ツンデレ

King Aren I of Germany | Aaron J. Herzog | Human Disaster

[konigarenofgermany]

maddox.

-

Things had gone all sorts of wrong– but he’d managed to escape. 

Escape into what though? The dread of empty halls. The tap of pacing boots belonging to captors guarding doors. And Maddox had no way of knowing who sat behind those locked rooms. His father, a former pirate compatriot, a royal….

Aaron. Above all and at the forefront of his mind. Lessons on how to disarm, attack, defend himself. Those might all be lost to Aaron outside the safety of a garden behind a little yellow house. Was Aaron being threatened, held at gun point, fracturing and fearful once again? Was this how it would’ve felt to a gunner if things had gone differently for a prince on an island a few years ago? 

Maddox moved silently through the corridors. Kept the worry at bay and eyes open.

In what he thought would be crossing a gallery to another long hallway, he heard a whistle. He didn’t break stride until he reached the end of the gallery. After taking a look around the corner, he finally turned back. The gun in his hand lowered and his steps grew quicker returning to the source of the whistle. Maddox crouched down to look at Aaron with a wash of pure relief softening his features. Aaron was alive. Looked unharmed– tense, but with his senses about him. He whispered. “Like what you see, Herzog? Shall I parade by again for another whistle?” A pause. “The next hallway is clear, but we need to move. You are okay, yeah?” 

-

The footsteps became familiar once Aaron recognized who it was, and even though Maddox passed by him, he sensed the urgency quickening the former pirate’s stride. He waited, leaning forward to peer around the sculptures in the middle of the gallery to watch Maddox’s progress through the gallery and then circling back.

Aaron inhaled, then exhaled slowly. Panic kept gripping him and letting go in moments of fear and relief. The relief felt more palpable this time--as much as he trusted that Maddox was too sharp and too ruthless to fall at the hands of these pirate thugs, he was as mortal as anyone else. He knew that from the last night on the island, the image of his bloodied wound (though nonfatal) still gave him chills to think about.

He was so pleased to hear Maddox’s voice that he nearly missed what was said. “It was very hot,” he murmured, his voice hoarse from how dry his mouth was. The taste of blood hadn’t left him. “I’m--”

This was no time to linger, but he took Maddox’s face in his hands and tried to keep from saying or doing anything stupid. Just stared, his eyes burning and a mixture of fear and longing overcoming some of the relief of finding him alive. How quickly things could change if they turned the wrong corner. What if he had to watch Maddox die? 

Why does it always have to be like this?

“I was captured with another prince. We fought back. I took an elbow to--” He pointed to his face where the swelling had started to take hold between his eye and lower jaw. “We got out, but we were separated. Theo took the gun. So I’ve just been... alone.”

He swallowed and tried to smile, but that hurt, so it only reached the unharmed half of his face. “Let’s go.” Aaron pushed himself to his feet and looked around the room once more before waiting for Maddox to lead him into the next room. “They have gunmen on the roof, but I think our only chance is to try and get out of here. Unless you have a better plan?”

[konigarenofgermany]

Shortly before the Big Rescue Lockdown at Versailles @keyes-tothecrown​

Aaron split with Theo after a miscommunication in their plan of direction--Aaron definitely said they should go left to avoid being spotted, but Theo went right. Maybe it worked out, as they were pursued by only one pirate. Theo got away, Aaron lost them in a series of gallery rooms. Even being familiar with Versailles, Aaron was losing his focus. Where was he supposed to go? He could try to leave, but he caught a glimpse of gunmen on the roof, so his chances of making it depended on where he found an exit.

Until then he was stuck in a nonstop, life or death game of hide and seek. Staying in one place for too long was out of the question, but the sprint to escape had left him out of breath. He took a pause inside a doorway leading into one of the galleries, where he could see the other entrances and keep watch. A marble statue obscured the center of the room and one directly beside him offered a little bit of cover.

Theo had the gun still. Aaron wasn’t sure if he would feel better with one. What if he had to use it? Trying to get control of his breathing, Aaron slumped down into a crouch and dropped his head. Then he heard something.

Someone entered the room just past him. He blinked, froze. Stared. Knowing not to startle the man, Aaron did the first thing he could think of: he whistled like he was cat-calling his fiancé.

[konigarenofgermany]

theo-henriksen​:

lucyofstormbreach:

“Jesus, fuck.”

The clatter of the gun was cold, metal on concrete. She kicked back, wildly, the edge of her boot connecting with something solid. Ouch. Twisting, the grip on her jacket held firm. “What the fuck is wrong with y–”

Lucy stared at the ground. Where were the others? They were supposed to be right behind her. Even armed, one on two wasn’t fantastic odds, and they needed these two. She caught a look at the German; he looked weaker than he was.

Blood rushed in her ears, the need to get control of the situation outweighing all else. 

“Let.” Her teeth gritted, hand reaching back and finding exposed skin at his wrist. Her nails dug in. “Me. Go.”

@theo-henriksen

–

The blonde came forward with the rope, but as she did Aaron sprung towards her. No more snappy one liners were heard from the king. Instead, a grappling match broke out between royal and pirate. 

The gun stumbled out of a hand and fell with a dangerous clack to the ground. Frantically he scanned and reflexively leapt to claim the weapon. 

A few seconds after pointing the gun at a pirate, he realized his finger was on the trigger. Pressed firmly, no give, only a quick squeeze needed. 

Theo’s breath caught in his throat. No longer tortured by fear and plagued by inaction. This time, he would do it. If she lunged, if she reached, if ‘Lucy’ said the wrong thing– he would kill a pirate without the hesitations or remorse that clung to him on the island. 

Blood streaked across Aaron’s face. The image kept sounds of heavy boots and shouts in English coming down the hall from registering. Theo shook the beginning of a loose wrap of rope around his wrist and tossed it to the floor and kept the gun trained on Lucy. “In the freezer you go.” 

