Dragons and Kings, Witches and Curses, Fear and Love. Despite the odds, four unlikely friends must find their own way in a world that's against them at every turn. A Royality/Analogical fantasy AU by @thegremlinprince and @ironwoman359. Icon by the amazing @fangirltothefullest
Hello all! This blog is not dead! Or aactually, it is….or, rather, it’s going to be soon.
Obviously it’s been a long time since we updated this story, but it’s been quietly living rent free in the back of my mind, and recently, I’ve had the itch to work on it again. However, the lore of sanders sides has changed a fair bit since this venture was started, and Grim has moved on from the ts fandom in general. I’ve realized that what I really want is a chance to do this story over again. And after talking it over with Grim, I’ve decided that’s exactly what I’m going to do!
I’m going to be rewriting the story, starting by editing the first few chapters already posted and re-releasing them on my main blog, @ironwoman359. The meat of the plot won’t change very much, but I’m going to shuffle some of the character roles around and make room for Remus as a fully fledged part of the story. If that’s something you’d like to be tagged in, let me know, and I’ll make a brand new taglist for it!
Eventually I will delete this blog, but if you’re particularly attached to this version of the story, don’t worry, I’m going to leave it as is on AO3, so you can reread it there!
Hello all! This blog is not dead! Or aactually, it is....or, rather, it’s going to be soon.
Obviously it’s been a long time since we updated this story, but it’s been quietly living rent free in the back of my mind, and recently, I’ve had the itch to work on it again. However, the lore of sanders sides has changed a fair bit since this venture was started, and Grim has moved on from the ts fandom in general. I’ve realized that what I really want is a chance to do this story over again. And after talking it over with Grim, I’ve decided that’s exactly what I’m going to do!
I’m going to be rewriting the story, starting by editing the first few chapters already posted and re-releasing them on my main blog, @ironwoman359. The meat of the plot won’t change very much, but I’m going to shuffle some of the character roles around and make room for Remus as a fully fledged part of the story. If that’s something you’d like to be tagged in, let me know, and I’ll make a brand new taglist for it!
Eventually I will delete this blog, but if you’re particularly attached to this version of the story, don’t worry, I’m going to leave it as is on AO3, so you can reread it there!
Summary: In a kingdom where practicing magic is outlawed and mythical creatures are being hunted, one boy is caught in the crossfire between the two sides of the fight. Only an act of pure, selfless love will lift his curse and return his life to normal…but who could ever love a monster like him?
Hey all, I’m officially opening writing commissions! If there’s a story that you’ve always wanted to see come to be, this is your one stop shop to bringing that idea to life! Here’s my writing masterlist if you’d like to see examples of my work.
Fandoms I will write for (a * next to the name signifies I have not written for the fandom before, but I do know the content and characters well):
Sanders Sides
Cartoon Therapy
Markiplier egos
Jacksepticeye egos
Undertale
*Harry Potter
*ATLA
*Stardew Valley
*Star Trek TNG
*Leverage
*Other: message me and we’ll talk about whether or not I can help you!
Content I WILL write:
OCs: If you are willing to give me info on their appearance, personality, quirks, etc., I am more than happy to write a story with your OC in it. If you’d like an OC, I’d appreciate it if you’re willing to have an open dialogue with me while I write so I can ensure that I’m portraying your baby properly.
G/t (for examples of my G/t writing, check out @sanders-sanctuary-au)
Humans are weird/Humans are space orcs
Fae AUs
Pretty much any AU, fantasy, sci-fi, college town, coffee shop, period piece, etc. Talk to me about what you want!
Unsympathetic Sides: Talk to me about your ideas. I reserve the right to decide not to write a u!sides piece that goes too far or makes me uncomfortable, but as a general rule, I’m down to write stories like this.
General violence/mild gore
Mentioned/implied NSFW
Any ship that does not include incest/pedophillia
Character Death
Angst with no happy ending
Content I WILL NOT write:
Extreme gore
Explicit NSFW or smut
Incest/pedophillia
Vore or other fetish fic (even if nonexplicit)
In general, if I decide that a fic will make me too uncomfortable, I reserve the right to deny your commission request. If that happens, you don’t owe a cent, don’t worry!
