taking yours and fingertips touching the exposed skin of your arm and back.

“Jimin.”

Despite the sharpness of Taehyung’s voice and how intensely it pierced the air, Jimin turned around, looking at Taehyung in the eye, his expression soft and carrying a childlike innocence, one that Taehyung noticed as genuine obliviousness.

“Yes, your highness?”

“I’ll help her change.”

“Yes, of course.” Jimin bowed, taking several steps back as Taehyung hopped off the bed and walked closer to you. Jimin’s hands let go of yours, handing the fabric delicately over to the prince.

“Privacy, Jimin.”

With Jimin’s head still lowered, he excused himself from the presence of the two of you, walking into the hallway and catching sight of a maid who was slacking in her duties, having no intention of eavesdropping on the prince’s conversation, but quick and ready to discipline the staff inside the palace halls.

“What’s wrong?” You asked, looking up at Taehyung who only pulled you closer to him, his fingers still tightly grasping the dress.

“Do you think I like the idea of watching Jimin dress you? That I enjoy watching my wife-to-be naked in front of another man while I’m right here?” Taehyung accused in a lighthearted manner, tugging at the garment as your fingers trailed up to your collar, unbuttoning your nightgown as it fell from your shoulders and onto the ground.

Taehyung held the dress for you as you slid in it, your hands adjusting the waistband that connected it to the bottom half of the skirt while fixing the cuffs. Meanwhile, Taehyung was lacing up the corset back, his fingers halting as he realized he had forgotten how to do it properly.

You looked over your shoulder, wondering the holdup on your dress as your hands held the loose parts to your chest, and Taehyung's eyes awkwardly met yours before giving you a sheepish smile.

"Jimin!" Taehyung shouted, his servant quickly hurrying in, only to find the lace in the prince’s hands and falling to the floor. "Please tie this."

"Of course, prince." Jimin bowed, lifting his hands up to receive the lace as he began to successfully tie the back up, tugging on it while confirming its hold on you. "Is it too tight, your highness?" He whispered, only to watch you shake your head, allowing him to continue.

Taehyung’s bottom lip jutted out as he watched from afar on the bed, somewhat in envy as Jimin did what he could not do, a blow to his pride that further reinforced his lacking abilities as your soon-to-be husband.

“I’m all finished, your highness,” Jimin called, showing the neatly tied corset as you turned around, Taehyung standing back up and ushering you towards him.

“I’ll be quite busy in the morning, attending to my duties. Be sure to listen carefully to what Jimin teaches you, understood? I’ll give you a visit sooner or later.” He had instructed, obedience overcoming you as you nodded.

“Yes, of course, Taehyung.” You shyly murmured as his fingers caressed your cheek, a small blush surfacing on your skin as he grinned.

“I’ll miss you.”

Taehyung turned around, giving Jimin a nod as he walked past the double doors, his black cloak flowing behind him as he turned the corner. Jimin then fixed your appearance, brushing your hair and going over your schedule for today. He led you out of your room and into the bright white hallways, sparkling and polished chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It was as if the whole palace was filled with beautiful crystals that were displayed with the intention for all to see.

It must suck to clean all of these.

You constantly followed behind Jimin as he went from lesson to lesson, piano to etiquette, reading to posture. Your previous lessons back at the palace gave the basic foundations, but you quickly noticed how lacking you were inside your new home. Even when you were courted by other princes, you thought your skills were adequate enough, allowing you to receive positive receptions. But unlike all the other times, the princes quickly revealed their intentions, wanting you in their beds, shouting orders at you or brushing you off as you were only an accessory they would wear, but later forget.

Taehyung’s touch seemed to be more human than any other the other interactions you’ve had before. You had your doubts at first, afraid that the arranged marriage between the two of your kingdoms would only be a similar experience to the ones you had with other princes, but only for the rest of your life.

However, you were quickly proven wrong by how much Taehyung protected you, his fingertips brushing over you like silk, his eyes so warm and soft that they could ease you just by staring. It wasn't all like that in the beginning, but he gave you what no one else could and you gave him the only thing he wanted. Loyalty.

Taehyung was more than private with all his endeavors, and not wanting to be the overbearing wife-to-be, you contentedly stood off to the side, not asking, afraid it would push him away. But, from the way he spoke to you and how fond he seemed to be, his desire for loyalty in a partner sparked curiosity in you, a question lingering of “why?”.

Too engrossed in your thoughts, you turned the corner, only to collide with another figure, a shriek escaping from their lips. When you peeked an eye open, your face visibly paled, body immediately tensing up as your arms fumbled across your chest, hoping for some sort of comfort.

“You reckless- ugh… Watch where you’re going!” The voice hissed back with intense vigor, anger lacing every single syllable.

It was the Countess. Her presence alone demanded respect whenever she treaded the palace grounds. Being one of the king’s favorites, everyone was rightfully afraid, afraid of the consequences if you didn’t.

She steadied herself back up against the wall as she sent a glare at you, one full of distaste as if you made a huge inconvenience that impacted the rest of her life.

“My apologies, Countess.” Jimin bowed apologetically for you, his arms coming up to pick you back up from the ground.

“Silence, boy. Did I give you permission to talk?” She snapped, Jimin flinching and backing down, his shoulders slumping as well. “Servants like you need to understand your place in the palace. Ugh-” The Countess groaned, huffing and puffing like a child in a huge tantrum. “Sure, you make our lives easier, but there are many more than can easily replace you.”

She then turned her head towards you, her hand resting on her hip.

“As for you, don’t get so stuck up.”

“I-I’m sorry…” You forced out in a whisper, grabbing onto Jimin’s hand as he lifted you back up. No matter how much she dragged your pride through the mud, there was one thing you learned: faking respect even when that person didn’t deserve any. “My apologies, Countess.”

“You better be sorry.” The Countess scowled, brushing herself off. “Just because you’re going to marry the prince doesn’t mean you’re suddenly above everyone else.”

“I-I don’t even… think that…” You muttered, only for the Countess to glare back at you, clearly ticked off by the fact you dare talk back to her.

“Listen, you.” The Countess began, only to be cut off by a cold, yet piercing voice from the end of the hall.

“Countess.”

Three heads snapped over to the low voice that echoed from the hallway, quickly brushing yourself up as you stood up straight, locking eyes with the prince’s sharp and piercing gaze. The Countess stood firm, not fazed by the prince’s presence, a tongue rolling inside her mouth.

“Prince, good morning.”

“Countess, what do you think you’re doing?” Taehyung spat, tilting his head to the side as he sent another harsh glare at her, eyebrows frowning.

“Your highness, the princess happened to bump into me rather violently.” The Countess only smiled, a perfect mask on her face as if she hadn’t just had a fit seconds ago. “She wasn’t paying attention and I was just giving her a lecture about being more aware of her surroundings. Besides, I think it would be best to reconsider, especially if she doesn’t know basic and proper manners.”

You lowered your head as you balled up the dress into your hands, earning a glance from Jimin off to the side, his hand coming up to interlock with yours as he gave you a reassuring squeeze. Taehyung’s mouth twitched at the entire sight in front of him, from the existence of the Countess to Jimin touching you when it should be him being there to reassure you, he quickly lost his temper.

“Countess,” Taehyung repeated again, folding his arms across his chest, his tongue rolling inside his mouth. “Are you my mother?”

“I-I” The Countess sputtered, caught off guard and taking a subconscious step back away from his intimidating stance. Such a topic was to never be discussed inside the palace.

“I understand that you might think you are because of my father’s interest in you and you like to think you run the world. But remember, you’re not my mother and you will never be. Do not ever think you are in a position to tell me what to do.” He snapped, scowling and turning away. “Come on, y/n. Let’s go.”

Your heels clacked onto the floor as Taehyung grabbed your hand, pulling you away from Jimin’s grasp as the two of you walked together and away from the Countess. Jimin quickly followed right behind you, his posture straight as he took a glance back at the angered woman, only to stick out a playful tongue.

“Where are we going, Taehyung?” You asked as he guided you around the halls you had yet to see before in the grandiose palace.

“One of my favorite places in the castle. I know you still have lessons, but the Countess really soured my mood, so this might cheer us both up.” He gave you one of his signature boxy smiles that you had quickly noticed after getting him to be more comfortable around you. His whole demeanor changed like a flip of a switch, a hum escaping from his lips and floating into the open air.

Taehyung always smiled around you, touching you delicately as if you were the most precious thing on Earth that he could break. It was only you that could get him to smile genuinely and lift up his mood in a palace where people seemed to turn their back on him left and right.

He led you outside and into the palace gardens, ignoring all the beautiful flowers that blossomed out of its own confinements. You wondered why Taehyung seemed to push past them as if he was impatiently rushing rather than taking in the wonderful view.

Had he been here that often?

"Here."

You both stood before blue and lavender flowers that seemed to cover most of the flowerbed. Jimin held an umbrella over the two of you, protecting your skin from the harshness of the Sun. You looked over to see gentleness in Taehyung's eyes, another new expression you had come to learn from being in your new home. They seemed so soft and vulnerable as if you could make him cry.