@konigarenofgermany​

-

The elbow caught Aaron in the jaw. His teeth cut into the inside of his cheek, his tongue--the blow made him see stars but he willed his arms to keep a hold on the struggling pirate. “No,” he said when she told him to let him go. He was not a fighter, but he was not an idiot, either. 

The heel of her boot connected with his ankle and Aaron swore under his breath, but the more she hit him, the more furious he felt. His teeth flashed, grimacing, and he held on.

Theo dove for the gun and in seconds it was over, the three of them froze in place. Aaron looked above the pirate’s shoulder, his grip on her still tight, and met Theo’s gaze. The tip of the gun was in his periphery, but Aaron’s blood ran cold when he saw the look in the prince’s eyes.

“Theo,” he said. Warningly. Consolingly. He wasn’t sure. They could not kill her, no matter how much Theo wanted to, and that was all Aaron knew. Even if Lucy wished them both dead and would have put a bullet in his brain, Aaron couldn’t wish the same for her. It was a fatal flaw, he knew.

His head turned and he spat blood on the floor, the taste of copper flooding his senses along with a dizzying pain radiating from his jaw. He gave Lucy a shove and sent her toward the freezer, closing and locking the door behind her.

“You’ll be fine. Probably,” he said through the door. Aaron turned to Theo and nodded, silently motioning for him to come with him to find the servant door to escape. No time to celebrate, or even feel a bit of relief--they could still get their asses killed if they weren’t careful. All he knew is they had to go.

end.

[konigarenofgermany]

theo-henriksen​:

lucyofstormbreach​:​

“I’m Lucy.” Tracing her fingertip along the edge of the cupcake liner, she folded it in thirds. Then bent the edges in on the diagonal, crimping it tightly for crisp, firm lines. And then in half, and again, until all that was left of the cupcake was a tiny, golden square of foil. She flicked it with her forefinger, careening past the taller prince’s ear. “You must be Theodore.”

And then, over her shoulder just a bit: “Hi, Aaron.”

She’d heard rumors of the pirates from the first go-round with royal captivity. Leaden dolts, the lot of them. Thought with their bits rather than their brains, and they’d all seen how that went. Using her tongue to clean a bit of cupcake from her teeth, Lucy shrugged and hopped down. “You can stop looking so stern. It was just a refrigerator.”

Procuring a length of rope, she nodded to Theo’s hands. “I do have to tie you up. I don’t think you want to fight me on that. But if you do, I can shoot you first–” her boot went out to keep Aaron at bay. “–and then tie you up. It’s like one of those books. Choose your own adventure.”

She smiled.

“All roads lead to Lucy. What’ll it be?”

–

Ludicrous. This woman making threats while eating a fucking cupcake. Acting like an entitled sorority girl taking over the next fundraiser from her sisters. 

Theo kept a healthy distance from whispers of a royal rebellion on the island. His sister had already died under the pirates’ watch, his little brother was in an exceptionally fragile state of mind. Theo’s own will had been broken by the Tierney daughter. He seduced himself into rotting in the comfort of his own helplessness. 

But from the distance he had admired Aaron’s quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) determination to escape. The Danish prince couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that the royals had strength in numbers yet couldn’t be rallied to come together in a show of force. 

Here they were again. 

He slid a glance to Herzog. The German prince lived with one of these barbarians. Surely he had learned something after all this time of sleeping with the enemy.  I will help you this time, Aaron. 

Because Theo would not hide his head in the sand this time. Half his family had died at the hands of rogue pirates. And he refused to return to the way things had been. 

His eyes returned to the blonde. “Tie us up.” Kill us. Aaron might not appreciate the suggestion. “Stop with the theatrics and do what you came to do, Lucy.” Theo would remember her face, her name, the cocky smile and color of her boots. He would remember every stitch of detail there in the kitchen in order to hunt her down later.

@konigarenofgermany​

-

Lucy. Aaron flinched when she made a move for him, abandoning the temptation to return a dry hallo back to her with all of the malice he could muster. He exhaled sharply and kept a dark glare on his face as the pirate explained their options, while trying to note any nearby exits in his periphery.

Aaron swallowed and tried to calm the rush of adrenaline that urged him to fight or flee. His tongue swept over his lips but his whole mouth was so dry it was hard to speak.

“I do not recognize you from the island, Lucy,” he spoke carefully, even diplomatically.

The moment she got close was the moment he would try to clock where her gun was. After that, he wasn’t sure. He could go for it. But he could get shot. If he did nothing, he would be tied up and useless, totally at the mercy of these pirates. With no hope of rescue probably. Aaron tried not to let his mind wander to where his family was--knowing they were in danger would only make him want to try and steal the gun from Lucy more.

He wondered if Theo was thinking the same thing. There were two of them and only one of her.

Aaron glanced at Theo for a moment before turning his eyes back to the pirate. She got closer. "What are you planning to do after we are tied up? Or is that your kink.”

The rope was brought to Theo first and Aaron watched for any sign of a gun. His reflex set, when he saw a flash of black metal from underneath the back of her jacket, he went for it. One hand swiped up the fabric of the jacket as the other closed around the holster, just as an elbow caught him in the face. Aaron reeled backward--he thought he had a solid death grip on the gun, but before he knew it, the gun was gone. On the floor? Aaron grabbed a fistful of jacket fabric and pulled as hard as he could to try and move her away and keep her engaged with him. Theo could sort the rest.

@lucyofstormbreach​​

[keyes-tothecrown]

🍸 for my muse to find your muse behind the bar. (Aaron)

@konigarenofgermany

A red cocktail napkin was placed neatly on the bar in anticipation. He finished his drink and hid the empty glass under the counter. His palms rested on either side of the napkin, drumming his fingers once. Maddox waited until Aaron had taken a spot on the other side of the bar. “What would you like to drink tonight, sir?”

