#starcrowmc

[wulvercazz]

⭐Unexpected Cuddle Partner🐦‍⬛

Xavier and Sylus end up cuddling together after MC decides to sneak away💕 Inspired by Pinterest photos being a fun ref resource and the fact that I personally am not a great cuddle partner because I get overwhelmed, overheated and overstimulated fAST so,,, I can see my MC not happy to be squeezed between them for too long🤭

[shukillz]

the water is warm…how cute

[azure-nevermore]

𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

𝐚𝐨𝟑 ✦ 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐜 (18+ content ahead!!!) || arranged marriage AU w/ eventual polyamory and smut

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: You are the newest lady of House Li, married to a man twice your age who seems reluctant to even look at you after a wedding night fueled by desire and aphrodisiacs. As new players enter the stage, you learn more about your husband's past and find love…in more places than one.

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: this thunderstorm better not knock out the wifi before i finish formatting this. anyways enjoy lord xia getting what's coming to him

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: misogyny, violence, abuse

You were utterly livid.

Fists clenched, you stormed down the hallway towards the chambers your parents had been lodging in, ready to kick the door down if you needed to. With the amount of adrenaline running through your system, you probably could kick down the door, despite how big and heavy it probably was.

Though your parents went through great lengths to hide it, you had always been neglected as a child. Plain and simple. Your parents had always been much more focused on each other than they had been on you, and you'd grown up knowing that in your soul. It was almost like they forgot you existed sometimes. If your half-brother, Caleb, hadn't been there, who knows what would have happened to you.

Given the circumstances, Caleb should never have liked you. You were the child of the woman his father'd had an affair with, after all. Despite it all, he stepped up and practically raised you, making sure you stayed safe, fed, clothed, and happy as you could be. He wouldn't ever say it out loud, but the whole reason he entered the military in the first place was because you needed a dowry good enough to attract a man that he deemed "suitable".

You briefly wondered what Caleb would think about all of this. He'd never been a big fan of your parents, but he always tried to outwardly respect them for appearances' sake, even if he was dying to knock them down a peg on the inside. Something like this would probably end up in him beating up your father. (You kind of wanted to see that.)

Reaching the door, you abandoned all sense of propriety and started to bang your fist against the wood. "Father! Open up, I know you're in there!"

Your parents hadn't even bothered to leave their room since the night of your wedding, as far as you knew. They generally didn't leave the house when you were at home unless your mother was off to a party or your father was off to gamble, so this wasn't surprising, but it did disgust you that they would make such a poor impression.

You could hear stumbling and cursing behind the door before it swung open, your father coming into view.

"What's the matter?" he slurred, a deep flush visible on his face. Great. He was drunk.

You were filled with even more rage, somehow. "I need to talk to you. Right now."

"Can't it wait? Your mother and I—"

"I don't care," you interrupted, forcing your way into the room and shoving him aside.

"Ugh. So inconsiderate."

That statement struck a nerve, so you whirled around and pointed your finger right in his face. "I know what you did."

Lord Xia gave you a confused look. "What? Be more specific, girl, I don't—"

"What happened on my wedding night," you elaborated. "The drugs. The bribing. I know that you did something to the contract, too. All of it."

His face paled briefly, before turning even redder with rage. "How dare you accuse your father like this! I—"

"Don't bother arguing with me. I don't want to fucking hear it." You jabbed your finger into his chest, voice steadily getting louder. "How dare you drug your own damn daughter? All for, what, more gambling money? More wine?"

"Listen, girl—"

"No. No, I will not listen. Have you ever considered me to be a human being? You and Mother never cared about me, I know that much, but have you ever spared a passing thought to how I feel about things?" You were getting close to screaming now, and you briefly wondered if anyone could hear, but you shoved that thought away. "Half the time, Caleb had to skip meals to make sure I got fed while you were off doing Astra knows what. And now, you marry me off to a stranger, drug both of us, and humiliate me by not even bothering to make sure I have proper clothes to wear. Do you ever fucking think, Father? Does it not occur to you what people think about us?"

Lord Xia cursed, reaching out to grab you, but you sidestepped and let him stumble into a wardrobe.

"You're out here, gambling Caleb's inheritance away and letting me be humiliated in front of my husband. It makes you look fucking pathetic, you piece of utter shit!" You wanted to kick him as he struggled to get up, but you held back in case someone happened to be watching. "I wish I was never your daughter!"

Your father staggered to his feet and lunged for you, managing to grab you by the fabric of your dress and drag you closer to him.

"You useless girl," he hissed in your face, breath stinking of alcohol and words slurring together. "I provide for you for 20 years, and this is the thanks I get? I even got you a rich husband. You should be prostrating yourself on the ground and begging for my forgiveness."

