Congratulations for this amazing fic "not yours to promise". I loved it
I love that a stormy baratheon is more extreme in love, and that because she is more extreme she cannot see the tiny hints of affection or confusion that valarr might still feel. I love that you described them to us readers, but keeping it mysterious so that we don't know if he is still in love
Even with us having a little more information about valarr, I dreaded their meeting after 3 years, just like your character. I too have felt too aware of someone present in the same building as me, wondering all the time where they are, if it's them that I see in the corner of my eyes.
Just like her when she was wondering when she would see him, I had to reread lots of sentences, partly because english is not my first language, but also because I was too nervous to keep going and was also obsessed with him.
The afternoon tea was so tense and heart-breaking ! But you did not let me be sad for too long, as your character does not like subtlety. I love that she is confident, at least at first, and going after what she wants, that she doesn't give up and will crash into him like a storm.
The riddle reminding him of their memories my heart was so tight reading his reaction and thoughts to it :'(
But then he left ! So obviously I felt awful when lady tyrosh arrived and when he had THE AUDACITY TO GENUINLY LAUGH WITH HER! OooooH!! My heart was tight. I cried real tears with her...
And then you revealed your plotwist my gooood, if it was not chef's kisses I would have been mad to not have seen it coming
Lastly I want to compliment your storm metaphors. I had to copy them :
"You were a Baratheon, and storms never stop to see what they leave behind."
"Storms do not need intent to uproot trees, regardless. They only need to pass close enough. And Valarr, standing in your wake, fell like it was fate-never realizing you had never meant to make him fall at all."
"You were audacious joy given mortal form, as if the gods had carved you from thunder and given you a heartbeat."
"And Valarr learned, in that moment, what it meant to love a storm-and be left standingin the ruin it never meant to cause."
"And if, in the course of that effort, a certain lady from Tyrosh found her future less certain than-gossip promised-
Well. She would just have to accept that certain storms did not retreat simply because someone else wished for clear skies."
You're a poet !! I was happy to collect them during my reading, but I couldn't help remember this exchange between flygoing, chastittie on tumblr.
I'm happy to read this funny and beautiful exchange for free on this site, and I'm happy to have come across your fic and felt every emotion your character felt.
Keep going, I'll be here reading :)
Oh my goodness. First ask of mine and already it has brought me to tears. 🥹
Thank you so, so much for this. You have given me so much inspiration and encouragement from this thoughtful and very, very well-written review, I cannot even begin to express how much this means to me.
Just the thought that you have taken time out of your day to really analyze my work and note what stuck with you and how much it has affected you made my entire week, month, and heck, my entire year. You have a very refined proficiency in writing, it truly does not seem so that English is not your first language! I would like to extend my gratitude for also making an effort to write this in the language, too. I so, so appreciate it!
Reader being more on the “extreme” side of being in love, as you put it, is so very well-put! I loved exploring the multiple facets of this kind of fondness that gives it much depth because, as we all know, it is not a black and white thing. Love makes us do, say, and think the most awful of things, but, as is its own beautiful contradiction, love makes us do, say, and think the most beautiful of things. It makes us sin, it makes us forgive, it makes us hurt, and it lets us grow. And I believe that is what makes it one of the most powerful things we humans created in search of belongingness.
I am so glad you enjoyed the storm metaphors, as well! It was one of the few things I had thought of first, initially, before the entire thing came into fruition. Mostly because the reader being a Baratheon already opens up such possibilities, and what more a Baratheon reader raised by Lyonel himself? Y’know?
And oh my gosh, I have not seen that Tumblr exchange before but that is amazing writing. I am so flattered you thought of that while reading my work!
Thank you again for this wonderful gift (I’ll consider this an early birthday present 😉)! I hope you have many, many pleasant days, weeks, months, and years ahead of you. Stay safe always! All the love 💚