[konigarenofgermany]

keyes-tothecrown​:

An almost instantaneous regret tapped at the center of his chest. He shouldn’t have asked this. Time had passed but the melancholy answer felt more raw than it should. No one else wanted me. The loneliest words he’d ever heard and distorted further by the ugly circumstances. As small as Maddox’s role was on the island, he played it with a sadistic glee. 

Because he wasn’t meant to be there. He wasn’t the one held captive. Until Aaron’s tenderness gave him no place to run from himself. One of the few bright spots. Along with sharing cigarettes and gin with Malle. Jacob’s shared annoyance and Noah’s delicious spritzers. Chasing a feral Portuguese princess around a charred villa who actually wanted to put up a fight. 

He silently returned to his own drink for a long moment. “Just think. Alex could’ve come along instead of me.” Maddox was certain the thought brought some relief to the king. “I’ve never regretted it was me on that path instead.”

He caught sight of a clock. “I told Jacob I would meet him to share a cigar. So… why don’t you go back to our room? I’ll be there shortly to stroke your ego. And then I’ll tell you all about my favorite prince.”

-

Aaron snorted at the mention of a surly pirate that liked to fire his gun at him and yell. Make the whole island experience really feel hostile. His head dropped low and shook. “That would not have ended well. I am glad it was you.” Aaron smiled a bit wider. He regretted nothing, either. “It was the only time being easy paid off,” he said with a sip of scotch.

He followed Maddox’s gaze before realizing he was wearing a (very nice) watch. Aaron peeled back his sleeve and made a little sigh. “I should pay a visit to Malle if she is alone. See if she needs anything.” He’d go back to the room after but not for long--he had a feeling he would get bored if sleep didn’t overtake him first. Perhaps he could pay Maddox and Jacob a surprise visit in the garden?

“I will stay out of trouble as long as you promise to do the same.” Aaron grinned and finished off the scotch, watching Maddox with an amused squint.

[konigarenofgermany]

maddox.

–

“Cheryl and–” A low laugh interrupted. The only ones with guns. How adorable. Certainly Aaron had already spun down the rabbit hole of the potential ways it could have ended in the matter of seconds. Without the need for the showdown with his mother today, unless it was to discuss casket options for his brothers’ funerals. 

His controlled temper was rewarded with a kiss too precious for either, and gossip (old news, Herzog) about Cheryl. “It does complicate things.” He looked up to read decisions played out on a king’s infinitely pretty face. Maddox sipped from the glass handed to him. Each side note on the twins would be filed away for future use. “So no more titles means… what exactly? Other than what you’ve already said.” Royal residences rescinded? Lengthy year end summaries of the fraternal twins removed from the official Christmas card? “Does it truly prevent them from making a play for the throne?” Did Aaron even care? Because a few sideways comments had led Maddox to believer that maybe he didn’t.

In Maddox’s position he probably should’ve known how harsh the inevitable consequences were. He also shouldn’t push Aaron too hard in the aftermath of what he’d just witnessed. The escalating desperation of two princes seemed to be more than making a claim to the throne. 

He had never been the best at comforting. A German king might not have realized a clenched fist rested on his thigh as he drank. Maddox placed a hand over it. “I’m sorry your family is full of pricks. There are other people on your side. I think you’ve been more than generous, but today was very impressive as well.” A pause. “You made the right decision.” 

Through all the pomp and circumstance sometimes Maddox forgot Herzog was king. Emotional, very silly, so gentle, too sweet at times. Those and more attributes were enough to cause Maddox to forget. Until Aaron flexed decisive muscles like he did a few minutes ago. 

“What type of fighting then?” A brow raised, and the suggestion could be a way to placate Maddox. The request seemed primed to catch his attention, which wasn’t entirely necessary at the moment. He stood and dropped a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. It wasn’t the work of Greta that set the muscle to stone, but tension. “Is the old suite still black? I remember Herzog, the original emo prince.” A gesture told Aaron to lead the way.

“In the event I’m no longer king,” when I die, “then the throne will pass to my sister. I’m explicitly stating that the twins cannot inherit--they will become German citizens. I probably cannot stop my mother from helping them, but...” Aaron trailed off and he zoned out for a moment as the reality of what he was doing set in. He was sure Maddox would love to hear about all of the details almost as much as he’ll love watching the drama play out for the twins. “They will no longer have access to their royal accounts, and I am barring them from royal property, which includes their current residence... I suppose I could provide them with a severance, if only to make myself look good... Although the idea of sending them packing with no more than the clothes on their backs is very entertaining. Unfortunately, there are too many supporters in Germany who see the twins as a vestige of my father’s reign. Their supporters won’t like this at all.”

Aaron looked over at the documents on the table. Imprisonment still had a nice ring to it. Not forever, but long enough to wear on the twins’ resolve. Six months, perhaps. Hmmm. Aaron looked up at Maddox and smiled as if he was not having sinister thoughts about additional punishment for the twins. While he knew Maddox would approve of bad things happening to the princes, hearing from him that he’d made the right decision helped assure him that he was not overreacting. He relaxed, a little.

Taking Maddox by the hand that had landed on his shoulder, Aaron led him from the sitting room through the double doors leading to the bedroom, like he had done many times before when Maddox came to visit. The high ceilings Aaron had grown up with felt dizzying, the furniture too spread out and cold--nothing like the coziness of Sonnehaus that the king had grown to love. 

“Still black, of course. Unfortunately my love of My Chemical Romance has faded.” A new idea popped into Aaron’s head, and he let go of Maddox and went into the black marble bathroom. He spoke over the sound of rushing water pouring into the bathtub. “I was thinking of practicing more hand-to-hand combat with you, unless you think I need more practice with a knife or gun... To be honest, my palms started sweating like crazy and I thought I was going to drop the gun back there... But that all can wait until tomorrow. Let’s celebrate tonight.” 

