𝐊𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐙𝐍𝐈.

 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙾𝙻𝙵 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙰𝚅𝙴𝚂.

[scarredking]

*    𝒁𝑶𝒀𝑨

there’s a wave of awkwardness between them that she wishes would ease up, through zoya tries to ignore the twinge in her chest as he speaks so nonchalantly at the notion of having to marry another - foolish hope had leaked into her bloodstream last night, her mind fights against it all, it’s a losing battle. she knows that no matter their feelings, ravka came first for them both and nothing could change that.    ❛   well they don’t want you for your ever so charming personality.   ❜    one corner of her mouth twitches upward playfully.

zoya sits down on an empty corner of his desk, hands moving down to rest flat at thighs in attempt to quieten the nagging urge to reach out to him.    ❛   you look like you need a break, nikolai.   ❜    glancing over the cluttered desk for a moment then back to him, she doesn’t even realise that she’s curling a lock of his hair back into place until it was too late to pull away.

𝐒𝐇𝐄  𝐅𝐈𝐓𝐒  𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅  𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐎  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐊  𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇  𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇  𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄  𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐄𝐀- se  and  he  thinks  about  how  easy  it  would  be  to  reach  out  to  her.  instead,  he  laces  his  fingers  together as  she  speaks.  the  mention  of  his  possible  brides  causes  a  wave  of  mild  panic  to  wash  over  him.  and  i  don’t  want  them,  is  what  he  doesn’t  say.  he  knows  who  he  wants,  and  he  knows  he  can’t  have  that  ;  won’t  have  that.

‘  i  like  to  think  my  personality  is  quite  high  on  the  charming  scale.  but,  yes,  dear  zoya.  they  simply  want  me  for  my  riches  and  title,  i know  that.  ’  the  words  are  followed  by  a  theatrical  sigh,  which  is  cut  short  when  she  reaches  out  to  brush  a  finger  through  his  hair.  her  touch  is  light  and  oh  so  familiar  that  he  instinctively  leans  into  it.  ‘  are  you  implying  that  i  look  overworked  ?  when  do  kings  ever  take  breaks  ?   ’   he  ponders  aloud.  ‘  you  are  probably  right.  as  always.  but  what  about  you  ?   when  does  the  commander  of  the  second  army  take  a  break  ?  ’

[shadowandbonedaily]

“He was a king who had only begun to make mistakes. He was a solider for whom the war would never be over. He was a bastard left alone in the woods. And he was not afraid to die this day.”

- King of Scars by @lbardugo

[ffahey]

[ NIKOLAI LANTSOV ] nikolai had been told that hope was dangerous, had been warned of it many times. but he’d never believed that. hope was the wind that came from nowhere to fill your sails and carry you home.

[scarredking]

i still have to write up a google doc but ugh

[scarredking]

*            𝒁𝑶𝒀𝑨.

falling into the usual routine is easy, duty before anything else, a worthy distraction that kept both thoughts and heart away from yearning for something that had no chance of a future. nikolai needed to marry for ravka, and ravka would never allow someone like her to be queen - their feelings had no say on the subject. at the very least, she’d stay by side as his commander and friend. that was more than enough for her. 

there’s no avoiding him, zoya’s sure if she tried to keep away that it’d end up as gossip too and she’d rather not have to hear those types of whispers today.    ❛    you made an impression last night.    ❜    not bothering to knock, ignoring the way her entire body seems to hurt at the sight of him. arms fold under her chest as she walks to hs desk and leans one hip into the wood, her manner colder than she wanted it to be, but there was little room for warmth without her heart betraying her foolishly.    ❛    princesses practically begging for your hand.    ❜    

𝐒𝐇𝐄  𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌  𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐃  𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒  𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐎- lai immediately  looks  up  from  the  blueprints  spread  across  his  desk.  for  a  moment  it  feels  as  though  every  bit  of  oxygen  is  pulled  from  his  lungs.  he  brushes  it  off,  straightens  his  back  and  pushes  the  blueprints  aside.  when  she  speaks,  the  corners  of  his  mouth  lift  upward.  that  is,  until  he  realizes  she’s  talking  about  his  possible  suitors.

what  did  he  expect  ?  for  her  to  drape  herself  across  his  desk  and  kiss  him  sweetly  ?   her  absence  this  morning  made  it  clear  that  whatever transpired  the  previous  night  was  a  one  time  thing.  his  half  smile  fades  away  almost  instantly  as  he  rubs  a  gloved  hand  over  his  chin.  nikolai  arches  a  single  brow,  not  bothering  to  feign  interest  as  he  leans  back  into  his  chair.   ‘  did  i  now  ?  seems  like  i  did  something  right  then.  ’  he  says.  ‘  and  i  wasn’t  even  trying.  almost  makes  you  think  they  only  want  me  for  my  dashing  good  looks.  ’