"These are delphiniums― well that's― they're mostly known as larkspurs, but delphinium is just the genus name…" Taehyung rambled off, earning a small chuckle from Jimin's lips, your head snapping over to see him smile.

Jimin was always so stiff and perfect with orders that to see him smile, and so brightly, was such an exciting experience that you could feel your heart melt at the look of happiness in his face.

"The prince really loves these flowers…" Jimin bent down to whisper into your ear. "He knows almost too much about them. It seems like he always comes out here no matter what the weather is. Actually, I once found him deep in the snow, trying to find any remnants left."

You chuckled and smiled, licking your lips. There was something you really wanted to know, one that you realized you would regret in the future, causing your heart to break into pieces.

"Why do you like these flowers, Taehyung? I mean, all of the flowers here are beautiful… so why these ones?"

Taehyung stood motionless, his eyes just staring out into the distance at the row of delphiniums. You turned to look at Jimin for assistance, but his eyes seemed to dull out and he mustered up a small smile, but it faltered as he turned away.

"Because of my mother."

Taehyung cleared his throat this time, looking at you directly in the eye.

"They remind me of my mother."

“I see…”

You knew the tragic ending for his mother. It was one no one wanted to discuss, and thus, there was only silence about the topic.

A few seconds past, until Taehyung broke the silence in the air.

"Remember how this arrangement started?” Taehyung asked out of the blue, not really caring if you answered or not. You stayed silent, only staring up at him while the breeze blew past your hair.

“Of course I do.”

He only looked over, squinting his eyes as you looked solemnly out in the distance. You only kneeled onto the ground as your fingertips brushed against the delphiniums. Taehyung sighed, aggressively ruffling his neatly combed hair at the past memory, a finger coming up to the side of his face.

“A year ago, my mother asked me to at least get married, but I was too dumb and young to listen. In a way, I think… I think she knew she was going to die.”

"Taehyung… why would you think or even say that?" you murmured, sadly looking over to the distance as you watched a pair of gardeners energetically bicker around a finely cut bush. Why were they so full of energy when their life was filled with so much work and labor?

"She came up to me one day and told me to take a seat to talk to me about something. Little did I know that her conversation, that talk, would stay with me and basically, be the reason for everything I did.”

You simply looked up at him, blinking somewhat obliviously as he only chuckled at your reaction.

“That’s where you’re supposed to ask what she said, y/n.” He teased, a finger coming up to your forehead as if he didn’t want to be a downer in the conversation.

“O-oh, what’d she ask-I mean, what’d she say?” You spoke faintly, heat rising up in your cheeks for your stuttering. Another smile appeared on his face as he hummed, a light jump to his walk as he swung to the other side of where you kneeled.

“She told me to not treat you like how my father treated her.” He spoke gently. “And if I’m being honest, I didn’t understand at first.”

“I always told her that I would never be like my father, especially with his thing and the Countess. So I wondered, ‘why is she telling me this? Of course, I’m never going to be like him.’ But then, I woke up one day and I finally understood. It doesn’t matter how many times I say I won’t be like my father if all my actions suggest I’m becoming like him. It was so unfair how I tried to avoid you, never visiting you, and leaving you all alone, especially in an unfamiliar place that’s supposed to be your new home. I’m supposed to be your husband soon and I ignored you like you didn’t even exist.”

“Taehyung…” You muttered, looking at him with a frown on your face as you struggled to force back your sadness. “You know it doesn’t matter anyway. It’s just how things simply are.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, y/n. Never accept contentment with the state of our affairs or any affair for that matter.” Taehyung kneeled down as well, inching his way near you as his forehead began to touch yours, his stare intense and hold on you tight. “You deserve happiness. You deserve to live life. How much of your heart did you give away to now have this mentality where you believe it doesn’t matter in the end?”

You stared back at him, your face warm and chest tight, but his words and touch seemed to unwind that coil inside you, wanting you to be free.

“It’s okay…” He whispered, wrapping his arms around you as he rubbed your back. “It's okay....shh… crying doesn't make you weak. I'm proud of you, always, y/n.”

You nodded, warm tears dripping down your chin. You sniffled as he let you rest your chin on his shoulder, hands wrapping around yours.

“Besides, it’s not like I hated you, I just didn’t know you for you…”

“Y-yeah…” You nodded, your face red and cheeks wet from the tears that spilled out of your eyes. “Taehyung… Can you be honest with me?”

"Of course.”

“Why do you not like your father? The people always seem happy with his rule, but ever since I’ve been here, you have this angry fixation on him.”

A rather large sigh escaped from his lips, his shoulders falling as he licked his lips, as if he had a full list inside of his mind, ready to recite.

“I’m going to be rather blunt, so prepare yourself. Ready?”

“Yes, of course.”

“My father has had an ongoing affair with the Countess, even when my mother was alive. Mostly everyone in the palace is aware of it, but they keep their mouth shut so the King never stopped. I mean, he’s a king after all. But the worst part was that I watched my mother smile and lie between her teeth like everything was perfectly fine. I was so angry, I still am.”

“My father also…” Taehyung’s voice trailed off, before clearing his throat again and looking off to the side. “My father ordered her elimination, let's say…”

“W-what?” A chill split through your spine as you immediately looked up only to find Taehyung to sadly affirm his statement.

"You saw the reason for it a few minutes ago." He spat bitterly, his fingers clawing at the dirt. "It was for HER, so he could marry that wrecked witch. Technically, she should be the queen, but luckily my father’s court wants no part in another marriage. Times are getting too desperate. We’re already trying to piece together this alliance to build up a reliable military force."

"Wait, wait, slow down… Nobody knows your father did this? That he killed his own wife? How do you even know? How did your father even carry it out?”

"That’s a lot of questions." Taehyung chuckled to himself. "It’s understandable to get overwhelmed by it all. That’s how I felt as well, y/n. But I know the truth. I was there when my mother passed out on the ground and besides, he got one of the maids to do it for him. The answer is right in front of you, y/n. You’ll know."

You looked away from Taehyung and back at the delphiniums, only for your eyes to widen.

"H-he…?" You whispered, a hand coming up to cover your mouth as you suspected the answer.

"Yes, poison," Taehyung spoke sadly, his fingertips brushing against the delphiniums. "Funny how much is growing in our garden. Something that can kill another so easily accessible right here at my fingertips… It was so obvious to me that my father infused it into her drink, but I also think she knew too. I don't know why she would ever want to suffer like that."

"Yet you like these flowers the most, Taehyung?" You questioned, only for him to glumly smile back.

"You can't help what you like sometimes, y/n, no matter how much it hurts you."

»»————- ♔ ————-««

“Father, you called?”

The prince stood in his neatly buttoned dress shirt, black signature cloak flowing out and onto the blood-red carpet underneath his feet in the king’s chambers.

“Yes, son.” The king turned from his seat, Jimin coming into his room and serving both of them a drink. “I heard from the Countess that you yelled at her today? Why’d you do that?”

“I didn’t, father.” Taehyung hissed between his teeth. “She was yelling at my soon-to-be wife for accidentally bumping into her and I simply put her back into her place. She was the one that yelled, no one raised their voice at her.”

“Son…” The king sighed, his white strands of hair slowly growing out from the top of his head and skin wrinkling as he spoke. “Just, try to be more considerate towards her, is that understood?”

“No, it’s not understood, your majesty.” Taehyung mocked, heat rushing up his body. “Why? Why do I have to respect her? It’s so infuriating!”

“Taehyung, calm down. The Countess is an important ally to our kingdom. Her late husband held very valuable assets for our military.”

“Ugh, I don’t care! She made MY mother miserable! YOU made her miserable! And you want me to be more ‘considerate’? How about YOU be more considerate to my dead mother!” Taehyung yelled, slamming his hands onto the table, the teacups clattering on their saucers as liquid spilled onto the polished wood.

“You’re too young to understand.” The king sighed, taking a large gulp from his drink and clearing his throat. “You need to understand the kingdom is much more important than one WOMAN, son!”

“You’re disgusting.” Taehyung seethed, pushing himself out of his chair. “I could never do that. Never. I’d actually at least try to love my partner!”

“That’s because you don’t have your priorities straight, son. I have to protect my people! Not everything is about you and your happiness.”

“Don’t say that when you didn’t even care about my mother's happiness!”

With that, Taehyung stormed out of the room, Jimin bowing to the King and retreating to find his master. The King only let out an exhausted sigh, brushing his dead hair and looking out at the door with his bad eyes, his vision blurry as he only could see blobs of color of his son’s figure. It had already been so long since he could properly see the features on Taehyung’s face and how much he had grown.

Were his eyes more like his mother’s? Did he have a mole on the left side of his face like his mother?

The King slowly stood up from his seat and sluggishly walked over to his bed, the blankets decorated with royal embroidery bright red and gold in color.

There, the King laid down, softly closing his eyes and succumbing to a dream, where the fields were vibrant with green and the sky didn't seem so dark. With the last moments of his old age, his lips pulled up into a smile as he quickly drifted to sleep, one in which he would never wake up again.