Aaron reappeared in the doorway, minus a shirt, and with a renewed grin on his face. “Why don’t you settle in here while I grab us a bottle of champagne, schätzen?”

end.

[keyes-tothecrown]

🍸 for my muse to find your muse behind the bar. (Aaron)

@konigarenofgermany

A red cocktail napkin was placed neatly on the bar in anticipation. He finished his drink and hid the empty glass under the counter. His palms rested on either side of the napkin, drumming his fingers once. Maddox waited until Aaron had taken a spot on the other side of the bar. “What would you like to drink tonight, sir?”

[keyes-tothecrown]

konigarenofgermany​:

Aaron watched the empty glass leave Maddox’s lips before being stowed under the bar, his eyes glancing down at the drumming fingers on either side of a fresh napkin. The king leaned onto the counter with a grin and a tilt of his head. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Maddox Keyes.” An overly sympathetic pout up at the “bartender.” “From international hero to bar service? How the mighty have fallen. I was looking forward to seeing your handsome face all over the news for ages to come. Fame is so fickle.” 

A dramatic sigh and hopeless shake of his head at the fake misfortune. “I will have a scotch on the rocks, bitte.” Aaron propped up his head on his elbow, resting his chin in his hand. His posture relaxed, weight shifting to one side, and while his suit tie had been abandoned a couple of hours go, he finally felt like he could let down his guard and let the rest of the night fade into the background. “And perhaps a kiss for your number one fan? It would make my night.”

–

“Fame is fickle indeed. It’s like the Frank Sinatra song. That’s Life.” A sigh left his lips followed by a shake of his head to match the drama Aaron gave him. “On a positive note: I have other skills I can apply to move beyond the enormous disappointment. The fast rise and fall of tonight. I can mix a drink. Unfortunately you haven’t even given me that much.”

Aaron asked for the easiest turn of a bottle. The requested drink was placed cautiously, carefully, like a house of cards ready to be blown over by the next quip of a king. Maddox couldn’t remember the last time the man had been so playful. Duly noted at Maddox’s expense, but the night didn’t mean much personally. If anything, in an opinion he hadn’t shared with his boyfriend, it was a detriment to himself, Jacob, and others in the long run. 

He wouldn’t ruin it for Aaron or sabotage a lighthearted conversation. “You’re always asking, or demanding, a kiss. And now that I’m standing here thinking about it. Why did you decide to make that announcement. That night.” On the island. 

[konigarenofgermany]

“I know all about these other skills of yours.” Maddox’s skill list probably had a few more challenging things on it before drink mixing, in Aaron’s opinion, although Maddox played the part of a stoic bartender well.

The grin on Aaron’s face flickered and went out, and his eyes dropped, falling somewhere on Maddox’s chest before leaping up to meet his eyes.

“No one else wanted me.” At the time there wasn’t a prince on the island that wanted to be around Aaron Herzog, much less make out with him. “Everyone was sleeping around. I felt left out.” Aaron made an exaggerated pout to try and take the sting out of his own honesty. “Then you came along. I must have been an easy target. But it was nice to feel wanted.”

Only the slightest tinge of pink rose to the surface of the king’s cheeks. “Anything else you would like to know about how I fell head over heels for you? I do like to stroke your ego, Maddox.”

[konigarenofgermany]

theo-henriksen​:

lucyofstormbreach​:

This was new.

The gun felt solid, strapped against her hip, its heft concealed beneath a cropped leather jacket. Lucy resisted the urge to check the barrel a third time before she walked into the kitchen, glancing between the two guards: Pat, taller, and Cat, shorter. And surely there was a ‘rat’ somewhere in here, Lucy mused.

She wasn’t typically the one called in for these situations, instead preferring to sit on Stormbreach and watch people come and go. She was an excellent concierge, chequier, confidant, and it was the latter that got her off the ship. People liked Lucy. They liked to talk to her, and tell her what they thought, and trust that she would keep it to herself. And she did, mostly.

Ignoring the refrigerator for the moment, she crossed the kitchen to the tall bakery shelves. Loaves of French bread stacked across the top six, but lower she found lines of cupcakes, their frosting crisp, exposed to oxygen. She took one, and nodded her head at Pat and Cat to scoot. They – mostly Cat – glared at the cupcake, before leaving the kitchen.

She unlocked the refrigerator but left it shut, vaguely hearing voices inside. It wasn’t like Lucy to pry. Instead, she took a bite of the cupcake – chocolate – and sat on one of the stainless steel tables opposite the refrigerator door. The gun remained clasped in its holster, the knife in her boot a comforting reassurance. Lucy sighed.

“Are you two coming out, or is this your kink?”

Years of practice had honed the skill of discreetly hiding the panic. In many a meeting pirates entered the conversation. Theo learned to perform at least a semblance of pursed lip breathing without anyone knowing the difference. Hands clasped together, practically wrung white and worried, were obscured by the table he sat at. Or behind his back. 

It was difficult to hide in a freezer with a king much more neurotic than himself. Theo didn’t dislike Herzog, but in the claustrophobic space and under such conditions every scowl and clip of a word from the man grated. A furrow dug itself deeper on Theo’s brow. 

Not long into the ordeal Theo had snapped a shut up at Aaron. An action he would regret on a normal evening. In the industrial freezer the Danish prince couldn’t see the racks of frozen shrimp and sauces. The burn of the cold wasn’t more painful than the frost felt the moment they were shoved into a walk-in. 

He wouldn’t be going to another island or the damp, disgusting hold of a ship.  Never again, they might as well kill him this time. 