"Should I thank you for neglecting me as a child? I don't fucking thing so!" You tried to squirm out of his grip, but he, surprisingly, managed to hold on to you.

"I did not neglect you. I did what any father would have done!"

"Let their son raise their daughter? Let their daughter get taken advantage of?"

"Listen to me," he yelled at you, making your ears ring. "I own you. I own your womb. If that man wants heirs, he better be paying me every damn time you pop out a brat for him. Daughters are worth nothing more than how many children they produce for their husbands and how much money they make for their fathers."

"You disgust me!" you screamed back, trying to writhe out of his grip. You didn't want to tear your dress, but if that was what it took to get away, you were fine with that.

In response, your father raised his fist, poised to bring it down on you. You froze, fear flooding your body as your eyes went wide.

He was going to hit you, and you were going to have to take it. Caleb wasn't around to be his punching bag this time.

"Unhand her."

A hand grabbed your father's wrist and wrenched it back, and your father went with it, letting go as he stumbled backwards.

Your husband stood there, glaring down at your father, a look of what you could only describe as pure rage on his face. "Care to explain what you were about to do, Lord Xia?"

Lord Xia had a panicked look on his face as he spluttered. "Lord Li! I—I was just—my daughter insulted me, you see, and I—"

"I could hear everything." Lord Zayne's tone was icy. "It seems like you were insulting your daughter instead. Try to convince me otherwise."

"My daughter refused to show me the respect I am owed as her father, and I am within my rights to discipline my property."

Your husband's eyes narrowed. "Your property? She is a human being, my lord."

"You know what I mean!" your father protested.

"I most certainly do not." His eyes narrowed as his grip tightened. "Besides, under Alorian law, my wife is under my dominion. You do understand that I could press charges if you had hit her, correct?"

A hand settled on your shoulder, and you turned to see Lord Qin standing there, expression grave. "Get behind me," he said softly, and you obeyed, peeking out from behind him.

"I must say, I am truly appalled by the behavior you've exhibited thus far, Lord Xia. It was horrible enough that you altered our contract in your favor, but drugging me and my wife is a level of despicable that I didn't dare think you capable of. Does your daughter mean so little to you that you would allow her to be violated by a man twice her age?"

"Who cares if she was raped?" your father burst out, trying to struggle free from Lord Zayne's grip. "We need the money! I'm letting you knock her up, so the least you could do is—"

His words were cut off as Lord Zayne's fist made contact with his face. A sickening crack sounded through the room, and you gasped as his knuckles came back painted crimson with blood, a new sense of dread hitting you. You froze with the intensity of it, heart racing uncomfortably.

"Get out of my castle," Lord Zayne hissed. "Immediately."

Seemingly asking to get punched, your father responded with, "I won't! You owe me that much, my lo—"

Lord Zayne swung again, sending Lord Xia to the floor this time, before seizing the fabric of his shirt and hauling him up. "You have no right to make demands of me. I will decimate you."

He raised his fist again, but Lord Qin grabbed your arm and started to pull you out of the room. "You don't want to see this, my lady. Trust me."

You let Lord Qin lead you out of the room and through the halls until you reached your room. He gently pushed your shoulders down until you took a seat on the bed, letting him wrap you in a blanket as you blinked, staring ahead.

"Are you alright?" he asked, tone gentle and voice quiet.

You opened your mouth to respond, but no sound came out.

"Did he hurt you?"

You shook your head, twisting your hands together in your lap.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to deal with that." Lord Qin took a seat next to you, placing a hand on your back. Somewhere in your mind, you recognized that you were shaking. "Don't worry. We won't let that happen again."

You don't know how long the two of you sat in silence until Lord Zayne appeared in the doorway, smears of blood on his shirt.

"My lady," he said softly, crossing the room so he could drop to his knees in front of you. He reached out to take your hands, but you shook your head once you saw the dried blood on his hands.

"I'm so, so sorry. I should not have lost control in front of you." Your husband's voice was barely above a whisper, eyes full of concern. "You should not have had to witness that."

"It's okay," you whispered back. In a strange way, it was somewhat….gratifying to watch your father recieve his comeuppance, now that some time had passed.

"If you would rather wait, I would completely understand, but I would like to have a talk with you, if possible." Lord Zayne settled for gingerly placing his hands on your knees. "What do you think?"

You felt so, so tired, but there was also a part of you that yearned to finally let all of the pent-up hurt inside of you out, and there was a look of desperation on your husband's face that practically begged you to agree.

"That's fine."