»»————- ♔ ————-««

It was beautiful silk and lace cascaded like the ripples of water over a shimmering metallic underlay, an exposed back accented by delicate needling and floral applique. A veil over your face and hands folded in front of you, your eyes cast downward at the shimmering and polished floor, as you struggled to raise your head up. Tightly braided hair was clipped onto the back of your head, neck sore from sitting in your chair for hours, only to be dressed for a single day.

Just beyond where you stood, the throne room was lined up with servants, politicians, and other important people of the two kingdoms, in perfect rows whose eyes seemed to stare at you. The looks given to you were unsettling and nerve-wracking, your hands fumbling with each other as you patiently waited for the ceremony to commence, or to at least go by quicker.

Bells could be heard from outside, ringing throughout the streets as the people stood outside the gates, trying to catch a glance at the new couple as well as rulers of the kingdom.

The small tiara which once adorned your head was now replaced with a heavy crown as if its weight signified the responsibility of the bearer who wore it. Even though Taehyung stood next to you the entire time, his face was stone cold, facing the entire sea of people who had come to watch his succession to the throne. He kept his signature black color, except for the cloak that was replaced with red instead with white threading around the edges and gold-encrusted necklaces around his neck. A crown fit perfectly on top of his head, gems and crystals worth unimaginable prices.

With your vows and rings exchanged, the pair briefly gave their greetings to their guest, only to slip away from the crowd. Taehyung stuck next to you the entire time, whether it be walking down the hallway to sitting in his new throne. Even in the ballroom, his arms were linked with yours, his face so close that he leaned down to plant a small kiss on your lips. Your cheeks stuck out, warm and pink as you smiled back, head resting on his shoulder.

With the sun descending to the horizon, the warm hues filling the sky, Taehyung led you into the hallway, grasping your hands together with his own.

“Come to my chambers tonight.”

Taehyung leaned back up from your ear, a devious smirk on his face as his eyes crinkled, reassuring you with a squeeze and softly kissing the top of your head. He slowly let go, watching as your face reddened before making strides down the hallway, the red cloak flowing behind him, his boots clicking against the polished flooring.

You aimlessly waited in your own bedroom, legs swinging off the bed as your dress flowed down onto the floor. The chattering from the ballroom and the halls dissipated as the guests began to take their leave, sending their farewells to the servants who promised their message would be delivered to the new king and queen. It was then that you stood up from your luscious sheets, knowing the route to Taehyung’s room, one that you would find yourself often arriving in, even when he wasn’t there.

The door shut behind you with a soft click, causing Taehyung’s head to snap up. He gave you a bright smile, eyes crinkling into crescents. “Just a moment, Y/N,” he said, before returning his attention to lighting the candles upon the mantle.

You nodded, feeling slightly out of place standing just beyond the threshold of his quarters. Nevertheless, you took in your unfamiliar surroundings-- the dim glow of the candles allowing you to see the large, canopy bed with decorative white chiffon drapes adjacent to the Kim Family coat of arms along the southernmost wall.

It overwhelmed you to be in such close quarters with your newlywed husband, someone whose duty it was to ensure the preservation of the Kim bloodline. Taehyung was someone who you were acquainted with but didn’t really truly know.

Who he was as a person was still as shrouded in mystery as the first day you had met him, although the both of you had recently begun to become more comfortable. Despite that, you couldn’t control the blanket of anxiety that surrounded you. Your fingers twitched restlessly, making your uneasiness obvious. Thankfully, Taehyung noticed your general reluctance and quickly made to absolve your discomfort. He set the snuffer on the mantle and strode across the room.

“Y/n...” he cooed, weaving his fingers with yours. It was then that you realized that this minuscule gesture of skinship was, in fact, the first time Taehyung had initiated any form of physical contact that insinuated deeper romantic feelings.

Your bottom lip jutted out as Taehyung tugged you towards a stool sat in front of a vanity, the trifold mirrors reflecting you in your wedding dress, and Taehyung in his suit and red cloak. You watched in the mirror as Taehyung unfastened his robe, which pooled on the ground in a thick pile of fabric.

Momentarily, you thought to yourself that Jimin would have a heart attack if he saw how carelessly Taehyung treated the garment. Next were his shoes and socks, leaving him barefoot. Your eyes met for a split second and Taehyung smirked as he untucked his dress shirt and unbuttoned the first few buttons, leaving a sliver of his tanned chest exposed. Taehyung’s affinity to comfort over style was domestic, making you feel slightly more at ease in his chambers.

“Would you mind if I brushed your hair?” he asked as he picked up a silver plated hairbrush. You nodded, and almost immediately, Taehyung began to remove the pins that kept your hair in place. His fingers were deft and gentle, as you could barely feel any sort of tug on your roots.

Once your braids had been removed, he began to drag the brush from the ends of your hair upwards. He hummed a nameless tune as he worked, making sure to not exert too much pressure. Once every knot had been successfully detangled, Taehyung began to sweep the brush in long, rhythmic strokes. It was incredibly relaxing, to say the least. After several minutes, you found yourself beginning to melt into his touch, your neck craning to meet his hands.

Taehyung chuckled at your tranquil state, setting the brush back down on the vanity. “Someone’s relaxed,” he noted with a smug grin.

“Mmm.”

Taehyung swept your hair across your left shoulder, leaving the side of your neck exposed. His gaze locked with your reflection, silently asking permission to initiate contact with your skin. You gulped, wide-eyed, but gave no indication for him to stop. Slowly, Taehyung’s lips descended into the crook of your neck.

Taehyung tested the water by leaving more kisses in the same area, each one lasting slightly longer than the last. The kisses trailed up and down your neck until one placed directly under your earlobe caused you to shudder. Taehyung’s eyebrow quirked curiously and he returned to that spot, this time adding a slight graze of his teeth.

Once again, you shuddered, but couldn’t withhold the quiet giggle that escaped you. “Ah, I knew you were ticklish,” Taehyung murmured against your skin. You ignored his proclamation, trying to maintain your willful ignorance. Leaving one last kiss on the spot under your ear, Taehyung continued his exploration of your boundaries. He kissed up your jawline and across your cheek until his lips met the corner of your mouth.

Demurely, you looked at your hands folded in your lap, a picture-perfect portrait of shyness and innocence. It only made Taehyung’s urge to swallow you whole grow. Time seemed to halt as his lips made contact with yours. They were slightly chapped but still soft and had an aftertaste of the wine from your reception.

Although the two of you had kissed before, this kiss was vastly different. It was not one of matrimony or duty, but one of experimentation. One of fondness and passion.

Tentatively, you moved your lips against his, slightly deepening the kiss. He happily accepted your compliance and, in a moment of boldness, cradled your cheek in his hand. The two of you parted, slightly breathless from the intensity of the kiss. Taehyung brought his other hand to your opposite cheek, holding your face in place for him. “You’re gorgeous, amazing, stunning,” he admitted, voice hushed as if he was speaking to himself, “the most beautiful bride I could have asked for.”

The sincerity of his words caused you to blush furiously, “Thank you, Taehyung.” He didn’t respond but merely kissed you again. And again. And again.

Taehyung kissed you until your head was spinning and your lungs ached. He kissed you slowly and tenderly, and he kissed you with vigor. Soon, his hands began to wander until they were resting on the bodice of your wedding dress. He toyed with the corset lacing, fingers tugging you closer to him ever so slightly.

You gasped and broke the kiss, nervously patting down the skirt of your dress. “We should call Jimin,” you said shyly, knowing your advisor would reluctantly help remove your dress as quickly and efficiently as possible. Taehyung abruptly dropped his hands and folded them behind his back, turning away from you in the process. “Jimin this, Jimin that,” he said coolly, almost mockingly. “Why are you so fixated on a servant?”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Taehyung,” you said, standing and following him as he paced around his chambers.

“Oh, but I do think you meant it like that,” he stated, turning on his heel to face you. Taehyung’s eyes were a void of darkness, almost piercing you to your core. He stepped closer, only a few inches away as he peered down at you.

“What I think you mean, Y/N, is that I bet you wish it was Jimin kissing you.” He paused, waiting for your reaction, and just as you were about to refute his claim, he continued. “I bet you wish it was Jimin leaving you breathless, or Jimin touching you in sinful ways. Maybe he’d fuck you right here on this vanity, with your wedding dress still on.” While Taehyung prattled on, and definitely not one to curse so outwardly, he discreetly began tugging on the lace of your corset, unraveling it with newfound practiced expertise. In a matter of seconds, your dress fell to the floor, leaving you exposed in nothing more than your undergarments and jewelry.

Taehyung’s voice dropped an octave, absolutely oozing with lust. “Do you still wish it was Jimin here, in this room? Talking to you the way I do?”

“No,” you half-whispered, half mewled, clearly affected by Taehyung’s words, “I want you.” Taehyung seized the opportunity to lift you into his arms, wrapping your legs around his torso and carrying you to the bed. He set you down with a soft thud, and quickly rid himself of his dress shirt.