The slide of the lock moved heavily on the other side stopped his shivering. A silent question was shared between himself and Herzog. What would they find on the other side of the door? Aaron didn’t move fast enough for Theo. “Open the door.” 

@konigarenofgermany​

The king hadn’t stopped moving since he was forced into the confined freezer with Theo. The tiny space was barely long enough for three paces, and after a few seconds of muttering in German to himself, and bumping shoulders with Theo, the prince told him to shut up. 

Aaron froze in place and looked at Theo with a twitch of his nose to resist full-on snarling. Be smart about it. The words of a former pirate on a distant island echoed in his head like a mantra. His heart leapt into his throat and color started to drain from his face as the motionless seconds dragged his full on panic attack to the surface. Be smart about it.

He inhaled. “Sorry.” Theo wasn’t his enemy. They needed to work together. Maybe in the brief time they’d been alone, they should have been strategizing. There was a click from the door.

Freedom was a few steps away, but it seemed too easy. Aaron didn’t want to be target practice. Then Theo told him to open the door, and it was really their only option. He thought he’d heard a woman speak from outside. Aaron pushed open the door and stepped out, his eyes landing on an armed woman... eating a cupcake.

“Who the hell are you?”

@lucyofstormbreach​

[olivia-herzog]

😥 for your muse to receive a troubling text while speaking to mine.

Olivia stopped dead in her tracks. She could see the dirt path leading to the stables clearly in front of her, another five meters or so forward and then a sharp turn to the left. Somewhere nearby the quick notes of Haydn’s Opus 76 carried across the grounds though she couldn’t see where the music was coming from. Finale allegro spiritoso, if she was not mistaken. Those observations paled in comparison to the person walking directly toward her. Blocking her path to the horses.

Eyes widened. She moved hastily to the side to duck behind the nearest pillar. An attempt which was thwarted by misjudging the angle. She ran into it instead. She bumped her elbow against solid stone, and let out a sharp cry of dismay. Then she proceeded to shuffle to the side again. This time she concealing herself behind the pillar. Olivia pressed her back up against it, and fumbled with her phone. Something to make it look like she was occupied, so that when her brother inevitably caught up to her -

“Oh, Aaron. Hi. Hallo. H… Hallo. Bonjour,” she stammered. She had only wanted to visit the horses. “I didn’t… I didn’t see you. Before. I was on my… what a… what a, a beautiful party. Right?”

[olivia-herzog]

konigarenofgermany​:

Bored. Mostly restless. And a bit hungry? Aaron wandered the halls of Versailles until gazing at the constant stream of artwork and gilded walls made him dizzy. He found a way outside and through a courtyard to the gardens, half-expecting to run into a certain honoree of the night. Perhaps with the intention of coaxing said honoree back to their room.

Aaron paused on his path through the garden to draw his phone out of his pocket. Nothing new. Well, a text from Heddy, which was part of a string of texts she had been sending for the past fifteen minutes about their mothers getting into a fight, or something. The last person Aaron wanted to think about was Mother right then, so he cleared away the notification and looked up from the screen. Had he just heard something?

Forging onward, Aaron squinted through the darkness toward the direction of the voice to find it belonged to his sister. The curious quirk in his brow dropped. “Hallo, Ollie.” His phone buzzed in his hand. He knew it had to be Heddy’s next novel-like text. “Yes, Versailles has been–” Maddox texted if he knew where Lecia was. He replied: No, why?

“You look lovely,” he said, back in the present. It was a bit odd finding Ollie alone out in the open like this, or at least without her cousin-partner in crime. “What are you getting up to tonight?”

-

She looked his phone when he did. Natural human curiosity as to what had interrupted whatever her brother had been about to say on the subject of Versailles. Of course she couldn’t see the screen. Which made looking rather pointless, but she continued to watch his hands closely as he typed out a quick message.

Olivia ducked her head, but a small smile appeared. She appreciated the compliment. It meant more coming from Aaron who didn’t need to pander to young princess who stood several places back in line from the throne. Not like the press trying to endear themselves to catch her off guard or anyone who wanted an indirect line to a king. People who thought anyone in Sanssouci actually listened to her. Which was quite an assumption. 

“Nothing!” she answered, perhaps a little too quickly. Many months had passed since the night she had mistakenly thought he was someone who could be confided in regarding love, but the anxious feeling remained as present as if it had been yesterday. Not to mention what had happened after she had tried talking her feelings out with Julian instead. If there was one lesson to be learned this year, it was probably to not tell any brother of hers anything. Ever. 

She clasped her hands tightly together.

“I was… I was going to see the horses. Would you… like to come?”

[konigarenofgermany]

Quick and nervously enthusiastic replies that didn’t provide anything definitive were usually suspect, but with Ollie it was hard to tell. Sometimes she was just nervous, even around her brother. Perhaps, Aaron thought, he could do a better job not to make her feel that way.

He kept his phone in his hand but locked the screen for the moment. Lecia disappearing somewhere wasn’t anything to worry about, he didn’t think. She must have been with Simon. Aaron looked at his sister with a curious, almost scrutinizing gaze, leaving her question momentarily unanswered. 

Even though there was nothing wrong (except why would Maddox ask about Lecia?), it wouldn’t hurt to stay with Olivia. At the very least, Aaron wouldn’t have to wonder if she was seeing the Russian prince.

“Yes,” he said, finally, with a small smile. He offered an arm to her and nodded at the path ahead of them. “Take us to the horses.”

[infantacardoza]

👀 for catching your muse in/leaving/entering someone else’s room. (Aaron hehe)

Lecia lounged across the bed in the Marie Antoinette suite. This was quite the set up. She had found it somewhat vexing that Papai insisted on staying elsewhere, away from it all. The only redeeming quality of her distant cousins’ home was that it happened to be a bit closer to one other particular guest (who had also chosen to lodge away from the palace). Everyone else got to enjoy all this as well as each other’s extended company.