[scarredking]

*         𝒁𝑶𝒀𝑨.

the night before washes down the drain, no longer could she feel the warmth of his hands against skin - although there’s dark marks at hips making it harder for zoya to pretend that nothing was worth remembering. luckily those reminders are hidden safely under uniform, a secret only the two knew of. every glance in the mirror causes her to wince slightly, as hair in pinned up she tries not to notice the obvious pain in eyes and forces herself to stop feeling, refuses to allow mind to drift and acknowledge the bitter guilt that won’t budge at the fact she left nikolai to wake up alone as if he was just another person. 

instead of the usual routine, zoya decides to skip getting breakfast and finds herself returning to outside the ballroom, ignoring the loud whispers of the palace staff. she breathes in the cold morning air with a smile, forearms leaning on the balcony as eyes watch the city begins to stir from its slumber. a sight that’d never get old. her love for ravka undeniable. 

𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐄  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑  𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐈𝐋,  𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐈  𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘  𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒  𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎  𝐇𝐈𝐒   routine.  perhaps  it’s  something  that  had  been  ingrained  into  his  consciousness  from  a  very  young  age.  ravkan  princes  weren’t  allowed  to  by  swept  up  by  their  emotions.  ravkan  princes  were  supposed  to  nod  and  smile.  they  did  not  show  weakness.  (  at  least  that’s  what  his  father  had  called  it  ).  that  same  mentality  was  adopted  into  the  army,  and  on  the  seas.  whatever  emotional  turmoil  nikolai  experienced,  as  nikolai  or  as  sturmhond,  he  buried  it.  concealed  it  behind  a  false  sense  of  bravado  and  cocky  smile.  at  some  point,  it  becomes  a  force  of  habit.

it’s  certainly  not  the  first  time  he  has  spent  a  night  with  someone,  with  no  intention  of  pursuing  any  kind  of  relationship,  but  deep  down  nikolai  knows  that  zoya  isn’t  just  someone.  she  has  never  been  just  someone.  even  before  last  night  ;  she  had  been  his  trustworthy  commander.  his  friend.  and  part  of  him  hopes  he  hasn’t  jeopardized  that. he  pushes  those  thoughts  aside  momentarily  when  he  slips  behind  his  desk  ;  ready  to  start  a  day  filled  with  meetings  and  more  meetings.

[strmhnd]

“Ravka is grateful for your service,“ Sturmhond said as they turned to go. “And so is the crown.“ He waved once. In the late afternoon light, with the sun behind him, he looked less like a privateer and more like … but that was just silly.

[carstairsjames]

@sixofcrowsnet heist: objects foxes & nikolai lantsov

“again, the girl dreamed of ships, but this time, they flew. they had white wings made of canvas, and a clever-eyed fox stood behind the wheel. sometimes the fox became a prince who kissed her lips and offered her a jeweled crown.”

[mormonnt]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

      And in that moment of victory… It’s when I heard it. One ship was trying to escape through the smoke. And there, in the crow’s nest, there was this young pirate boy. He stood there, looking like… a little bird. And from that day he earned himself a name that would haunt me for the rest of my days. Jack de “Sparrow”. This boy. This boy was mocking my power. So I chased him… Knowing that I would run, my knife along his neck, and when he was dead, I would finish finally with pirates’ life. He took everything from me and filled me with… rage. And pain. And he is where the tale ends. 

[lifeinpoetry]

She was the missing kingdom, the unbruised part of myself

Donna Tartt, from The Goldfinch (via lifeinpoetry)

[summoneryuna]

Favorite costumes of Catherine’s from Ekaterina Season 2

[burnsbabblebooks]

king of scars summary

[scarredking]

me doing the bare minimum at coming up with a modern verse for nikolai: modern ravka is allies with modern genovia

[scarredking]

if ANY personal blog reblogs that promo im sniping on sight

[scarredking]

𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊   𝖒𝖊   𝖒𝖞   𝖗𝖔𝖇𝖊‚  put   on   my   crown;   i   have   immortal  longings   in  me.  |    ind.    nikolai   lantsov    from    the   grisha   trilogy    &    king   of    scars.  est.   sep   ‘17   &   written   by   cj.

[randomlyrj]

Caliban Looking Cute in Yellow.

[sanktaleksander-archive]

Stop punishing yourself for being someone with a heart. You cannot protect yourself from suffering. To live is to grieve. You are not protecting yourself by shutting yourself off from the world. You are limiting yourself.