You scooted up until your back rested on the pillows, and Taehyung crawled to meet you, caging you between his arms. His index finger hooked under your chin, guiding your lips to his once more, but this time, the kiss was more carnal and urgent. You threaded your fingers in his hair, trying to close the nonexistent gap between the two of you. All you wanted was Taehyung, and you were all he wanted in return.

Taehyung reluctantly pulled back, thumbs affectionately grazing over your cheekbone as he looked into your eyes. “Are you sure you’re comfortable with this? We don’t have to if you don’t-”

“I’m fine, Taehyung. I promise,” you reassured with a smile, which he returned with a toothy grin of his own.

“If that’s the case, then,” he trailed off, eyes traversing down your scantily clad body. Taehyung quickly rid you of your bridal undergarments, tossing them off the side of the bed, leaving you only in the heavy, diamond-encrusted necklace. Now fully bare, he took a moment to fully drink in your appearance-- from the swell of your breasts, down to the sloping of your waist that ended in the apex between your thighs.

Taehyung had always been stoic, never one to outwardly show his emotions, but tonight he looked at you with such an overwhelming adoration that you could not identify. “All of this is mine, forever.”

Your newlywed husband descended upon your lips again, but with him, he left gentle, fleeting touches along with the more intimate parts of your body. The pad of Taehyung’s thumb flicked your nipple, eliciting a whimper from you. He retracted immediately, face clouded with worry.

“Y/N, did that hurt, or feel good?”

“Felt good,” you mumbled, shying away under his attentive stare, choosing instead to focus your attention on the flickering flames of the candles. Taehyung noticed your hesitancy and pulled your chin back to face him, eyes ardent and bright. “I promise that tonight, and every night, I’ll only do what makes you feel good.”

You had previously known that beneath his aloof exterior Taehyung was patient and kind, but his proclamation of respect helped set your heart at ease. His presence was comforting-- enough to trust him by giving yourself to him fully.

You strained your neck to leave a light peck on Taehyung’s lips, “Can I be honest?”

“Always.”

Inhaling sharply, you divulged your worries to your husband, your confidant, “I’m scared it’ll hurt.” Taehyung’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, oblivious to your innuendo. You continued, voice hushed with embarrassment, “My handmaidens told me their first times were painful....”

Taehyung’s eyes widened to the size of saucers; a switch was flipped and he was now the comedic embodiment of childlike innocence.

“Oh…”

A beat of silence passed, in which Taehyung tenderly cupped your face in his hands, planting a kiss on the tip of your nose. “I can’t promise it won’t hurt, but I’ll be as slow and gentle as you need me to be.” You shifted, a movement Taehyung perceived as one of impatience, which brought him back to the realization that you were here, naked, underneath him.

Once again, his hands explored every inch of exposed skin until they slowly began to traverse southwards towards your walls. Experimentally, Taehyung inserted his middle finger, cautiously studying your facial expressions for any signs of discomfort on your behalf.

Taehyung flexed his finger, the sensation coaxing you to whimper in relief. His touch, albeit tender and chaste, was exactly what you craved at this very moment. Taehyung’s filthy words had riled you up so much that you felt like you would snap at any given moment.

The thrumming of his finger increased substantially as Taehyung felt you relax around him. And judging by your hushed whines and the way your tongue poked out from between your lips, he knew you were beginning to enjoy yourself.

Consequently, he tested his theory by sliding a second finger in. Your gasp was audible, followed by a hum of approval. Your noises were the most endearing thing Taehyung had ever heard, and his ego swelled with pride knowing they were all because of him.

You felt the strain of his cock against your thigh, and immediately your attention was shifted towards relieving the ache he must have been feeling. With trembling hands, you reached for the waist of his pants, only to be denied with a swift kiss on the lips. “Tonight is about you, my Queen,” Taehyung purred.

“Want you,” you implored, rutting yourself against the hand nestled between your legs.

“Then you can have me.”

Taehyung removed the two fingers coated with slick, eyes boring into you as he slid them into his mouth, while his other hand nimbly unfastened and discarded his shirt. The eye-contact remained as he removed the fingers from his mouth with a ‘pop’, the sight filling you with uncontrollable lust. His trousers and underwear followed shortly thereafter, leaving him just as naked as you. His erection stood proud against his abdomen, rounded tip leaking with precome. Taehyung spit into his hand and applied a generous coat on himself, before lining up with your entrance.

You nodded, a microscopic trace of a smile ghosting your lips as Taehyung’s length began to breach your walls. The pain was almost immediate, and you couldn’t help but yelp in response. Thankfully, Taehyung was quick to assuage your discomfort. He interlocked his fingers with yours, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze before easing in slowly-- inch by inch-- until he was finally snugly nestled inside you.

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes, causing you to release a shuddered breath. “Shhh, it's okay,” Taehyung cooed, freehand brushing away the unshed tears. “Don’t think about the pain. Think about how good it’ll feel.”

He lowered his lips to the shell of your ear, voice deep with lust, “Think about me fucking you into the mattress, giving you every single inch of me. Think about how euphoric you’ll feel once you orgasm, and how I’ll fuck you through it and into the next one.” He sealed his words with a languid kiss that was all tongue, saliva, and bated breath.

Once your body became accustomed to the stretch, you lightly squeezed Taehyung’s hand, parting from the kiss to give him a tiny nod of approval. He dropped his forehead to yours, dark locks cascading around you like a curtain of protection. It was only you and him; you were safe with Taehyung.

Taehyung’s hips drew back, then surged forward, the movement making him shudder. The moan that escaped his mouth was borderline pornographic, “God, you’re so fucking tight and perfect.” He repeated the motion, careful not to accidentally thrust into you with too much force.

Soon, Taehyung had developed a steady tempo, the sound of skin on skin echoing within the confines of his room. Removing his hand from yours, Taehyung anchored it to your waist for better grip to further angle his hips. With each stroke, he sought to bring you to the very brink of orgasm. Evidently, Taehyung had found your sensitive spot, judging by the way you hooked your legs behind his back in an effort to pull him closer.

Taehyung grit his teeth as he snapped his hips with more vigor, “That’s it, that’s the spot.” His pace increased, causing you to gasp in astonishment. Your newlywed husband was moaning shamelessly-- long, lurid strings of curses, followed by your name-- in pure ecstasy as he lost himself within you.

He looked beautiful above you, sinew of his chest and face dampened by a thin sheen of sweat. Deep in the thralls of your first sexual experience, your mouth moved on its own accord, the need to vocalize your pleasure, “Feels s-so good, T-Tae.” He paused, eyes anxiously searching yours as if he was second-guessing reality itself.

“Call me that again,” Taehyung implored.

Batting your eyes like an innocent child, you tempted him again: “Tae.”

Two strong arms slithered under your shoulders, keeping you nestled snugly against his cock. “I can’t wait to fill you up,” he groaned. “You have no idea how much I want to…” The sinful insinuation ignited your need to see Taehyung unravel himself within you and above you-- to have him unload every ounce of his physical and emotional self.

Hooking your arms around Taehyung’s shoulders, you pulled yourself upright, leaning yourself against his solid chest. The new angle meant you sank deeper, the two of you panting heavily as you both attempted to abstain from an early orgasm. “Tae, please,” you whined, pouting as he held you down against his hips with an impenetrable grasp. You slid your right hand into his left, conjoining your fingers.

With Taehyung’s grip lessened, this allowed you to leverage yourself enough space for some friction. “Shit, ughh,” he moaned, feeling you grind on his cock with impatience.

Taehyung rut into you, effortlessly reaching your g-spot. Your toes became numb and your chest constricted so tightly you thought you’d suffocate split around Taehyung. The throbbing in your lower regions became so insurmountable that it was almost painful. “I think I’m, I’m,” you stuttered, entirely at a loss for words.

Although it was your first time being with one another, Taehyung was incredible attuned to your body, sensing that you were on the brink. “Me too, baby.” He kissed you, coaxing from you a surreptitious whine of pleasure. “Let go, Y/N,” he murmured against your lips, squeezing your hand.

Initially, the verge of an orgasm seemed so frightening-- like you were teetering on the edge of a cliff--but the aftereffects were so euphoric, so rapturous, that you would gladly experience it with Taehyung again and again.

He followed shortly thereafter, painting your walls as his cock throbbed from the much-needed release. Although it was slightly uncomfortable, the two of you remained joined, seated, basking in the warm afterglow of sex. Once you felt Taehyung’s erection had finally softened inside you, you attempted to push off his chest, only to be pulled back into him. “Just a few more minutes,” Taehyung whined, giving you the biggest puppy eyes imaginable.

You chuckled at his neediness but didn’t shy away from his advances, appreciating that he enjoyed your lovemaking so much that he wanted to stay coupled.

Words between you two were not needed, the comforting silence itself being all that was necessary. Your head rested against Taehyung’s pectoral, the rhythmic thrumming of his heartbeat filling your ears as his hands smoothed through your tangled hair.

“You’re my sun, my moon and all my stars, Y/N,” Taehyung whispered. “I love you.” In response, you nuzzled further into his chest, your eyelids beginning to feel like led, heavy and weighty as you slowly succumbed to fatigue. “Love… too,” you breathed.