Pricing (all amounts are in USD):
Payment will be made to my paypal (paypal.me/ironwoman359). My pricing is based on word count, and will be roughly $1 per every 100 words, at a $5 minimum. So if the story is between 100 and 500 words, the price will be locked at $5. After 500 words, the price will go up $1 for every 100 words written. So a 2,000 word story would be $20, a 2,500 word story $25, etc. I will be using rounding to make this easier to calculate, so a 1,450 word story would be $15 but a 1,449 word story would be $14. Feel free to message me if you’re confused on pricing.
When commissioning you’ll have two options with price, either tell me a specific word count you’d like the story to be (for example, “I want a 2,500 word story please), or give me a price range you’re willing to pay (for example: “I’m willing to pay up to $35 for this commission) and I’ll give you the total based on word count when I’m done. For either option, I’ll be asking for $5 up front, to cover my time for outlining/planning, and the rest of the payment will be due when the fic is complete. Unless the work is extremely long, you can expect at least a rough draft within a week of commissioning. If for any reason it ends up taking longer, I’ll be sure to let you know.
If you want to buy a commission, either DM me here on tumblr or email me at [email protected].
If you have a story that you want to see me write, whether it’s an idea you have and want to see brought into the world, a premise you’d like to see my take on, a gift for a friend, or a continuation/elaboration/sequel to any of my existing work, please consider commissioning me! If you don’t want/can’t afford a commission but still want to support me, I also have a ko-fi you can donate to. Have a great day!
Among the real and fake, the imagination and the reality, life can be a guessing game. Some will fly, others will fall, but all we can do is hope for a better tomorrow
Summary: In a kingdom where practicing magic is outlawed and mythical creatures are being hunted, one boy is caught in the crossfire between the two sides of the fight. Only an act of pure, selfless love will lift his curse and return his life to normal…but who could ever love a monster like him?
Chapter Summary: Prince Roman climbs the fabled tower…but what he finds inside is not quite what he was expecting. (alternate summary: Patton and Roman are hopelessly gay)
Warnings: Hopelessness, crying, arguing, mentions of past violence and death.
Pairings: Royality and Analogical
Word Count: 2,447
Song for this chapter: When the Day met the Night
AU Creator: @thegremlinprince
Fic Author: @ironwoman359
Available on AO3 here
Author’s Note: So sorry it’s taken so long to get to this chapter, life has been crazy and other stories have been taking my attention, but I wanted to show that we’re not planning on abandoning this AU, we still want to finish it! I don’t know when the next update will be, but hopefully it won’t be six months this time. Hope you enjoy! -Taylor <3
— — —
Patton awoke to the telltale thumps and scrapes of someone trying to climb up the walls of his tower. Once, he would have been excited at the sound, a spark of hope igniting in his chest and warming him from the inside out. But now, there wasn’t so much as a flickr left inside him, and it was the absence of that spark that hit Patton like a ton of bricks.
He was never going to get out of this tower, no one was ever going to come and save him. A tear rolled down his cheek, but it was not accompanied by the usual stretch of skin and snap of bones. He wasn’t even that sad, he realized as he lay curled up on his bed. He was just empty.
Still, it didn’t matter. The horns curling out of his skull betrayed his true nature. The adventurer outside would reach the top of the tower and discover a monster to be slain.
Among the real and fake, the imagination and the reality, life can be a guessing game. Some will fly, others will fall, but all we can do is hope for a better tomorrow
AAAAAAAA TAYLOR OMG A NEW CHAPTER!!!!!! Patton,,,,, he is babiey,,,,,, I’m glad Roman hugged him near constantly in this bc that’s what *I* wanna do! And yes!!! I’m so glad that owl is Remy’s familiar, maybe Emile?!?!?!! And I know Desmond was just being over dramatic but I appreciated his rant about all the past rulers and their bs policies bc I had somewhat forgotten just how bad things were..... anyways, congrats on a new chapter!!! It’s 11/10 too good for the heart
Thank youuuu! Yeah, Roman basically takes one look at Patton and is all “he is babey I must protect,” he’s so good, they melt my heart. Y’all will properly meet Emile, Logan, Virgil, and everyone soon...in fact, some probably in the next chapter! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 💜 -Iron
Summary: In a kingdom where practicing magic is outlawed and mythical creatures are being hunted, one boy is caught in the crossfire between the two sides of the fight. Only an act of pure, selfless love will lift his curse and return his life to normal…but who could ever love a monster like him?
