#post broken throne

[lucy-the-cat]

Brighter Days Ahead

a Mare and Maven webweave

No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre / War Storm by Victoria Aveyard / Broken Throne by Victoria Aveyard ( @vaveyard )/Twilight Zone by Ariana Grande / @ball-of-butter's(Yan's) Maven analysis

[lilyharvord]

Too Sweet

“Thief.” I remark with a hint surprise as she finally stops struggling. It’s too dark for me to see her features fully, but I can make out the outline of tousled loose curls framing a thin but round face. She’s small, barely coming up to my shoulder. She could truly be a young girl. I almost jeer at the thought, is this what they are resulting to around here? Sending children out to steal? She blinks, and by the light of the stars, those lashes flash over sombre brown eyes. She doesn’t protest when she scoffs at my accusation. “Obviously.”

Hello I am back and I have a fic for you all (: Available here on AO3 (:

[imjulia-andilikecats]

Kilorn Warren: Post-Broken Throne

[lucy-the-cat]

if Maven found Mare and Cals kid? like he got into their house or something and found their toddler

Leaving it alone is out of the question, but I actually don't think Maven would murder a child if it were Mare's, even if it were also Cal's. He'd take it for ransom and blackmailing purposes, and if enough time passed, raising it as his heir just to spite them.

[lilyharvord]

*Me listening to Would You Fall in Love with Me Again on the Ithaca saga just knowing my brain is going to Marecal AU territory and I’m taking all of you down with me.* 😌🎶🎶😈🎶🎶😌

[lilyharvord]

Hi! Long time fan here. Since COVID era actually. 😅 I was looking back at your posts and I noticed that Project Nightshade was never published or snippeted.

I wondering if you’re going to publish it or if you’re willing to post what would have happened. No pressure, just wondering. Hope everything is going well. Also wondering how your novel went? Is it available to purchase?

Here's some snippets from Project Nightshade (: There not much but it's honest work. (:

The blood drained for Mare’s face, and for a moment, her legs almost gave out. If she was being called by Evangeline this early in the morning with a summons from the Premier, then it was serious. Serious enough that it could be Lakelands pushing the line like they feared they would do for the past week, or it could be Piedmont had decided they actually did want to question the State’s sovereignty and the States’ alliance with Montfort. Her heart pounded a little faster at the fact that this could be a military summons, and that was far more likely if she and Cal were both being summoned. She would take the Lakelands any day over Piedmont. With the slow teetering of their country into chaos thanks to Farley’s constant pressure with the Guard, they were running deep into their Treasury. They wouldn’t be able to afford a full scale assault like Piedmont that could drag on for another year or two, or three. 

Mare shuddered at the thought. Deep in her mind’s eye, she saw her daughter’s face aging in those years. She could almost feel the sickening sink of her stomach that would cut through her when she returned from that fight and saw her daughter waiting for her patiently on the tarmac, those years haunting her eyes.

If it were that, Evangeline would have lead with it though. Forcing a blanket of calm so she didn’t scare Coriane, Mare pursed her lips at her own quick swing toward fear. 

“Radis is on his way out the door. He is leaving office today, and Carmen is being sworn in this afternoon.” Mare grumbled, finally crouching down to help Coriane balance the glass while she drank. “He doesn’t give me orders anymore.” She strokes her daughters hair for extra measure, watching her throat bob as she drank deeply. It soothed any of few ruffled feathers she still had. She wasn’t going anywhere, Coriane was still young. She wasn’t missing her daughter’s life. It felt like a battle to admit that, almost a half lie. 

You and I are good liars. 

She shuddered at the memory of that voice. It had been a long time since Maven had whispered in her ear, but sometimes, she still heard him, felt his fingers brushing her hair off her cheek or clenching her fingers like she was a life line and could pull him back from the edge. It had been so long since she’d heard his voice though, so long since she had been stressed enough to let his ghost in through the gaps in her armor—

----------

“We are not alone anymore.” He finally said, and the council chamber exploded in surprised and confused murmurs. Mare leaned forward to glance at Evangeline at the tail of Radis words. Her words from earlier floated through the haze: it’s impossible for such a thing. 

Julian stood, his skin pale as he flushed with either anger at being excluded from this development or some other emotion. “We have no evidence that there is anyone beyond our continent that survived the devastation. As far as we are concerned the sea swallowed whatever might be left.” 

Radis dipped his head in understanding, his eyes flashing in the light as he replied. “We were wrong. A radio transmission was intercepted this morning proving everything we once knew false.” 

In the resulting silence, Mare heard the faint rumble of far off thunder. A storm was about to hit Ascendant. She could feel the lightning taking shape in those clouds, felt the change in the air the same way she did when she climbed up Storm Peak for training. It was still miles away, but she clenched her hands into fists to avoid the sparks that wanted to take shape between her fingers. Cal’s hands tightened on her shoulders in response, and she knew the hairs on his arms were standing on end as she channeled that energy through her like a glorified lightning rod. 