With his lingering touches, you and Taehyung softly drifted into sleep. It would be the first and last time you two would ever share a bed, and as when your eyes fluttered open from the bright rays of the Sun, the other side was empty, the warmth you desperately yearned for missing.

Every day, you hoped to catch another glimpse, but with an understanding smile, you nodded to yourself. All you could do was hold onto his words, believing that he meant them, no matter how much it slowly felt like all a lie.

»»————- ♔ ————-««

“Jimin.”

“Yes, your highness?”

“Where’s Taehyung?”

“He’s attending his duties, my queen.”

You sat in one of the comfortable chairs near your coffee table, teacup in your hand as you stared out of the window, Jimin standing behind you with his hands folded neatly in front of him. From where you sat, the sky was somewhat gloomy, the grey clouds hovering over the castle and past the gardens, stretching to the town. The room you were comfortably nestled in was ashy, lacking the illuminating glow of the Sun that caused the crystals on the ceiling to sparkle, bouncing off the walls.

“Jimin, are you lying to me?” Your voice was sharpened ice, cold and quick that pierced his heart, his mouth spasming at the lack of words that struggled to leave his lips. On the other hand, you were leisurely taking a refreshing sip out from your cup, only to harshly bring it down on the saucer, patience slowly dwindling.

“Well?”

“Of course not, your highness.” Jimin bowed, biting his lip as he seemed to be filled with unrest, his feet shuffling and his body unable to find a natural balance that lacked anxiousness.

“Why haven’t I seen him in days?” You asked, looking at Jimin from the corner of your eye, only for him to shrivel up small. “Why aren’t you answering me, Jimin?”

“I-I don’t know…” Jimin whispered, bowing his head so his eyes could no longer see you. “I don’t know where he is now…” Jimin lied between his teeth, unable to lift his head up, filled with shame.

“Jimin.” You repeated, staring once again out of the window.

“Yes, your majesty?”

“Be honest with me, understood?”

“Of course.”

“Is Taehyung… Is he taking after his father?” Your throat constricted as you suppressed the violent sob that wanted to rip out your lungs, your hands slamming onto the table as you buried your head into the crook of your arm. Jimin lifted his head up, only to watch as slow tears descended down your cheek, his heart shattering as he hurried over to you, wiping them away.

“Y/n, I would never lie to you about something like this. He’s not. Please believe me.” Jimin pleaded, wrapping your hands in between his as he brought them up to his forehead.

“Then… then, where is he?”

Jimin only shook his head.

“Jimin! Where is he?!” You sobbed, your entire face turning a shade of red, tears slowly pricking at the corner of your eyes.

“The alliance between the two kingdoms just isn’t strong enough and we’ve been…” Jimin sputtered out in a continuous stream of thought, breathing out harshly. “We’ve been at war for quite some time… Taehy- I mean, the King is busy and he’s probably fighting out there.”

“Jimin, nobody’s talking about such things. Stop speaking nonsense. I don’t need this right now!”

“That’s what you’d like to think. Your highness, you must believe me.” Jimin smiled sadly. “Nobody’s talking about it because it was on his majesty’s orders.” He only continued, turning away. “Taehyung’s not here because he’s been busy fighting… and he… he wouldn’t let me go out there with him. Said it’s better if I stay here with you.”

Jimin’s voice slowly broke as he curled up on the floor, his knees to his chest as he also began to tear up, his eyes red and watery. It was like he was reverting to the boy of his age, rightfully upset and unable to properly let out his frustration, only to ball up on the floor. He brought the back of his arm up to his face, wiping away his tears as he willed up enough courage to continue on.

“Taehyung… Taehyung…” Jimin sobbed, struggling to breathe as he desperately tried to finish his sentence. “We can’t win anymore.” Jimin cried as you listened in horror. “We’re losing. We’re going to lose, my queen. We’ve probably already lost by now.”

You gasped out in disbelief as if the peaceful weeks or even months had been a complete lie. “Jimin… stop playing this sick joke on me.”

“I’m not. This is the truth.”

“Jimin… Jimin... Jimin!” You screamed, shaking his body as he sealed his mouth shut, no “kidding” or “it’s only a joke” coming from his lips. The usually calm and collected queen was now in shambles, devastated.

There was a moment where you stood perfectly still, too shocked that the only thing you could do was shake your head back and forth. Your hands released him as he dropped back onto the floor on his knees, turning back to your drink, cooling your head down. “This isn’t real.” You spat in denial, pouring another glass into your cup.

“Jimin… How long…?”

“Ever since the king’s death.”

Jimin wiped his face, brushing himself off as he began to steady himself. “The other kingdoms wouldn’t acknowledge Taehyung as the new king, so with the Countess and her followers...They want to acknowledge her and her new husband. And to make matters worse, she took all the necessary military forces that the King was lent by the family.”

You scowled, your lips taking another sip of your tea, trying to suppress the headache that slowly ate away in your head. “I need to lie down for a bit…”

Before you could even reach the bed, your legs gave out, knees buckling as you toppled onto the floor.

“W-wha-” You gurgled, noticing the excessively drooling that spilled out from your mouth, your body lurching forward, the upper half of your body collapsing on the bed. Your body burned all over, increasing the rate of your breaths as you gripped the sheets harshly, feeling the strength of your legs fail you.

There was an onslaught of coughs, your arms instinctively coming up to your throat as if you felt you were choking. The thumping of your heart increased in your chest, pupils enlarging as you gasped for air.

“J-J-Jimi-” You coughed, pulling up all the strength you could muster to receive help from your assistant. But, you wished that you didn’t, for when you met his eyes, they stared blankly at yours, slowly darting away and at the cup on the table. “Y-you…”

“Forgive me, even if you can’t, my queen,” Jimin whispered under his breath, letting his fringe fall over his eyes, backing away from your desperate figure. “These too were Taehyung’s orders.”

“H-how c-could you… Jimin?” You sobbed, only for blood to spill out of your mouth and onto the white tiles on the floor. Jimin turned away, the ferocity of your eyes too gut-wrenching to look at, feeling his heart shatter. “How could h-he… W-why?”

“I’m sorry.” was all he said, your vision slowly turning blurry, unable to keep your head raised upright. Jimin couldn’t do this to you. How could those be the last words you would ever hear? How could Taehyung do this to you? Didn’t he love you?

Tears and blood fused together as your body sagged, wondering what you did wrong, why you deserved such a cruel fate from the people who reassured you, the people who were supposed to help you.

“J-Jimin… What d-did I do…?”

Jimin only squeezed his eyes shut, listening as your harsh breathing slowed down, your sobs no longer filling his ears. The sight was terrible, blood dripping from your mouth and down your chin, only to pool onto the floor. With trembling hands, he reached toward your limp figure, picking you up and placing you back onto the soft mattress, wiping away the blood.

The sky was no longer grey, the darkness reigning over the sky. Strong winds attacked the windows, rattling against their nails and a small drizzle falling from the sky. It was then Jimin heard the sound of a horse, hooves attacking the paved road into the palace, a darkened figure approaching with a brisk gallop.

Jimin got himself comfortable on the chair you had sat in just prior, fiddling with his fingers as he heard the familiar footsteps running in the hallway. He could tell the labored breaths that escaped the lips of the King, his cloak providing a small gust behind him.

“Jimin.”

“Yes.”

Their brief eye contact said it all, Jimin’s eyes red and face puffy, only to look away, darting his eyes off the King’s tired figure.

“Thank you, Jimin.”

Taehyung's arm was covered with bandages, lips chapped and bloody, yet, with his remaining strength, he sauntered over to the bed where you slept peacefully.

“My queen,” He whispered under his breath, taking a seat next to you like he had always done in the morning, thumb trailing over your cheek. “I’m back… I’m here to see you, my beautiful…”

Jimin got up from his seat, only to stand off to the side with his head lowered, hair sprawled in several directions as his tears continued to drip onto the tile floor. Taehyung exhaled peacefully, humming in the air, his eyes fluttering as he continued to whisper.

“I love you, y/n. I’m hoping your memories remain untarnished and that you lived the last moments of your life in happy ignorance, unaware of everything, just true happiness…” He leaned down, planting a kiss on your temple.

“I hope you felt loved… I hope you know that I loved you, that I still do.”

Jimin took slow steps to the table, setting down another cup and filling them both to the brim.

“I’ll be seeing you soon.” He murmured to you, stepping away from the mattress as he gratefully accepted the cup Jimin handed over, cheering and clicking the glass together.

“Cheers, Jimin. Thank you for… for everything.” He breathed out, patting him on the shoulder.

“Of course, your majesty…”

“A servant to the end?” Taehyung teased despite the thundering in the background, the hundreds of torches illuminating in the darkened sky behind them, all marching towards the castle.

“No… Just a friend.” Jimin smiled back, the King taken aback before giving a small nod, him too also smiling, his eyes glassy.

“Right… Friend… That’s a… good one...”

They drank together, their throats bobbing until both cups were empty and cracking as they fell onto the ground. Taehyung, with desperate movements, dragged his feet over to the bed, lying down as his eyes began to slowly close.