Chapter Summary: Prince Roman climbs the fabled tower…but what he finds inside is not quite what he was expecting. (alternate summary: Patton and Roman are hopelessly gay)
Warnings: Hopelessness, crying, arguing, mentions of past violence and death.
Pairings: Royality and Analogical
Word Count: 2,447
Song for this chapter: When the Day met the Night
AU Creator: @thegremlinprince
Fic Author: @ironwoman359
Available on AO3 here
Author’s Note: So sorry it’s taken so long to get to this chapter, life has been crazy and other stories have been taking my attention, but I wanted to show that we’re not planning on abandoning this AU, we still want to finish it! I don’t know when the next update will be, but hopefully it won’t be six months this time. Hope you enjoy! -Taylor <3
— — —
Patton awoke to the telltale thumps and scrapes of someone trying to climb up the walls of his tower. Once, he would have been excited at the sound, a spark of hope igniting in his chest and warming him from the inside out. But now, there wasn’t so much as a flickr left inside him, and it was the absence of that spark that hit Patton like a ton of bricks.
He was never going to get out of this tower, no one was ever going to come and save him. A tear rolled down his cheek, but it was not accompanied by the usual stretch of skin and snap of bones. He wasn’t even that sad, he realized as he lay curled up on his bed. He was just empty.
Still, it didn’t matter. The horns curling out of his skull betrayed his true nature. The adventurer outside would reach the top of the tower and discover a monster to be slain.
Summary: In a kingdom where practicing magic is outlawed and mythical creatures are being hunted, one boy is caught in the crossfire between the two sides of the fight. Only an act of pure, selfless love will lift his curse and return his life to normal…but who could ever love a monster like him?
Chapter Summary: Prince Roman climbs the fabled tower…but what he finds inside is not quite what he was expecting. (alternate summary: Patton and Roman are hopelessly gay)
Warnings: Hopelessness, crying, arguing, mentions of past violence and death.
Pairings: Royality and Analogical
Word Count: 2,447
Song for this chapter: When the Day met the Night
AU Creator: @thegremlinprince
Fic Author: @ironwoman359
Available on AO3 here
Author’s Note: So sorry it’s taken so long to get to this chapter, life has been crazy and other stories have been taking my attention, but I wanted to show that we’re not planning on abandoning this AU, we still want to finish it! I don’t know when the next update will be, but hopefully it won’t be six months this time. Hope you enjoy! -Taylor <3
— — —
Patton awoke to the telltale thumps and scrapes of someone trying to climb up the walls of his tower. Once, he would have been excited at the sound, a spark of hope igniting in his chest and warming him from the inside out. But now, there wasn’t so much as a flickr left inside him, and it was the absence of that spark that hit Patton like a ton of bricks.
He was never going to get out of this tower, no one was ever going to come and save him. A tear rolled down his cheek, but it was not accompanied by the usual stretch of skin and snap of bones. He wasn’t even that sad, he realized as he lay curled up on his bed. He was just empty.
Still, it didn’t matter. The horns curling out of his skull betrayed his true nature. The adventurer outside would reach the top of the tower and discover a monster to be slain.
Summary: In a kingdom where practicing magic is outlawed and mythical creatures are being hunted, one boy is caught in the crossfire between the two sides of the fight. Only an act of pure, selfless love will lift his curse and return his life to normal…but who could ever love a monster like him?
Chapter Summary: Prince Roman climbs the fabled tower...but what he finds inside is not quite what he was expecting. (alternate summary: Patton and Roman are hopelessly gay)
Warnings: Hopelessness, crying, arguing, mentions of past violence and death.
Pairings: Royality and Analogical
Word Count: 2,447
Song for this chapter: When the Day met the Night
AU Creator: @thegremlinprince
Fic Author: @ironwoman359
Available on AO3 here
Author’s Note: So sorry it’s taken so long to get to this chapter, life has been crazy and other stories have been taking my attention, but I wanted to show that we’re not planning on abandoning this AU, we still want to finish it! I don’t know when the next update will be, but hopefully it won’t be six months this time. Hope you enjoy! -Taylor <3
--- --- ---
Patton awoke to the telltale thumps and scrapes of someone trying to climb up the walls of his tower. Once, he would have been excited at the sound, a spark of hope igniting in his chest and warming him from the inside out. But now, there wasn’t so much as a flickr left inside him, and it was the absence of that spark that hit Patton like a ton of bricks.
