Laurent's Mad Reckless Gambit

(at some point I have to admit that this is no longer just) A Captive Prince sideblog.

[dogsdayilya]

Loyalty (1869)

— by Briton Rivière

Loyalty (2025)

— by Ilya Rozanov

[lucylehane]

"The sex tells the story, so it never felt gratuitous to me. The sex is character development. The sex is what is moving this relationship forward, and watching it change over time."

Jacob Tierney on It's Open With Ilana Glazer

[less3nthedamage]

I finished The Lymond Chronicles today. I started on the journey in 2020, after reading that Lymond had been one of C.S. Pacat's inspirations for Laurent in Captive Prince. At the time, the books were above my reading level, even though I'd been a voracious reader all my life. I enjoyed the first two books, though I struggled through them, and then decided to put the series down for another time. Then late last year, I picked up the third book. I felt I was a far stronger reader. From there until the end of Pawn in Frankincese, everything was a blur, I read it so fast. After the heaviness of the ending, I had to take another break. So two weeks ago, I decided to pick the books back up and again I devoured the last two.

I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I am inmensely relieved about the ending and have little to complain about. I wondered how Dunnett would manage to wrap up so many ideas and somehow she wrapped up most. I'm incredibly happy about where the characters end up, namely Lymond and Philippa, my favorites (separately and together!)

But I still have so much to think about and to say about these characters!

I'm still thinking about Marthe and her true intentions. About Lymond's strange dynamic with the Tsar. About what Kuzúm will grow up thinking about his parents. And I so wish we had gotten a final conversation between Lymond and Kate.

Another big thing for me is the sexual and gender fluidity we see in Lymond, which some readers (particularly older ones) seem to understate, but which was such a big driver in my decision to pick up and stick to the books. The bonds with his men are undeniable but I find myself wondering if he ever truly desires other men, or just recognizes his beauty as a weapon to be wielded against any gender. In any case, he hardly ever seems to have sex for pleasure, which in and of itself is rather interesting, given his reputation. So much to unpack. I think I will write extensively about several of these things.

[laurentsmadrecklessgambit]

This sounds a lot like my journey through these books. I started reading them because they inspired Pacat. It took me years to read Lymond too - I started GoK in 2017/8, and it took me a couple of years to get through Checkmate. Once I got deeper into the series it got easier, both because Dunnett's writing gets more readable and because I got comfortable with not understanding everything. Also, I found the Outlander Book Club on Tapatalk to be quite possibly the best resource for reading Dunnett!

Take some time to digest Lymond and then start Niccòlo! I'm on Lions now.

These books have taken almost a DECADE of my life, and I cannot explain to anyone why I carried on with them when I found them so difficult at first. But, these books are truly unparalleled. Dunnett understands people like no author I've read before or since, and her scenery writing is also a standout.

And she wrote them without Google maps. It boggles the mind!

[evanzbuck]

The Long Game — Chapter Nineteen | insp.

[femmedefandom]

the domesticity of the cottage destroys me. what do you mean that when given the chance these two curl up together in front of the fire, call each other’s names, touch toes while wrapped up in cozy blankets on opposite sides of the couch, tease relentlessly, demand kisses while relaxing lakeside, play football and video game hockey because they can’t live without a little friendly competition, sleep all wrapped up in each other and so deeply, play around like boys, and offer devotion like men.

[eightyonextwentyfour]

[vibrantbloom]

"He's going to worry" is such an underrated moment for showing that Shane knows Ilya's in deep. They haven't taken the leap yet, skirting the edges of whether they're going to do this. But still you have to tell Ilya that Shane's safe, he'll worry.

And woah, does he worry.

[charybdiscreations]

Ok now whatever you do, don't think about Shane trying to learn more about Russian and finding out about diminutive nicknames and calling Ilya "Ilyusha/Ilyushka" for the first time and Ilya fucking folding like cheap laundry. He was already never winning an argument with Shane and those big brown eyes but now he may as well not even try.

[shut-up-gwen]

Ilya: this guy is cute, I should start a stationary bike race so he knows I want to get sweaty together

Ilya: that didn’t quite work. Maybe I should just give him the eye? While I tell him I hope he likes his new city?

Ilya: okay. But surely if I make him drink from my water bottle and brush his fingers when passing it over…?

Ilya: call him pretty. To his face. No way he can miss that

Ilya: desperate measures, I’ll have to tell him I orchestrated this whole ad campaign just so I could see him again

Ilya: WHAT IF I STARTED JERKING OFF IN THESE COMUNAL SHOWERS?

[if-music-be-the-food-of-love]

I will never not laugh at Ilya smacking Shane multiple times during the blow job. Shane shoves Ilya’s hand away and then Ilya goes right back in to smack him on the face again AND THEN he tries to put his fingers in Shane’s mouth and Shane fucking hesitates, thinks about it bc he wants that so bad but then remembers he’s on the phone and shoves Ilya’s fingers away with both regret and frustration.

Peak comedy.

[totallyboatless]

I've talked about this in tags but I need it to be a full post. There's something about Ilya wearing long sleeves here that kills me. I love that Shane is in a cozy hoodie, too, but it doesn't grab my attention as much because he's not dressed that differently from his usual wardrobe.

But Ilya? He's constantly showing off his body whenever he has the chance. This man is allergic to sleeves. He usually rips his shirt off at the first opportunity.

Ilya's usual wardrobe (or sometimes lack thereof lol) reflects the way he views his body as a commodity, like it's the only thing he has to offer, so he's constantly showing it off.

But then we have this beautiful montage showing the ways that Shane and Ilya have slotted into each other's lives in a pretty regular routine. It's a hot montage, but it's also creeping toward a feeling of domesticity, especially in this moment.

Wearing this shirt to a hookup shows that Ilya has reached a new level of comfort with Shane. He doesn't feel the same pressure to play the seduction game. Shane is going to kiss him the same way regardless of what he's wearing.

That plus the fact that Shane is taking control and pushing Ilya against the glass. Ilya's whole demeanor reflects the way he feels comfortable and taken care of in this moment and it does something particular to my heart.

I don't think Ilya is consciously thinking about why he dresses all comfy cozy for this hookup. He still has a while before he internalizes the truth that Shane wants him just as he is. But Ilya also tends to act based on feeling before he fully understands the subconscious behind those actions.

I love this demonstration of instinctual comfort he's feeling with Shane, even if he's not actively realizing it.

[twobabkas]

You like tuna melt?

[academicblorbo]

Can we talk about the way Ilya says "you wear glasses?" because it's just. so soft and lovedrunk and out of breath because obviously Shane with his cute little glasses took his breath away and then we cut to him looking so incredibly smitten

Oh he is so cooked

[whatifitoldyou123]

Safe to say Connie baby's flaber was ghasted

[meetmeintheflowers]

what a lot of people on here don’t seem to understand is that shane is going to outfreak ilya every single time. I’m rewatching ep 1 and five (5) seconds into his very first gay experience ever shane hollander is on his knees hob slobbering. ilya puts his thumb near (near) shane’s mouth and shane is swallowing that thing. like yes ilya has more experience but shane has the vision

[emziess]

Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov Heated Rivalry, S01E06

[shanerozanov]

heated rivalry + text posts // part four.