Radis turned and nodded to a young man no one had noticed lurking in the shadows of the doorway. All eyes turned to him, and he straightened to his full, dimunitive height before stepping forward with a box. A recording device, Mare realized, her lips drawing into a tight frown. 

Holding it out to Radis, he dipped his head as the Premier pressed one thin, pale finger on the playback button. Static punched through the silence of the chamber, only to be followed by a faint buzzing and then a two tone beep. 

Cal leaned forward to hear better and the wave of heat he released washed over Mare like a hot breeze, and stirred Coriane awake. She blinked open sleepy eyes, and glanced around in confusion at her surroundings as the recording played and changed everything. 

----------

Her heart pounded in her ears but she forced her voice to remain even as she said, “And what does that mean for you?” 

“The message asked for a Calore king. I’m not a king.” Cal shrugs, but his eyes were burning and Mare knew now what that meant. 

“He wants you to go.” 

“To keep things cordial.” The words were carefully chosen, and probably not what he actually wanted to say, or what Quinn had said. “He doesn’t want to piss off a country that we know nothing about by sending a delegate that they didn’t ask for.” 

“That’s not right.” Mare insisted as she pulled away from his grip, her annoyance manifesting in the bulb above their heads whining. Cal didn’t even react to it, years with her teaching him the nuances of her ability now and that if she wanted to shatter the bulb, she would. 

He sank back to sit on the cycle, his hands falling between his knees while he turned his attention to the rain outside. “What do you want me to do? Ignore a direct order?”

“Was it a direct order?” Mare grumbled as she craned her neck and tried to find Coriane. Her daughter had been strangely quiet for too long. She couldn’t see her, and that worried her until she saw a faint flash of amber eyes in the darkness. Expelling a sigh through her nose, Mare called to the shadows, “Don’t eavesdrop Coriane.” 

Her daughter’s mass of curls proceeded her as she sheepishly poked her head out from behind the shelves. “Are you going to fight?” 

“No love, we’re not.” Cal said with a faint smile as he held his hand out in a quiet invitation of her to stop lurking in the shadows. She scurried to him with a clean rag, and he took in gratefully before saying, “We were having a conversation.” 

Coriane’s eyes sought Mare for confirmation, and she got it in the form of a terse nod. “We were talking. If mommy and daddy were fighting you would know.” She smiled faintly at the implication of her comment and crouched down to move Coriane’s wet hair out of her eyes. Cal’s hand found Mare’s shoulder and squeezed gently to get her attention.

She glanced up at him, and then followed his eyes to a figure that moved beyond the window. Mare yanked Coriane into her arms and stood so quickly, she staggered for a second. There was another door out of the garage, a failsafe Cal had built just in case. Neither of them liked to be in a place with only one entrance and exit anymore. 

The door into the garage opened slowly though, and a young solider stepped through. His eyes found them in the corner and he clicked his heels together before saluting smartly. “General Calore, Captain Barrow.” 

Cal rose slowly, wiping his hands with a frown while Mare set Coriane back on her feet. The girl clung to Mare’s leg in response and eyed the man warily like her parents. The soldiers nodded and moved aside as Radis stepped through the doorway, brushing water off his dark coat. He glanced around the space before raising a brow at the organized chaos on the shelves and the little table at the side.

“Apologizes, but I called ahead and no one answered.” 

Mare’s lips drew into a deep frown. If he’d done that, it had been while he was probably sitting outside their house, because the phone had not rung that morning. 

“What do you want Radis?” Cal’s voice was dangerous, a warning in and of itself as he edges around Mare and Coraine to set the rag down on the table. He slid something off the table then, and Mare realized belatedly that he had taken his bracelets off and left them there. 

The older man smirked at the atmosphere in the room, comfortable even in the presence of two people who very easily could remove him if they felt threatened. Tilting his head to the side, he said, “Premier Radis, General. I hold the title for another hour.” 

“That’s a second politically and you know it.” Mare replied coolly, setting a hand on Coriane’s head as she eyed the two soldiers standing outside the door with their rifles strapped across their shoulders and in their hands. They were the new models, the ones that Kilorn told her had a faster clip. As if we have any reason to make the bullets move out of that monstrosity faster, her friend had spit to remove the taste of those words before draining the last of his beer. She had agreed with him. “Did you need a small army to come talk to us?” 

“That answer depends on how you react to what I propose.” Radis stepped into the space before glancing down at Coriane as if he just noticed her. She edged further behind Mare, and glanced up at her with a creased brow that Mare smoother out with her thumb gently.

[lilyharvord]

Not a question, but as a recent follower GOD your red queen ideas inspire me so much to write like I actually have a draft of a fanfic based on your (potential) harbor bay fic. I read one of your marecal fanfics before I go to bed every night it's become a tradition for me now please please please if you ever have the time and motivation please write another fic for these two losers (no pressure at all though your fics just scratch the right part of my brain)

AW I'm so glad to hear that my writing inspired that feeling in someone (: Those two losers mean the world to me, and it sounds like they are for you too!