He was never going to get out of this tower, no one was ever going to come and save him. A tear rolled down his cheek, but it was not accompanied by the usual stretch of skin and snap of bones. He wasn’t even that sad, he realized as he lay curled up on his bed. He was just empty.
Still, it didn’t matter. The horns curling out of his skull betrayed his true nature. The adventurer outside would reach the top of the tower and discover a monster to be slain.
Patton just hoped it wouldn’t hurt too much.
------
Roman had to admit, he’d been expecting more of a challenge. Between the mysterious stranger’s cryptic instructions and the warnings from the village elder, he’d approached the Belmont Watchtower with his guard fully up, ready for whatever threat he may have to face. But as he approached the structure, he heard no roars or snarls; as he gazed up at the tower window, he saw no flames or puffs of smoke. The whole place seemed deserted, so Roman did the only thing he could think to do: he started climbing up the tower walls. Maybe he’d gotten lucky and the dragon was away...or maybe this was all part of the creature’s ruse, and Roman was climbing right into a trap.
Nearing the top, Roman braced himself for a surprise attack, running scenario after scenario over and over in his mind. He gripped the windowsill, and in one fluid motion pulled himself into the room, rolled across the floor and drew his sword, eyes scanning for any threat.
But no threat came, no monstrous roar or stream of fire. The room he found himself in was comfortably furnished and obviously lived in, but apparently empty.
No, wait.
There, on the bed, was a slightly shaking, curled up form. Roman approached cautiously, then his eyes widened as he got a proper look at the person.
It was a boy, somewhere around his own age, curled into a ball with his eyes shut tight and tear tracks visible on his freckled cheeks. Though what really caught Roman’s attention was the gnarled horns poking out from his fluffy brown curls.
“What in the world,” Roman breathed in astonishment. He’d seen and fought many a monster in his day, but never had he ever seen anything like this.
“Please,” the boy whispered, opening his eyes and looking up with an expression that Roman could only describe as hopeless. “Just go away.”
“I...what do you mean?” Roman asked. “Where...where’s the dragon?”
The boy didn’t answer, but more tears slipped down his cheeks as Roman slowly approached.
“P-please,” the boy choked out again, curling in tighter on himself. “I...if you’re gonna kill me...just make it quick, please, I…” A tiny sob escaped his throat, and Roman dropped his sword to the ground, easing his way onto the bed.
“Hey...hey, no,” he murmured, hands hovering in uncertainty over the crying figure. “It’s okay, I...I’m not here to kill you.”
“You’re here to slay a monster,” the boy whispered, and Roman’s eyes widened in understanding, flicking to the horns protruding from the boy’s skull.
“You mean...you’re…”
The boy turned away, hiding his face in his pillow.
Roman felt something inside him break at the sight, and carefully, oh so carefully, he reached out and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy flinched at first, but when Roman made no other move, he slowly looked up, meeting the prince's eyes.
"I...I did come here expecting to have to battle a dragon," Roman said, choosing his words carefully so as not to upset the tower's inhabitant further. "But the battle alone was not why I came. I was told that there was someone here in need of saving.”
The boy peeked out at him from behind his pillow, and Roman took that as a sign to continue.
“I swore to protect the people of this land," he said, then put on a princely smile, trying to exude confidence and reassurance with every word he spoke. "You do not strike me as something I would need to protect people from, but rather, someone who needs protecting. Am I right?"
The boy stared up at him in wonder, then tears filled his eyes again. Roman opened his mouth to apologize, but then the boy threw himself forward into Roman's arms, this time sobbing in pure relief. Roman caught the thin boy rather easily, and for several moments no words were spoken between them, as Roman focused on calming the boy shaking in his arms. Eventually though, his sobs quieted and he pulled away, looking somewhat embarrassed.
“I, I’m sorry," he said, wiping at his eyes. “I d-didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I mean, I don’t even know your name, and-”
“Roman,” Roman interrupted. “My name is Roman.”