She rolled over. Careful not to spill her cocktail, but not as careful of the various things strew across the end of the bed. Quite by accident, she kicked off a hat box. Whoops. She’d have to remember to pick that up. At some point. She lifted the glass to her lips at the exact moment the door opened.

“... Aaron!” she cheered.

[infantacardoza]

konigarenofgermany​:

“Lecia,” Aaron said with a hiss. His tone was almost scolding. Why did it feel like he was scolding everyone tonight? But it was for her own good. Sneaking into his and Maddox’s room without telling them was downright reckless. The situation could have been, well, compromising.

Aaron’s annoyance was short-lived. He crossed the room with a smirk, having deducted this was certainly not Lecia’s first cocktail. His hand reached under hers and plucked the glass out of her hand. “Be careful not to spill it on the bed. I’m surprised you did not find Maddox here. I thought he would be tired.” Aaron imagined Lecia would have been disappointed to find her half-brother instead of her best friend.

“It’s a mess in here,” Aaron pointed out the obvious with a dramatic sigh and a sip of the drink. He remained standing in case Lecia tried to grab it back; he wasn’t giving it up so easily. “We were in a rush. Well–I was, anyway. I think things went well, don’t you think? No one died,” Aaron said with a wry smile. “Was Afonso pleased?”

-

His less enthusiastic greeting was met with an affronted gasp followed by a pouty bottom lip. She humphed. Lecia didn’t attempt to explain herself. If anyone should have been explaining anything, it was Aaron for saying her name in that tone. He sounded like a grumpy old man. She hoped being engaged to someone who could sometimes be dreadfully intolerable wasn’t starting to rub off on him.

“I already see Maddox today when he is spying.” But the point was taken. She certainly had been courting the risk of running into her half-brother again by lounging around their quarters, and that would have been rather disastrous. She would have been accused of stalking him again or, perhaps, rifling through his things. As if she would. Aaron was the only one with whom she liked to trade accessories.

“If Papai is choosing, he gives only Maddox one thousand awards.” She blew out her lips, and shook her head. “But I think he is enjoys the speeches. He does not tell my grandmother who is Maddox, but I think she knows. But I think it is very boring. We need more music and less talking.”

Lecia reached to take her glass back. Her fingers grasped at empty air. She really did not want to have to get up, but after letting her arm dangle in the air for a few moments, she realized he was not going to give back her glass. She sacrificed a single pillow to throw it at him.

“What you are doing for the rest of tonight, hm?”

[konigarenofgermany]

Lecia’s jab at Maddox for “spying” was surprisingly smoothed over by her admitting that Afonso was, in fact, proud of her half-brother. Aaron hid a smile behind the stolen drink with a sip, only barely pulling the glass away from his face in time to bat the thrown pillow out of the way from hitting him. 

Aaron offered the drink back to Lecia before he sat down on the edge of the bed. So the Cardoza matriarch was unaware of her pirate grandson. It was not Aaron’s place to have an opinion, but he wondered if she would have liked to be proud of Maddox, too. Maybe she did know, after all.

“I agree,” Aaron proclaimed. “They should have consulted us when they were planning. I would have insisted on a dance floor instead of some stuffy banquet. And there is not even an after party. What a waste. Although if I have to have one more serious conversation, I will scream.”

Aaron fell back onto the bed and pressed his palms into his eyes. “I want to be unconscious for the rest of the night. I never want to speak to anyone ever again. Except for you. And Maddox. Mm, and Malle.” It was a short list. He wanted to include his sister, but thinking about her meant thinking about the Russian prince, one of two princes he wished to launch into the sun.

He knew he was being dramatic, but he didn’t care to acknowledge it, or sit up, or open his eyes. He spoke through his hands. “You can stay if you want, but I am just going to watch TV until I fall asleep.”

[keyes-tothecrown]

🍸 for my muse to find your muse behind the bar. (Aaron)

@konigarenofgermany

A red cocktail napkin was placed neatly on the bar in anticipation. He finished his drink and hid the empty glass under the counter. His palms rested on either side of the napkin, drumming his fingers once. Maddox waited until Aaron had taken a spot on the other side of the bar. “What would you like to drink tonight, sir?”

[konigarenofgermany]

Aaron watched the empty glass leave Maddox’s lips before being stowed under the bar, his eyes glancing down at the drumming fingers on either side of a fresh napkin. The king leaned onto the counter with a grin and a tilt of his head. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Maddox Keyes.” An overly sympathetic pout up at the “bartender.” “From international hero to bar service? How the mighty have fallen. I was looking forward to seeing your handsome face all over the news for ages to come. Fame is so fickle.” 

A dramatic sigh and hopeless shake of his head at the fake misfortune. “I will have a scotch on the rocks, bitte.” Aaron propped up his head on his elbow, resting his chin in his hand. His posture relaxed, weight shifting to one side, and while his suit tie had been abandoned a couple of hours go, he finally felt like he could let down his guard and let the rest of the night fade into the background. “And perhaps a kiss for your number one fan? It would make my night.”

[olivia-herzog]

😥 for your muse to receive a troubling text while speaking to mine.

Olivia stopped dead in her tracks. She could see the dirt path leading to the stables clearly in front of her, another five meters or so forward and then a sharp turn to the left. Somewhere nearby the quick notes of Haydn’s Opus 76 carried across the grounds though she couldn’t see where the music was coming from. Finale allegro spiritoso, if she was not mistaken. Those observations paled in comparison to the person walking directly toward her. Blocking her path to the horses.