I haven't had a lot of time for writing lately, but the Harbor Bay fanfic idea has lived rent free in my head and after watching Arcane, I'm now obsessed with the songs The Line and Ma Meilleure Ennemie for these two..... so stay tuned cause I also really really want to write the Dinner scene (or at least the lead up to it) from Cal's POV (I'm still married to the idea that Carmadon and him speak before anyone else it there and there is a lot of insinuating and winking and subtle nudging. No one choses to abdicated their kingdom so easily without a couple peoples words ringing in their ears).

[lilyharvord]

RQ Week 2 Flash Fic Friday

... a scene taken from a series of scenes for a fic I wil probably never write.... Bonswa my loves, I have returned (: @nortaeventcouncil. For RQ flash fic fridays (prompt 1 secrets)

“Would you have given them to me?”

            Mare glanced up at him with wary eyes, hearing the way his voice betrayed the nonchalance with which he asked his question. Somehow, she knew he would ask her at some point. It had really just been a matter of when for weeks now. Being at the cabin always seemed to loosen lips, and now was no different. The last thing she wants to do was open this can with him though. She had already suffered his presence from the moment it arrived, and all she wanted to do was stay in the tranquility of this moment for as long as she could.

            “Given you what?”

            His cheek twitched at her avoidance, but his eyes softened at the edges. Glancing away, he stared out the frosted window at the viciously falling snow. On the back of the plush chair, his fingers curled into claws on the blanket draped there. The storm had come violently midday and had stayed well into the night. Travel was impossible, leaving was impossible. She felt like a fish trapped in a tank with a shark.

            “Would you have… given me children?”

            Mare’s hand stilled on Coriane’s curls, and she had to forcibly keep herself from possessively wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer. The question wasn’t directed at Coriane at all, but something about the idea of it made Mare’s hackles rise. He hadn’t made any overt threats toward Coriane yet, at least none that Mare knew of. Maybe her threat had worked that first night, or maybe he had been telling the truth when he told he that he had nothing against her daughter. Given the past, the former had to be true.

            Slowly she returned to stroking Coriane’s damp hair, and considered her as she did so. Fresh from a warm bath, she dozed peacefully. The firelight bathed her in orange and red; the perfect colors for her palette. For half a second, she imagined her with different features, the more angular ones that used to haunt every one of Mare’s nightmares. She imagined her with blue eyes instead of mellow amber. Something in her stomach clenched tightly at the fact that she could not picture her daughter laughing with those blue eyes. She swallowed subtly before saying the only thing she could.

            “They never would have been ours. They would have been your mother’s.”

            His exhales whistles through his teeth, telling her she hit the nerve that has always made him curl in on himself.

            “That’s not true.”

            “Look at me and say that. Look at me and tell me that you really think I would have been allowed to raise them, that she would have let me.” She stared him down across the space, her hand stilling on Coraine’s head again before slowly guiding her closer. She wouldn’t be able to fit in her lap much longer, but it was the only way Mare felt like she could keep her close right this second.  

            He raised his chin at her, those icy blue eyes practically glowing in the low light of the dying fire. His cheek twitched again, and he curled his fingers into a tighter ball on the blanket.

            “I would have made her stay away from them.”

            Mare couldn’t help but laugh. The movement and sound made Coriane shift, and curl tighter against her. Cutting the sound off harshly to avoid waking her, Mare shook her head in exasperation. The least he could have done was say something believable. “You would have tried,” she admitted quietly, when Coriane had sighed and relaxed again. “And you would have failed.”

            His entire being went still as stone, and Mare felt the undulating waves of heat he tried to contain wash over her as softly as the waves on the lake shore. She watched him tear his eyes away from her, and gnaw on the inside of his cheek for a moment. The odd kinetic stillness she remembered settled over him as he began to tap a finger against his knee. Slowly he molded himself back into the blasé image he had been maintaining up until this conversation.

“You think I wouldn’t have loved them.”

            There wasn’t a hint of a question in his words, and Mare pursed her lips at the accusation. A part of her wanted to keep twisting the knife deeper, to inflict the pain she had always been able to with him. The other part, the one that had grown out of the bitter, resentful girl she had been stayed the blow, and ultimately won out.

            “I think, she wouldn’t have let you love them. Or me.” She added the last part quietly, but it still struck home like a blow.

            His finger started tapping again, and even in the low light she could see the nail was bit to the quick. The others were probably no better, so she didn’t bother looking at them. Before it had been easy to just remember the man who had been on the other side of cell bars taunting her and pulling at old wounds. It had been easy to remember the manic energy in his eyes when she had chased him down in Whitefire. Potentially facing the young man he had been underneath all that made her shiver. Her eyes slowly fell, and she dropped her voice to a whisper as she said, “There are no more secrets, not anymore.”

            “No more secrets.” He echoed the words mockingly under his breath before rising and slipping back into the shadows of the house. The fire popped loudly in the grate, the only residue of his emotions, while the wind howled outside and thunder rumbled faintly.