The boy blinked, then a slow, shy smile crept across his face.
“I’m Patton,” he said softly.
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Patton,” Roman said, and Patton’s smile widened, lighting up his face like sunshine.
Roman found himself staring, struck with the thought that Patton’s face alight with a smile was a sight he would not mind seeing more of. It was the sort of smile that deserved to shine large and bright for the entire world, and yet Roman had a feeling that it had had precious little opportunity to come out in the time Patton had spent in this tower.
“Um, I do hope I’m not being rude,” he began carefully, and Patton tilted his head to the side again, looking for all the world like a curious animal. Roman found he was ridiculously endeared to the sight, and he had to force himself to continue speaking. “But...how did you come to be here, Patton?”
Patton sighed then, wrapping his arms around himself and glancing away towards the window.
“It’s...a bit of a long story,” he admitted, and on an impulse Roman reached forward and took his hand.
“Take as long as you need,” he encouraged, and Patton nodded, his freckled cheeks tinging pink.
“Well...when I was a baby...my parents were monster hunters.”
--- --- ---
Remy had known Desmond for what he liked to consider a long time. Though it had been some years since the two had a relationship that most people would consider to be friendship, Remy still was very familiar with the Dragon Witch’s tendencies.
Which is why it was not all that surprising when Desmond appeared in a puff of smoke in the middle of Remy’s hut, an incredulous look on his face.
“Good afternoon, Desmond,” Remy said smoothly, taking a sip of the hot drink he had just poured himself. “Would you like a cup of something?”
“What on earth are you thinking?” Desmond exclaimed, ignoring Remy’s offer. “You told the prince about him?”
“Your loss really, I think this batch may be one of my best attempts yet.”
“Remy, have you lost your mind?” Desmond demanded.
“God, I hope so.”
“Remy!”
“What, Desmond?” Remy asked, putting down his cup and frowning. “So I directed the prince towards Patton’s tower. What is it to you? You’ve not spoken to the boy in over seven years, and you haven’t had a problem with any of the other times I’ve tried to nudge knights and adventurers out that way. Why does it matter now?”
“It matters,” Desmond growled, “because it’s Roman Phillip Leopold. His family’s the reason we’re in this mess in the first place, or did you forget the day his great-grandfather stood before the world and declared us to be monsters?”
“I did not forget,” Remy said dryly, but Desmond continued as though he hadn’t heard.
“Or when his grandfather sent soldiers to smoke out the coven in the southern forrest? Or when his father-”
“He is no more responsible for the crimes of his family than Patton is for what happened to Joan,” Remy snapped, and Desmond fell silent with a glare. “I know he is King James’s son,” Remy continued with a sigh. “But he also takes a personal interest in the lives of his people, and carries himself with nobility while avoiding arrogance. And he holds high regards for King Thomas’s style of leadership.”
Desmond looked up at the mention of Thomas’s name, but then he sighed.
“Just because the boy has an interest in historical figures doesn’t mean he won’t follow in the footsteps of his father. You risk exposing all of us!”
“Just because he is descended from the ones who have hurt us the most doesn’t mean that he will bring about the same level of destruction!” Remy argued back. “Desmond, imagine what could be if a king like Thomas were to rise to power again! This could be our chance!”
Desmond just shook his head.
“Thomas is dead, Remy, and he left no descendants. I know you wish for the prince to turn out like him, but you’re chasing nothing but a fantasy. He’ll never see us as anything more than monsters.”
“The boy isn’t even of age yet, Desmond, have at least a bit of hope!”
“Hope is for the naive,” Desmond countered. “Someday, you’re going to realize that your precious hope is misplaced, but by then it will be too late for you to save yourself.”
A cloud of smoke rose up around him, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Remy sighed, then snapped his fingers with a bright spark of magic. A moment later, a large barn owl swooped in through the window and landed on a perch sitting in the corner of the hut.
“I’m worried about Desmond,” Remy said to the bird, picking up his hot drink again. “I think he’s planning something, and whatever it is can’t be good. I want you to follow the prince…but try not to be seen, I think Des’s familiar is tailing him as well. Can you do that for me?”
The owl lowered his head and fluffed up his feathers, and Remy smiled.
“Thank you...pretty bird.”