"I'll go, then," Lord Qin said, getting up and sending you a final glance as he left the two of you alone.

← 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 ✦ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 →

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 (𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧!)

@colonelkaboom @calebsfavoriteusedthong @dreamerofthewest @ellavelysworld @fand0mkatbrainrot @uvediedofdysentry

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ♥︎

[nevers109]

Sapphic LADS Week Day 4

Prompt: Fairy Tale

Summary: Your dragon whisked you away from an arranged royal marriage. Your betrothed, thinking you were kidnapped, tirelessly searched for you. (ao3) (fic masterlist)

Notes: Fem!Dragon!Sylus x Princess!Reader x Transfem!Princess!Xavier, mentions of homophobia & transphobia, royalty AU. 3.1k words.

For the sake of keeping on schedule with the prompts, I kept this a oneshot, but I might expand upon it and make it a multichapter one day! In the meantime if you want more femSylus, check out my fic masterlist for the other Sapphic LADS Week prompt fics!

It had been almost six months since you were swept away by your dragon.

You were the princess of the Kingdom Linkon, raised in a gilded cage of luxury and wealth and restriction.

Years of lessons and balls, masquerading as making you a strong leader, and they all went down the drain in just one night.

The exact details of the start of the night were hazy. After all these months away and the hectic events of that fateful evening, what exactly went down was now a blur of fear and anger.

A meeting with your father, King Dimitri, and the king and prince of Philos, the nation to the west. You’d been told it was to be a trade discussion. You’d met the Philosian royals many times over the years. You’d spent several balls and galas enjoying Prince Xavier’s company, finding solace in his down-to-earth attitude that was rare among royals.

But the meeting was more a trap than anything.

You were told- not asked, but told- that you were to marry Prince Xavier. You were appalled, and the prince refused to meet your gaze, staring defectedly at the floor. He’d looked awful, tired and distraught, but you didn’t have time to see to him.

You didn’t think. You didn’t hesitate. You just turned and ran for your chambers, the skirts of your dress billowing behind you.

Your father knew you would hate the idea. You’d come out to him not long ago, revealing that you longed for a wife, not a husband. It wasn’t unheard of in this day and age, but you’d feared what your old-fashioned father and his court would think.

He’d lied to you, said he would take this into consideration. And then he’d turned and promised you to a prince.

A prince you did enjoy the company of, but you couldn’t imagine becoming his wife, and being forced to bear his children as a princess married to a prince would be expected to.

Once inside, you shoved a dresser in front of the doors to your bedchambers, knowing it wouldn’t be long before your father sent the royal guard after you. But you knew you didn’t need to buy too much time.

See, King Dimitri knew you would be upset.

But he didn’t know about your dragon.

You sprinted across your bedroom and threw open the glass doors that led out onto your balcony.

“Sylus!”

Your voice rang out in the cool night air. For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, there was the beating of wings, and a hulking figure dropped onto the balcony rail in front of you.

Only a gem, red veins, and black scales covered her chest. Black horns twisted up from her silvery white hair, and dark wings fanned out to either side of her body. Her red eyes focused on you and you could see her pupils dilate.

“My princess,” she cooed, but her smile quickly faded when she saw the look of distress on your face. “What’s wrong?”

“My father,” you gasped, panting from your frantic escape. “He’s betrothed me- Prince of Philos- I can’t do it, Sylus!”

Sylus’s features hardened and she carefully rested a clawed hand on your cheek.

“You won’t need to,” she promised.

With a deafening crash, your dresser was sent hurling to the side, and several knights in armor rushed into your bedchambers, following by your father and Prince Xavier.

“A dragon!” King Dimitri shouted. “Kill it!”

Sylus growled and her tail wove around your waist, tugging you up and into her arms.

“Hold on,” Sylus murmured, cradling you close and falling backward off the balcony, her wings catching the air.

The last you saw of the castle was Xavier rushing to the edge of the balcony, leaning over the railing and looking on in horror as you were swept away by the dragon. You felt bad for giving him such a scare. There were worse people to spend your life with.

But you longed for love, and you loved your dragon.

She flew you the entire night, heading east to the Taurus mountain range where she lived.

The next six months were the happiest of your life.

It was an adjustment, to be sure. There were things and people you missed. You were used to a very different lifestyle.

But it didn’t take much to adjust to living with Sylus.

You’d known her for years. One night, when you’d felt particularly adventurous and dangerously rebellious, you’d taken one of the horses from the palace stables and rode out into the woods bordering the kingdom’s capital. Alone and armed with nothing but a sword you were still learning to use, you’d wanted to view a projected meteor shower from a lake you knew of.