Eyes widened. She moved hastily to the side to duck behind the nearest pillar. An attempt which was thwarted by misjudging the angle. She ran into it instead. She bumped her elbow against solid stone, and let out a sharp cry of dismay. Then she proceeded to shuffle to the side again. This time she concealing herself behind the pillar. Olivia pressed her back up against it, and fumbled with her phone. Something to make it look like she was occupied, so that when her brother inevitably caught up to her -

“Oh, Aaron. Hi. Hallo. H... Hallo. Bonjour,” she stammered. She had only wanted to visit the horses. “I didn’t... I didn’t see you. Before. I was on my... what a... what a, a beautiful party. Right?”

[konigarenofgermany]

Bored. Mostly restless. And a bit hungry? Aaron wandered the halls of Versailles until gazing at the constant stream of artwork and gilded walls made him dizzy. He found a way outside and through a courtyard to the gardens, half-expecting to run into a certain honoree of the night. Perhaps with the intention of coaxing said honoree back to their room.

Aaron paused on his path through the garden to draw his phone out of his pocket. Nothing new. Well, a text from Heddy, which was part of a string of texts she had been sending for the past fifteen minutes about their mothers getting into a fight, or something. The last person Aaron wanted to think about was Mother right then, so he cleared away the notification and looked up from the screen. Had he just heard something?

Forging onward, Aaron squinted through the darkness toward the direction of the voice to find it belonged to his sister. The curious quirk in his brow dropped. “Hallo, Ollie.” His phone buzzed in his hand. He knew it had to be Heddy’s next novel-like text. “Yes, Versailles has been–” Maddox texted if he knew where Lecia was. He replied: No, why?

“You look lovely,” he said, back in the present. It was a bit odd finding Ollie alone out in the open like this, or at least without her cousin-partner in crime. “What are you getting up to tonight?”

[konigarenofgermany]

☎️ for one of our muses needing help finding a lost (cellphone, earring, watch, or other item). (Malle!)

Aaron quietly thanked the grumpy-seeming assistant man for letting him into Queen Margaret’s quarters. What time was it, anyway? Aaron consulted his watch as he plopped down into a chair in the living space. Oh, scheiss. Midnight? Where had the evening gone?

He jumped back to his feet when Malle appeared. “Hallo, Malle! I am sorry it is so late. But I seem to have lost my partner, and your husband.” Aaron pouted and shrugged a shoulder. “I got lonely, so I came over to see you.”

[infantacardoza]

👀 for catching your muse in/leaving/entering someone else’s room. (Aaron hehe)

Lecia lounged across the bed in the Marie Antoinette suite. This was quite the set up. She had found it somewhat vexing that Papai insisted on staying elsewhere, away from it all. The only redeeming quality of her distant cousins’ home was that it happened to be a bit closer to one other particular guest (who had also chosen to lodge away from the palace). Everyone else got to enjoy all this as well as each other’s extended company.

She rolled over. Careful not to spill her cocktail, but not as careful of the various things strew across the end of the bed. Quite by accident, she kicked off a hat box. Whoops. She’d have to remember to pick that up. At some point. She lifted the glass to her lips at the exact moment the door opened.

“... Aaron!” she cheered.

[konigarenofgermany]

“Lecia,” Aaron said with a hiss. His tone was almost scolding. Why did it feel like he was scolding everyone tonight? But it was for her own good. Sneaking into his and Maddox’s room without telling them was downright reckless. The situation could have been, well, compromising.

Aaron’s annoyance was short-lived. He crossed the room with a smirk, having deducted this was certainly not Lecia’s first cocktail. His hand reached under hers and plucked the glass out of her hand. “Be careful not to spill it on the bed. I’m surprised you did not find Maddox here. I thought he would be tired.” Aaron imagined Lecia would have been disappointed to find her half-brother instead of her best friend.

“It’s a mess in here,” Aaron pointed out the obvious with a dramatic sigh and a sip of the drink. He remained standing in case Lecia tried to grab it back; he wasn’t giving it up so easily. “We were in a rush. Well--I was, anyway. I think things went well, don’t you think? No one died,” Aaron said with a wry smile. “Was Afonso pleased?”

[valkothewolf]

👀 for catching your muse in/leaving/entering someone else’s room. (WHEEZES)

First the doorknob turned. Ancient hinges let out a shrill squeak. The heavy door to the suite that currently hosted a dowager queen pushed open slowly. Just inside the door, a deep voice chuckled. A response to some inaudible quip from further inside the royal chambers. Finally a figure slipped through the door. Valko, his untucked shirt only half buttoned up and his tail coat draped over one arm, appeared in the hall.

Although he wasn’t inclined to blushing, his face did appear a bit red from exertion. He let the door fall shut behind him. Then he looked up, and found himself face to face with Herzog himself. The man, the legend. Without breaking eye contact, Valko lifted both of this hands and greeted Aaron with a pair of pistol fingers.

[valkothewolf]

konigarenofgermany​:

It was close to midnight, but Aaron had no intention of going to bed any time soon. The later it became, the more likely he’d be able to wander around Versailles unhindered by things like security or Angus or people that wanted to talk about boring things. With a bottle of champagne in his hand, Aaron set off to visit Malle since her spouse had absconded with Maddox for a smoke.

Aaron was just about to pass his mother’s quarters when the door opened and Valko stepped out. Aaron stopped in his tracks, frozen. His mind was already losing its sharpness from the late hour and the plethora of drinks. The conclusion he came to was unbelievable, there must have been some mistake–then Valko did that.

The champagne bottle dropped to the floor and without missing a beat, Aaron glared and said: “Ich werde dich töten.”

-

Thud. The bottle cracked down the middle when it hit the floor. A dark spot of liquid began to seep out, spreading across a rug that cost more than some people made in an entire year. Valko’s mouth dropped open. He gestured to the mess. Only an idiot wasted perfectly good champagne, and  proper appreciation of drinks was the one thing he’d always thought he and Herzog were on the same page about. He shook his head sadly.