“J...Jimin…” Taehyung breathed heavily, only for the servant to nod, grabbing the mantle on the shelf and throwing it onto the ground, the fire growing as it ate away at the furniture. “...Good…” The King’s eyes closed shut, his breathing slowly constricting and body motionless, the fire continuing to grow in the room.

With sweat trailing down Jimin’s forehead, he pulled the heavy bedroom door closed, locking it from the inside as he coughed out harshly, the smoke starting to collect. He slowly crawled on his knees, his strength dissipating into the air until he was next to the mattress, lying on the cold tile while the flames tore through half the bedroom.

“T-taehyung… Y/n…" He coughed harshly. "Thank you...”

The palace was paraded with thunderous footsteps, heavy armor clanking against their bodies as hundreds of soldiers marched up the numerous steps. They quickly made their way toward the King and Queen's chambers, only to find the hallway in ruin. The embers burned at the walls, the dripping heat fanning their concealed faces. With the roar of the flames, the army was forced back, waiting until the blaze subsided.

It wasn't until the next day that the fire dwindled down into nothing, no more to eat through, everything grey throughout the resting wing of the palace. The soldiers slowly made their way through the beaten-up floors that barely supported their weight, only to find the door to the King’s chambers gone, replaced by a gigantic hole.

It was an alluring scene, yet their hearts couldn’t help but feel melancholic. The room was ravaged by the flames, every corner ruined and destroyed, yet they could see the overlooking view of the palace gardens, the bright lavender delphiniums swinging in the breeze, so delicately sweet.

#yandere bts #bts smut #yandere taehyung #taehyung x reader #taehyung scenarios #bts fanfiction #bts scenarios #jimin x reader #yandere kim taehyung #bts royalty au #yandere taehyung x reader #bts taehyung #bts reaction #bts prince au

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frozenartscapes · 4 years

Text

Birds of a Feather

@patricia-von-arundel I dusted off an old WIP from the Power Moms AU. Ever since you introduced a cranky, one-eyed cat with a soft spot for Millie, I was thinking about other possibilities.

---

“Mama! Mama!”

“I’m here, little Love! Is everything alright?”

Upon hearing Millie’s frantic cries, Edelgard dropped everything and went running to the source. Millie had barely made it past the entrance of the palace before breaking into the desperate search for her Mama, and thankfully Edelgard had been nearby.

The Emperor of Fodlan bowed to no one, yet in that moment she was on her knees in an instant - the moment she had closed the space between her and her daughter. She reached for her baby, beginning a thorough inspection to ensure Millie wasn’t hurt. It was hard to tell, because Millie was still blubbering and crying as if she was, but there were no obvious signs of trauma.

“It’s...it’s not me, Mama!” Millie managed to stammer out, rubbing away some tears and snot from her face with an arm, “Come! She needs you!”

“Who does? Millie?” Edelgard demanded, “What’s wrong? Is your Mom alright? Where is she?”

“Mom’s out this way. She didn’t want to leave her. Come on, Mama! We need you!” Millie grabbed Edelgard’s hand and before any protest could be made, the little girl was dragging the Emperor out of the palace and into the expansive, impressive gardens surrounding it.

Millie dragged her pretty far. Well past the manicured hedges and shrubs, past the roses bushes and flower beds, past the fountains and the large ornamental pond. They even went well beyond the little cottage set deep on the estate as a private getaway for the royal family without actually having to leave the capital.

Millie led her into the wooded part of the garden, a part that was far wilder and more natural than the rest. Trees grew untrimmed and unmaintained, bushes and vines spread along the forest floor, a few well-worn paths snaked through the undergrowth, but otherwise, it was completely untouched.

“This way! They’re just over here!”

“Millie, Sweetheart, are you going to tell me what it is that’s gotten you so-” Edelgard stopped mid-sentence, upon arriving in a clearing and spotting Byleth standing near the far edge, looking very torn up about something. “...Worked up...”

“El,” Byleth greeted as they met up. Her voice was uncharacteristically heavy, even comparing it to her voice before gaining a heartbeat. “We...we found something.”

Edelgard swallowed hard. Her stomach dropped as she thought of all the possible discoveries Byleth could have made that would warrant such a reaction from her. She made her way over carefully, and as she drew near her eyes landed on the horrific sight.

Two golden-crowned eagles, the national birds of Adrestia, shot dead by blackened arrows. They had clearly been mates, given how the normally solitary birds had died so close to each other. But what made it worse was the scattered remains of their once grand nest all over the ground. Sticks and twigs and grass lay strewn about, and amidst the carnage, were the remains of the eaglets.

Edelgard gasped in horror, hand shooting up to her mouth. She took a shaky step back out of panic. Thankfully Byleth was there to steady her.

“We found this on our way back from fishing,” Byleth told her wearily, nodding to the fishing poles laying nearby, “I think it...”

The idea hung in the air, heavy and foreboding. Golden-crowned eagles were rare birds, and were one of the few protected by no-hunting laws in Adrestia. They also held such an image of pride that no Adrestian would ever think to kill one. Given that they were the symbol of Adrestia, and the Emperor herself, this brutal massacre could only mean something sinister.

Edelgard’s mind immediately went to the current leading threat to her Empire. “Thales,” she growled, “Leave it to him to send a message...”

“You think it was him?” Byleth asked worriedly, “Why bother killing a family of birds when he could just...”

“He couldn’t ‘just’,” Edelgard stated, her voice low and firm, “He knows if he even gets close to my family I’ll-”

“Mama!” Millie came running up to her side. She had split away when they arrived at the clearing, and Edelgard had been so preoccupied with Byleth she failed to see where her little one had gone. But now Millie reappeared, cradling something close to her chest. “Mama, she needs you!”

Edelgard frowned, and she cast a quick glance at Byleth. Byleth winced slightly, before giving a small, confirming nod. Edelgard knelt down to meet her daughter, and Millie carefully revealed what she had in her arms.

It was just a little scrap of a thing, fluffy feathers slicked and ruffled by blood and dirt, wings crooked, legs broken, beak chipped, clinging barely to life...

At first she thought it was dead.

“She needs you, Mama,” Millie told her desperately, holding the baby eagle out to her Mama with tears in her eyes, “You can fix her.”

“I...” Edelgard had already had this experience with a grumpy little kitten. But that kitten, despite its torn ear and blinded eye, had been in much better shape.

Millie pushed the eaglet into her hands, carefully. It was so small, so broken. Edelgard swallowed hard, watching the poor creature struggle even to breathe. “I can try, my little Love, but...” she said hesitantly, looking to Byleth for help. Byleth merely shrugged, also at a complete loss.

“I know you can save her, Mama - just like you saved me,” Millie said with a sniffle.

Millie sure knew how to tug on her heartstrings. Ever so gently, she repositioned the tiny eagle in her hands to make sure it would be more comfortable. She wasn’t the best healer in the world, but she still called for a healing spell, if anything to help with whatever pain it might be in. She turned to Byleth, and said softly, “When we get back, can you call for Marianne, and perhaps Hapi? They’ll know more about this sort of thing than I will.”

Byleth nodded. “Of course, El,” she replied. She then frowned, gaze falling to the horrors on the ground before them. “And...what about...”

Edelgard drew a deep breath. “We’ll bury them in the morning,” she promised, “Whoever did this will pay, I’ll make sure of it. But right now...” She glanced down at the weak little eagle in her hands. “Right now the living need more attention than the dead.”

---

No one had good news at first. An Imperial falconer had told them the eaglet would be lucky to live more than a few weeks. A veterinarian told them it might live for longer, but it would never fly again, or be able to hunt.

Marianne had tried to be the most optimistic, if anything for Millie’s sake, but even she didn’t have high hopes that the poor creature would have either a long, or pain-free life. Hapi was perhaps a little more blunt, but had a similar diagnosis.

Five weeks after finding her, she was already gaining her flight feathers. And was ready to use them.

At this point, Edelgard had grown completely accustomed to the fledgling scampering across her desk and attempting to hop to her shoulder as she worked. She barely flinched anymore as the little eagle clambered over her, got herself into a good position, then attempted to glide down to the floor. She was shaky, but improving with each try.

“Are you certain you don’t wish for me to fetch the falconer, your Majesty?” Hubert had asked her once, when the eaglet was still mostly a ball of soft fluff and refused to leave the safety of her shoulder.

“No, it’s alright,” Edelgard sighed in defeat, “She’s thoroughly imprinted on me, and I’d rather not distress her.” She reached a hand up to gently stop the eaglet from preening her hair. That had become a favoured sign of affection from the little raptor.

She felt that same action again. The eagle had grown significantly, though nowhere near its full size. But still, when she decided to preen the Emperor she saw as her Mama, she no longer merely messed a few strands but rather threatened to ruin her entire hairdo. She had to stop wearing her horns as a result.

“Ellie!” Millie’s joyful cry thankfully captured the eagle’s attention, and without hesitation, she rather ungracefully flew toward the little girl.

“You’re getting so good at that, Ellie!” Millie praised, stroking Ellie’s feathers. Ellie seemed to melt at the touch.