The owl squawked indignantly, and Remy laughed.
“If you didn’t want me to start calling you that, you shouldn’t have told me that’s what he calls you. It’s too perfect.” Another squawk, and Remy shook his head. “Okay, okay, whatever you say. Have fun.”
The owl gave a hoot and then he was gone, flying out into the woods to find his charge. Remy watched him go, then took a long drag from his mug.
“Okay, mister Prince Roman Phillip Leopold,” he muttered to himself. “You’d better prove me right here.”
--- --- ---
Patton gripped the edge of the windowsill and took a deep breath. His stomach was churning with nerves, and try as he might, he couldn’t get his heart to stop pounding. He closed his eyes, and took a few more deep breaths, trying desperately to calm down.
“Patton?”
His eyes flew open and he caught Roman’s gaze. They were a bright, captivating green, and they shone with concern as he regarded Patton carefully.
“Are you sure about this? If you’re not comfortable, then we can-”
“No,” Patton said quickly, shaking his head. “No, I...I want to. I just...am a little nervous, that’s all.”
Roman smiled at him, warm and sincere, and Patton felt some of his tension drain away beneath that smile.
“It’s gonna be okay,” Roman said, and Patton found himself believing him.
“Okay,” he whispered, and after one more deep breath, he smiled up at Roman. “I’m ready.”
“Hold on tight,” Roman said, snaking one arm around Patton’s waist.
Patton wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck and held his breath as Roman grabbed hold of the rope they’d tied to the hook where a pulley system had once brought Patton his meals. In one swift, smooth motion, Roman stepped to the outside of the windowsill. Patton was unable to bite back a gasp, and he squeezed his eyes shut, tightening his grip around Roman’s neck.
“I’ve got you,” Roman murmured, and then they were going down, down, down as Roman carefully rappelled them down the side of the tower.
Patton kept his eyes firmly closed, even after he felt the downward motion stop and Roman lowered his feet onto solid ground.
“You can let go now,” Roman said, a smile audible in his voice, but Patton shook his head.
“What if…” He felt his voice waver, and he swallowed. “What if this is just a dream?” he asked. “And when let go and open my eyes you’ll be gone and I’ll be-” his breath caught in his throat, and he could feel a swell of magic in his gut start to bubble up.
“Hey,” Roman murmured, and a warm hand pressed up against Patton’s cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, okay? I’m here, and I’m real, I promise. You don’t have to let go.”
Patton slowly, ever so slowly blinked open his eyes, and Roman grinned at him.
“There we go! See? We’re both still here, everything’s fine. We’re okay.”
Patton carefully looked around, his breath catching in his throat again as he took in the meadow around them. He released his grip on Roman and took one step forward, then stopped and just stared, still hardly able to believe that this was real.
“Patton?” Roman asked, coming up beside him, and Patton turned to him.
Roman’s face twisted in alarm, and Patton was distantly aware that there were tears on his cheeks again, but he didn’t wipe them away, choosing instead to fling himself back into Roman’s arms.
“Thank you,” he cried into Roman’s chest as strong arms wrapped themselves around him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”
His words dissolved into more incoherent sobbing, but Roman didn’t seem to mind. He just held Patton closer and gently rocked him back and forth, murmuring the occasional reassurance. Patton wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, but eventually he pulled back to meet Roman’s eyes again. Roman smiled down at him, and Patton felt a blush creeping onto his face.
“Thank you,” he whispered again, and Roman brushed a lock of hair away from Patton’s face with another dazzling smile.
“It was my pleasure, Patton.”
--- --- ---
AU Creator: @thegremlinprince
Other fics by @ironwoman359
A REMINDER - THERE IS NO TAGLIST FOR THIS FIC. If you’d like to stay updated with this AU, follow the @paws-and-claws-au sideblog!
Surprise, I’m not dead! I’m trying to get a lot of writing done today and I decided one of the things I wanted to work on was this AU, and since I already had the first half of the next chapter mostly done, i’m hoping to finish the second half sometime today! Wish me luck!
Surprise, I’m not dead! I’m trying to get a lot of writing done today and I decided one of the things I wanted to work on was this AU, and since I already had the first half of the next chapter mostly done, i’m hoping to finish the second half sometime today! Wish me luck!