Clearly something other than a nightcap was on Herzog’s mind.

“Buddy… do you need a hug? You look tense,” said Valko. With a capital T. He stretched his arms out wide, motioning Aaron closer. “Come on, bring it in. I got a hug here with your name on it. You know, I read an article about how every human being needs twelve hugs a day to reach their full potential.”

Herzog’s mom probably had enough hugs to last a while. Did that make Valko some sort of father figure now? Was he meant to teach Herzog everything he knew about life, love, and sports? Maybe. He’d need a drink first.

[konigarenofgermany]

Aaron’s mouth twisted into a hard frown. He felt so irritable, he didn’t care that he’d dropped and wasted an entire bottle of his favorite drink. If spending time combat training with Maddox taught him anything though, it was that he could put some broken glass to use.

He let out a breath and threw his hands up in the air, side stepping Valko’s outstretched arms. “I’m leaving. I’m pretending this never happened. Find someone to clean this up.” It took all of his self control not to shoulder check the prince into the nearest painting. Frankly, he wanted to be as far away from him as humanly possible. Could Aaron launch himself into space?

“I need a drink,” Aaron mumbled as he high-tailed it down the hallway and around the corner.

[valkothewolf]

👀 for catching your muse in/leaving/entering someone else’s room. (WHEEZES)

First the doorknob turned. Ancient hinges let out a shrill squeak. The heavy door to the suite that currently hosted a dowager queen pushed open slowly. Just inside the door, a deep voice chuckled. A response to some inaudible quip from further inside the royal chambers. Finally a figure slipped through the door. Valko, his untucked shirt only half buttoned up and his tail coat draped over one arm, appeared in the hall.

Although he wasn’t inclined to blushing, his face did appear a bit red from exertion. He let the door fall shut behind him. Then he looked up, and found himself face to face with Herzog himself. The man, the legend. Without breaking eye contact, Valko lifted both of this hands and greeted Aaron with a pair of pistol fingers.

[konigarenofgermany]

It was close to midnight, but Aaron had no intention of going to bed any time soon. The later it became, the more likely he’d be able to wander around Versailles unhindered by things like security or Angus or people that wanted to talk about boring things. With a bottle of champagne in his hand, Aaron set off to visit Malle since her spouse had absconded with Maddox for a smoke.

Aaron was just about to pass his mother’s quarters when the door opened and Valko stepped out. Aaron stopped in his tracks, frozen. His mind was already losing its sharpness from the late hour and the plethora of drinks. The conclusion he came to was unbelievable, there must have been some mistake–then Valko did that.

The champagne bottle dropped to the floor and without missing a beat, Aaron glared and said: “Ich werde dich töten.”

[margaretofwales]

👠 Sulking in a hallway, fixing a broken shoe.

Leaving the bathroom, again. In all of her daydreams about pregnancy and building a family of her own, Malle had conveniently skipped over the part where her spine was pulled forward and her organs pushed up and she was kicked -- she winced -- at all hours of the day and night.

At least she wore flats.

Turning down the hallway, she paused. This wasn’t the right way, she was certain,  if only because it was quieter. And yet --

She stepped forward, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light.

“Aaron?” Deep plum silk rustled as she stepped forward, curious at the bent-over form. “Are you all right?”

[konigarenofgermany]

margaretofwales​:

konigarenofgermany​:

It wasn’t a big deal. Not really. But staring down at the enormous scuff on top of his shoes, it was the most hideous thing he’d ever seen. At the worst possible time, too, when he was here to support Maddox who was receiving an award. Now he would have to be seen with a clutzy king that had a giant scuff on his shoe.

Aaron? He jumped at the voice, startled. Aaron straightened up, his body relaxing when he saw who was calling out to him. “Malle.” She was… so… what was a polite word? Far along? Aaron opened his arms and gave her a hug, careful not to pull her too far into the embrace.

“It’s my shoe.” He pointed to the scuff. “I need to change into different shoes, but I do not want to miss anything. But anyway, that’s not important, I have been looking around for you all night.”

“Oh no,” she agreed, dismayed. Her tone may have lacked real emotion; Malle felt too tired for that, most of the time. But she still looked, and nodded, and frowned a bit. Her hands lifted to pat against his shoulders in a quick, half-hug. She hoped she was more tired than she looked.

tsk. She clicked her tongue. “A bit of polish would sort you right out, I think,” Malle’s smile was there, present, tugging at her lips, even if it didn’t reach her eyes. His next words did, though. She tilted her head.

“What for? I’m–” Incredibly late. She almost said; it was all that she could think of. She hadn’t even waited for Madeline to finish steaming her dress before rushing – well, sort of – across the palace grounds. Jacob was around somewhere, she hoped. Likely disgruntled. Malle’s hand rested on his forearm, and she nodded. “Come on. Escort me back. Tell me what you need, and we’ll try to find an attendant for your shoe.”

“Because, you are my friend.” Aaron grinned halfway, omitting the clarification that Malle was one of his few friends, and she didn’t look at him sideways for (some of) his life choices. “And I have something to tell you.”

Shoe polish? Aaron forgot his train of thought, looking down at the scuff on his shoe. Malle was probably right. He nodded and offered his arm to her, ready to walk with her back into the main ballroom. “You’ll be glad to know Jacob has been mingling. He is even being pleasant.”

The swarm of dignitaries and royals and everyone in between was difficult to parse as they came through the doorway. Aaron lifted onto his toes to peer over the crowd in search of the queen’s husband. “There! Found him.” Aaron pointed in the direction of the former pirate. And as if on cue, Aaron’s intern Angus appeared behind them. Perfect.

“I will catch up with you in a bit. Go say hello to your husband.” He pressed his cheek to Malle’s and gave her a brief kiss. “Bye for now.”