“She certainly has had plenty of practice,” Edelgard stated, glancing up to spot Byleth entering the room behind Millie.

“Come on, Ellie! Aunt Mari says it might be good for you to try flying where there’s more space, so let’s go out to the gardens!” Millie and the eagle were off like a shot, both excitedly heading toward the back doors.

Byleth smiled as she watched them go. She then turned to her wife, who seemed torn about getting up to go follow. “Need a break, El?” she asked, knowing all the Emperor needed was an invitation.

“I think I can allow a small one,” Edelgard said with a sigh, pretending as if she still wanted to do paperwork for appearance only. Just in case Hubert was around.

Byleth held out one arm, and Edelgard slipped her own through the loop. The pair walked out together, following after their daughter at a leisurely pace. They found Millie out in one of the grassy lawns - the one with a single statue of Emperor Wilhelm standing proudly in the middle of it, one arm extended as he points to the future. Ellie the Eagle was perched on said arm, pacing up and down the length of it as she worked up the courage to fly to Millie.

Edelgard couldn’t hide the surge of pride as she watched the little eagle soar across the lawn. She wasn’t perfect, not yet. But one day she will be strong and fearless.

“Good work, Ellie!” Millie praised as the eagle landed on her arm.

“I’m still not so sure about that name,” Edelgard said to Byleth, who could not to contain her wide grin, “It seems a little...on the nose.”

“And ‘Dimitri’ for a one-eyed, lion-looking cat isn’t?” Byleth asked with a smirk.

Edelgard shrugged in response.

“I think it’s perfect,” Byleth continued, “A little Eagle, the only survivor of the brutal massacre of her family, who now is growing and healing and ready to soar to new and wondrous heights despite all that pain and trauma? If anything, ‘Ellie’ might be too vague.”

Edelgard sighed, though her soft smile gave away her true feelings. “‘Ellie’ is the eagle’s nickname, and you know that.”

---

AN: I’m back with another Power Moms story! I always wanted to write something where El rescues a baby eagle, because symbolism!

Also I’ve had this idea for a while now where the gardens of Enbarr’s Imperial Palace closely resemble the gardens at the Palace of Versailles, so I snuck in a bit of that here, too. I like to think that eventually, Edelgard opens up the palace and gardens to the public to allow everyone to enjoy the space.

#fe three houses #power moms au #edelgard #byleth #millie

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lukeskywaker4ever · 4 years

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Palácio da Ajuda, Lisbon

The Palace of Ajuda is a neoclassical monument in the civil parish of Ajuda in the city of Lisbon, central Portugal. Built on the site of a temporary wooden building constructed to house the Royal family after the 1755 earthquake and tsunami, it was originally begun by architect Manuel Caetano de Sousa, who planned a late Baroque-Rococo building. Later, it was entrusted to José da Costa e Silva and Francisco Xavier Fabri, who planned a magnificent building in the modern neoclassical style.

When the palace finally became a permanent residence of the royal family during the reign of King Luis I

and his wife, Maria Pia of Savoy,

their architect, Possidónio da Silva, introduced many aesthetic changes and turned one of the lateral façades into the main one.

Most of the palace interiors were designed during King Luis I’s reign by his wife, Queen Maria Pia and Possidónio da Silva.

Maria Pia lived in the palace from the day she became Queen of Portugal, in 1862, until the republican Revolution in 1910, when the royal family was forced into exile.

Interior

The interior is laid out with interconnecting halls, with a central corridor of staircases and elevators.

On the main floor entrance hall, with a succession of the museum in lateral directions, there is a staircase beside two niches with the figures of Justiça and Prudência, which access the Sala dos Archeiros (Archers Hall) completed by Joaquim Machado de Castro and his disciples. On this floor, in a linear path, the visitor follows through the following chambers and halls:

Sala dos Archeiros (Archer's Hall), named because it was occupied by the guard of honour (from 8:00 a.m. in the morning until 11:00 p.m.), is a hall illuminated by two windows and three rectangular doors, all with golden metal shields and covered in decorative paintings representing military victories. The vaulted hall ceiling is painted by José da Cunha Taborda with the Portuguese Royal coat of arms, the windows and doors surmounted by paintings, and the floor, while paved in parquet, is covered partially in carpet. It is currently used as the principal entrance for visits to the Palace and concierge.

Sala do Porteiro da Cana (Cane Concierge Hall) was used to announce visitors, and consists of a false cupola to squares, formed by plain columns and Corinthian capitals that support triangular pediments. At the center is an allegory of Justiça, with two medallions flanking it, representing the John IV and Carlota Joaquina, over parquet floors.

Sala das Tapeçarias Espanholas (Spanish Tapestry Hall), as its name implies is the location of eight Spanish tapestries of various sizes, representing Dança (Dance), Passeio na Andaluzia(Walking in Andaluzia), Jogo de Cartas (Card Game), Fonte (Fountain), Merenda (Lunch), Partida para a caça (Departure for the Hunt), Regresso da Caça (Return from the Hunt) and Caçadores(Huntsmen). It was also referred to as the Sala do Dossel (Canopy Room) or Sala de Audiência(Audience Hall), since it was used by King Luís and Queen Maria Pia to as a waiting room for formal guests. On the semi-vaulted ceiling there is an allegorical mural representing King John VI's departure for Brazil. In addition to various paintings and architectural elements, there are wooden cornices and a parquet floor, while over four doors there allegorical paintings interspersed by the eight large tapestries. The hall is occupied by a large desk with many gold-leaf wooden chairs covered in red velvet, with polished crests and chiselled bronze elements.

Antecâmara da Sala do Despacho (Antechamber of the Hall of Order), also referred to as the Sala do Retrato de D. Carlos (Hall of Dom Carlos' Painting) or Sala de D. Sebastião (Dom Sebastian's Hall), which is a small room, with a ceiling painted with the figure of Diana and scenes from the hunt, while over the doors representations of Mercury, Vulcan, Science and Peace.

Sala do Despacho (Hall of Order), another room with flattened vaulted ceiling, this space was used for state functions, and the King resolved official duties, typically on Thursdays. Its ceiling is painted with Aurora trazendo a Felicidade Pública, Abundância, Mentira and Justiça (by Cyrilio and Taborda), while the mouldings feature military motifs. On side of the room is an Italian black marble fireplace/stove, comprising two ionic columns, supporting a frieze ornamented by flowers and cornice, with fire-guard in metal. The parquet floor is formed into a geometric pattern and the space decorated with several gold-velvet chairs, large vases, lowboy furniture and red-velvet topped table.

Sala dos Contadores (Accountants Hall), also known as the Sala das Cómodas (Lowboy/Chest of Drawers Room), a small passage with inlaid parquet.

Sala de Música (Music Room), which has a rectangular ceiling painting in tones of sepia, white and gold, with eight medallions representing the arms of Portugal, the Dukes of Bragança and crosses of the military orders, with the walls covered in pink silk and the floor in parquet. On one end is an enormous oak wood fireplace/stove, with several glass display cabinets with ornate friezes and cornices aligned on either side. The chimney and stove are adorned by golden phytomorphic elements and arms of Portugal and surrounded on several walls by paintings and . In the centre are musical instruments (although the King Luís was a baritone, he also accompanied with his cello, while the Queen was a pianist), which are surrounded by velvet-lined bunk seating and several paintings.

Quarto do Rei D. Luís (King Luís's Room), covered in wood paneled wainscoting, painted white and gold remains as one of the few rooms in the Palace painted in its original un-restored wall colors. The painted ceiling, depicting an allegorical representation of Paz by Cyrillo Volkmar Machado that includes figures, mythical figures and flowers in each corner, while the main ceiling is designed as a fanciful open-air Cupola. The walls are painted simply in white with gold trim, divided in square panels, while the floor is paved in parquet. An ornate bed, table and white-velvet chairs decorate the room, with a writer's desk along one wall, while statues stand in the window niches on the opposite wall from the bed. Paintings of many of the Portuguese monarchs are located on one of the walls, while over the desk the full-size painting of King Carlos of Portugal is hung.

Antecâmara do Quarto Real (Antechamber of the Royal Bedroom), continues the wainscoting and painted friezes that adorn the main bedroom, and topped by coiled phytomorphic elements, that are repeated higher on the walls.

Sala Azul (Blue Room), which is not actually blue, is covered in white and gold silk walls and drapery, with matching chairs and cushioned sofa over a parquet floor. Between 1863 and 1865, it was remodeled by Possidónio da Silva in order to provide a Royal sitting room in the tastes of Queen Maria Pia. Avant-garde for its time it included visual effects that proportioned the space, including two grand mirrors on opposite walls (one over the fireplace and the other between two windows) and a Romanesque arch opening that extends the gaze of the Blue Room into the neighbouring Gabinete de Carvalho annex.

Gabinete de Carvalho (Oak Cabinet), an annex that served as a smoking-room, during a period when the men and women socialized independently. The space trimmed in oak, red-velvet drapery and chairs is decorated with paintings of King Luís's favourite ships, as well as oak chest of drawers.

