Sep 30, 2025
A late night and an expected guest. An illustration based on The King of Attolia, depicting a stolen moment between Eugenides and Irene.
This was a gift for seaofeels in the @hamiathesgiftexchange!
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A late night and an expected guest. An illustration based on The King of Attolia, depicting a stolen moment between Eugenides and Irene.
This was a gift for seaofeels in the @hamiathesgiftexchange!
I've been using these as illustration warmups for the past five weeks
you want REAL enemies to lovers? they're from rival countries who wage war against one another. he steals from her, over and over again. she maims him. she's the reason he has nightmares. she's the only one who can soothe him. calf love that survives amputation. she jokes about poisoning him. he kills for her honour. she lets him do whatever he wants. he kidnaps her so she will marry him. they wear matching embroidery. she cried on their wedding night. he saved her from her fate. she saved him from his fate. he didn't marry her to become king. he became king because he wanted to marry her. they're both just two lonely kids. the gods themselves have been rooting for them.
the queen of attolia is like, what if gods loved you. what if they had plans for you, and they stepped down the earth just for you. what if they knew you better than you do, and even intervened personally to make sure you fail, twice, just so you would become the man you actually needed to be. what if you didn't want them to actually reply to you. what if their regard on your mortal life was a burden too much to bear
"Please," he whispered. His voice was low but clear. "Don't hurt me anymore." Attolia recoiled. Once, as a child, she'd thrown her slipper in a rage and had knocked an amphora of oil from its pedestal. The amphora had been a favorite of hers. It had smashed, and the scent of the hair oil inside had lingered for days. She remembered the scent still, though she didn't know what in the stinking cell had brought it to mind.
Fanart inspired by The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
oh to be verbally destroyed by Attolia Irene
attolia, early in her reign
for Hamiathes' Gift Exchange 2024