When you arrived, you’d sat down along the shore, staring at the sky in wonder. You didn’t notice the figure behind you until her claws were at your throat.

At first, you’d been scared. But you calmly spoke to the dragon and explained that you meant no harm, and it was terribly rude of her to bother someone while they were clearly stargazing. Astonished at your attitude, and (you found this out much later) bewitched by your beauty, Sylus spent the entire night with you, watching the sky.

Ever since, she’d made a point to visit you on your balcony. Sometimes she would stay in the area and spend time with you every night. Sometimes she was gone for months at a time. It didn’t matter- you fell, and you fell hard.

It broke your heart to know you couldn’t marry her, but you’d long since decided that if you could at least marry a tolerable woman with whom you could be content with, you would be fine if your time with Sylus was limited to stolen moments.

None of that mattered now, though. You had settled into dragon life pretty well, if you did say so yourself.

Your days were spent reading, painting, singing, learning instruments. You basked in Sylus’s treasures as her hoard’s crown jewel, not the crown of a kingdom that didn’t care about you.

You hunted with your dragon, teaching her new ways to cook. You traveled with her through the mountains, dancing through fields and weaving flower crowns that, according to you, complimented her horns very well.

This life was never what you expected for yourself, but it was an incredible blessing, and you didn’t waste a day.

Well, today was a bit wasted.

Sylus was gone, out for a long hunting trip. While she was gone, you wanted to rearrange her cave’s entryway. She had a habit of dropping smaller treasures as soon as she flew in so she could embrace you when she returned home. There were coins and gems littered about. Then you wanted to finish touching up the instrument area, because you’d been neglecting some of the smaller instruments in favor of the organ you and Sylus had managed to haul in a few weeks ago.

Instead, you’d lounged. All day. You were draped across a velvet couch among piles of gold, eagerly awaiting your dragon’s return. You missed her terribly. You’d spent the morning adorning yourself in all her favorite jewelry and wrapping yourself in a maroon silk robe that almost shimmered in the golden torchlight.

Then you’d done nothing. It was a horribly lazy day, the kind that would have gotten you in a world of trouble in the castle. But you knew when Sylus returned, she would revel in your freedom to do nothing with your time.

Speaking of, you could hear rocks shifting outside, and then- footsteps! Your dragon was home!

You hummed happily and shifted on the couch, positioning yourself in what you hoped would be an invitation to spend the rest of the day enjoying your dragon’s company.

“Down here!” you called, your summons echoing against the stone walls of the cave.

The footsteps grew louder and more hurried. You wondered what Sylus had brought back. Anything would be fine, so long as she was with it. Your heart thrummed with excitement as a figure rounded the corner into the cave, and-

“Prince Xavier?!” you cried out, scrambling off the couch and to your feet, wrapping the robe tighter around your body.

For it was not your dragon standing before you, but Xavier, brandishing a sword and decorated with white, black, and purple armor decorated with Philos’s symbol of yellow stars. His hair had grown longer- it looked like he hadn’t cut it once in the six months since you last saw him. His blue eyes were framed by faint dark circles, but they lit up like the north star when they landed on you.

Xavier rushed toward you, looking like he wanted to embrace you, but he held himself back. His shoulders sagged with relief.

“You’re alive,” he breathed. His lips trembled slightly. “I knew you were alive. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” you assured, reaching forward and taking one of Xavier’s hands in your own. His gaze fell to the floor. “You looked exhausted. Are you injured?”

“Nothing major, only some scrapes,” Xavier replied carefully, his bangs hiding his eyes from you. “I’ve been traveling since a week after you were taken. At first, your father sent the royal guard, but it was obvious a single person would be able to move faster. And the people on the outskirts of Linkon are less than pleased with the king’s rule. I was able to get more information.”

Guilt washed over you. Xavier had been traveling for months, desperately hoping to rescue you without even knowing if you were alive. All the while, you were safe and sound, living your life to the best now that you were free from the crown. You didn’t regret leaving at all, but you wished you’d been able to let Xavier know what was really happening before you fled.

“I’m sorry I left like I did. I’ve known Sylus- my dragon- for years. There was no time, I just… I couldn't risk my father forcing me to stay,” you explained softly. “A marriage to you would not be so awful. I don’t want you to think I left because it was you. But having a husband, and the responsibilities that would come with him- bearing children, continuing the royal line, forever being seen as an accessory to him… I couldn’t do it.”

Xavier nodded, finally meeting your gaze. You sighed with relief when you saw no anger there, only quiet understanding.