Jardim de Inverno (Winter Garden) or Sala de Mármore (Marble Hall), is covered in marble and agate gifted to the Royal Family by the Portuguese Viceroy to Egypt, with a Carrara marble fountain, with tank and pinnacle structure. The fountain is surrounded by three bronze cranes, busts, two huge ornate bird cages, vases and cushioned chairs, typical of the outdoors. Potted and hanging plants also circle the room, which gives the impression of an enclosed outdoor environment.

Sala Cor-de-Rosa (Pink Room), a small room in pink silk, the room was specifically created to display the Queen's porcelain collection, with many figurines on display on sills on the walls, with the furniture painted in pink or cover in pink velvet.

Sala Verde (Green Room), clad in green silk, with a white painted ceiling with golden elements, decorative paintings (including a large 1876 portrait of the Royal Family by Joseph Fortuné-Séraphin Layraud), green drapery and a parquet floors with geometric elements. A large fireplace/stove in white marble occupies one wall in rounded Rococo-style decoration, protected by the fire-guard in gold metal. This was a private room, used by the Queen to conduct official duties or receive visitors, but as well was the room where she gave birth to the royal heir Prince Carlos. A small antechamber to the left (known as the Red Room, Sala Encarnada) was used throughout its history for various purposes (washroom, oratory, workroom or writing room), and today displays various portraits, busts, chest of drawers and writing table.

Sala de Saxe (Saxe Room), was lined with silk, the plaster ceiling is decorated with flowers, birds and butterflies; today its austere space is used to exhibit some toys and objects associated with the Infantes Carlos and Afonso. Located to the right of the Green Room, at one time there were Portuguese medallions and paintings of Italian landscapes.

Quarto da Rainha (Queen's Bedroom), was decorated in the Napoleonic-style of 1861, which was popular in Europe at the time, and includes walls in blue silk with a silver pattern, surmounted by a ceiling painted with allegorical depictions of Fé, Esperança and Caridade, as well as a figure of John the Baptist. The room is decorated in religious iconography, ornate wood furniture and highlighted by a large canopy bed (also in blue, gold and silver colors), while the floor is covered in carpet, with a polar bear hide. Alongside is the toucador (changing room and toilette), and also continues the original carpeted space from the Queen's bedroom, with large three-pane standing mirror, fireplace, chest of drawers and commode. It is decorated in rich brown and gold trim, phytomorphic elements and paintings of the figures of Diana, Juno, Venus and Minerva over the doorways. The actual bathroom, more practical then decorative, nonetheless, includes decorated with painted mouldings and rich wood trim, and includes bathtub, double lavatory, double sink and bide, hygienic innovations that came from England around 1880.

A Casa de Jantar da Rainha (Queen's Dining Room), a private dining room was never planned in the 1802 design of the Palace, but by 1880 there was a need for a communal space. The final room was decorated in red silk and rich wood grain trim from floor to ceiling, with a wood fireplace/stove on one wall (surmounted by a large mirror), while the opposite wall provides an entrance to adjacent Billiard Room. The floor is cover in inlaid parquet floor with a bronze lustre.

Sala de Bilhar (Billiard Room), which replaced an older room on the second floor, and occupied King Luís after dinner, as the Queen and guests would retire to the Blue Room, although the Queen was known to play with the King on occasion or with her piano teacher, Mrs. Cart. The room is an elaborate extension of the adjacent Dining Room, with a parquet floor, a wood fireplace, lateral wooden pilasters and dark wood grain-coloured walls, with a series of long bunk sofas against the walls. The large wood fireplace is composed of carved wood with cherubs and built-in mirror, while the central pool table occupies the majority of the space.

Second floor

During State functions or celebrations, invited guests would enter via the vestibule and ascend the main staircase to the second floor of the Palace by way of the Escadaria Nobre. The enclosed staircase, is decorated with flourish carvings on the ceiling from the lower floor, which zigzags to the upper landing decorated with rounded stained glass with the royal coat of arms and painted ceiling.

On the second floor of the palace lies:

Atelier de Pintura do Rei (King's Painting Workshop), which is preceded by a gallery with many of King Carlos' works of art. The room is lined with carvings in white, with a paneled ceiling, supported by equally spaced cornice and corbels, with windows framed by arches and canopies of false parapets, as well as a wooden staircase guarded by four foils leaked, the floor is parquet motif geometric.

Biblioteca (Library), is a space covered in oak wood serving as library, including panels, doors, trim and the fireplace (flanked by two Atlantean warriors).

Sala de Trabalho do Rei (King's Office), its walls painted are painted beige, with wainscoting and trim adorned with geometric elements and foliage, respectively, and focused on a panel representing Saturn. A parquet wood floor with various shades of embossed wood cover the floor, while a bronze crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling.

Sala das Incias L.M. (Initials L & M Room), a relatively small rectangular space, with a plane ceiling, it is adorned with an allegorical scene, depicting the initials L and M for the monarchs King Luís and Queen Maria Pia, with a wide crown moulding, decorated with stars and military motifs on a very prominent cornice and meandering ornate frieze. The walls are covered with draperies of comparable fabric, while the floor is covered in parquet.

Sala Chinesa (Chinese Room) totally decorated in natural silk, forming a tent-shaped ceiling, with chandeliers and small metal lamps, Chinese porcelain, and red doorways with gold trim, in Oriental motifs, completed by José Procópio Ribeira in 1865. From this place visitors to the monarchs residence, for galas or ceremonial events, were stratified into various rooms, depending on class structure, until the reaching the throne room.

Sala Império (Imperial Salon), with a wainscoting painted in pink, and walls covered in silk, the ceiling has ornate motifs, and meandering frieze, while the floor is covered in inlaid parquet.

Sala do Retrato da Rainha (Queen's Portrait Room), a fairly wide room, with a ceiling painting feature the depiction of Vingança and Justiça Divina framed by phytomorphic elements, with walls lined with red silk and a parquet flooring. The room is dominated by the full-length portrait of the 33-year-old Maria Pia in blue and white ball gown, opposite a portrait of Infante Afonso, Duke of Porto.

Sala dos Gobelins (Gobelins Room), the ceiling in this space is painted blue, with phytomorphic elements and festive elements in white.

Sala do Corpo Diplomático (Diplomatic Corp's Room), was used for visiting ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corp, who waited in this room before being presented in the throne room. This room is full of classical motifs, presenting a ceiling with animals, figures and chariots, based on a Greek frieze, with painted walls and inlaid parquet floor. Three of the walls have tapestries with royal coats of arms and the last with a fireplace surmounted by mirror, with chairs assembled for the gathered visitors, all accented in red velvet and gold, and two large ornamental vases. Alongside is a small antechamber used so that visitors could wait as their name was presented to the monarchs, before appearing in the throne room. On the walls of this room are portraits of John VI of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina on opposite walls.

Sala das Senhoras do Corpo Diplomático (Lady’s Room of the Diplomatic Corp) Three tapestries from the Manufacture of Gobelins decorate this room, where the diplomats' women waited to pay their respects to the kings. The tapestries "Works in the Sultana's Rooms", Dance in the Gardens of the Serralho and the "Sultana's Toilette", and also "Sultana's Lunch"- which is in reserve - make up the series of Turkish Customs, the only complete set Amedée Van Loo painted the models between 1774-1775, and tapestries woven between 1780 and 1782 in the workshops of Audran and Cozette, who signed and dated them. On the walls of this room are portraits of King Pedro V and his wife Queen Estefânia.

Sala do Trono (Throne Room), is a large space that occupies the southern tower of the Palace, with a ceiling of the Virtude Heróica, exalting the royalty of Miguel of Portugal, with a bronze crystal chandelier, walls draped in red silk and floor covered in parquet and Aubusson carpet. On a small two-step platform are the two thrones of Luís and Maria Pia under a red draped canopy. The passageways, covered in drapery are surmounted by ancillary windows that permit light to cascade into the space. Red velvet chairs and bunks are strategically located around the open space.

Sala de Baile (Ballroom) or Sala de D. João VI (King John VI's Hall), was used as the formal ballroom, and features an upper gallery (for the musicians) opposite the entrance, while two full-length portraits of Luís and Maria Pia flank the entrance. The walls are covered in red silk, with the ceiling divided into seven panels, the central showing the allegorical Concílio dos Deuses, from which hang three crystal chandeliers. Along one wall is a large landscape depicting the return of John VI from Brazil, opposite windows and two mirrors.

Sala da Ceia (Supper Room), the grand dining hall for state dinners and ceremonial events (such as the acclamation of Miguel as King and the wedding of Carlos and Amelia of Orleans), the room is a long hall that includes two long tables for visitors and the main table (which intersects the other two) for the Royal Family. The ceiling is painted with an allegorical depiction as a tribute to João VI, depicting a sun chariot with Apollo, encircled by the Horae, months, seasons, and other allegorical figures, illuminated by three large bronze crystal chandeliers, and an upper gallery for musicians, who would play for visiting guests and diplomats. The opposite wing was altered by the adaption by actual activities in the space, and includes a staircase in the vestibule to connect the upper spaces and rooms.