“Then you’re not in need of rescuing at all,” Xavier concluded with a wistful smile. “You do look livelier, and you seem safe and happy. If you wish to continue living here, of course I would not try to force you to return.”

You smiled up at Xavier, finally releasing his hand.

“Thank you. You were always so kind to me, Prince Xavier.”

The softness in Xavier’s eyes faltered. A small smile morphed into a small frown, and you tilted your head.

“What is it?” you asked quietly, nervousness starting to press at your chest. Xavier suddenly looked more serious than you had ever seen.

“If I am to leave you to the dragon, I want you to know me for who I am,” Xavier began, taking a small step backward. “For the longest time, I didn’t know why, but I didn’t feel like a prince at all.”

Your nervousness faded, and you were pretty sure you realized where this was going, but you didn’t interrupt.

“I am a woman,” Xavier said, back straightening. “I’ve known for quite some time, but I didn’t want to tell you and make it seem as if I was trying to coerce you into a partnership. I know you’re not the kind of person to mistreat me if you knew.”

You smiled and took one of Xavier’s hands again, rubbing your thumb on the back of her hand.

“But I’m sure the King of Philos is,” you said softly, and Xavier winced and nodded. “What a secret to have kept for so long. I’m sorry you felt the need to- I never would have thought you were trying to coerce me. Thank you for telling me, Xa- would you still like to be called Xavier?”

Xavier’s cheeks flushed pink and she nodded.

“I would, I believe. It is the name given to me by my mother. I’ve grown rather fond of it.”

“Princess Xavier it is, then,” you declared. Your smile faded again, though, at the thought of Xavier returning to Philos. “It’s awful to imagine you having to return to be someone you’re not.”

Xavier tightened her grip on your hand.

“I’m not sure I can-”

A deafening roar suddenly shook the cave. A few clouds of dust fell from the ceiling. The blood instantly drained from your face. In all the excitement and emotion in your reunion with Xavier, you’d completely forgotten that your dragon was due back any minute.

You didn’t have time to warn Xavier or try to placate Sylus. In an instant, a figure burst into the cave. A long black tail wrapped around your waist and yanked you back behind Sylus. Dark leathery wings spread out and blocked most of your view, but you could see Sylus grab Xavier by the neck and slam her to the ground. Xavier’s sword fell to the ground with a loud clatter, and Sylus kicked it away.

“How dare you touch her?” Sylus roared. You frantically grabbed at her tail to try to free yourself.

“Sylus! Stop!” you cried, gasping as you writhed in her hold. “She wasn’t here to hurt me, listen!”

Sylus snapped one of her wings in close to her back, turning and looking at you over one muscular shoulder. Her scarlet eyes were slitted, and she was baring her sharp teeth. You could now see Xavier on the stone ground. Sylus’s legs straddled her, and the dragon had one clawed hand around Xavier’s neck. Xavier was clawing at Sylus’s forearm for freedom, but luckily she seemed able to breathe, and you didn’t see any blood.

“Sylus,” you pleaded, petting at her tail. “Put me down. Let her go. Let me explain.”

Sylus’s back was shaking from how deep her breaths were, but after a few moments, her breathing smoothed out. She nodded slowly, relaxing her tail and letting you slide out of her hold. Sylus released Xavier’s throat and got off her, stepping back and allowing the Philosian to stand.

“Thank you,” you sighed, stepping to Sylus’s side.

Her clothes and skin had blood and dirt on them from her hunt, but you still reached forward, resting your hand on the red gem glittering at the center of her chest until her breathing returned to normal and her pupils somewhat dilated.

“Why is he here?” Sylus spat, firing a glare at Xavier.

“She has come all this way thinking I was in danger,” you explained calmly. “When I told her I left willingly, and that I was safe and happy here, she promised she wouldn’t try to force me to return.”

Xavier straightened her back, facing Sylus head-on. Your eyes widened with surprise. You’d seen more powerful beings crumple under the weight of your dragon’s presence.

“I swear I speak the truth,” Xavier said evenly. “My only concern was for her safety. And seeing that she is clearly safe and happy with you, I would never try to take her away.”

Sylus tilted her head, her silvery white hair shifting and practically shimmering in the cave’s torchlight. You tensed, knowing what was about to happen. You didn’t doubt Xavier a bit, but it would probably still be uncomfortable.

“Let’s see about that,” Sylus drawled.

Her right eye flashed red, and a shiver ran down Xavier’s body. Her blue eyes went wide and her frame stiffened. After a few moments, Sylus blinked, and the glow faded from her eye. Xavier gasped and hunched forward, taking deep breaths. You raised an eyebrow as Xavier’s face reddened.

Sylus’s lips curved into a sly smile, showing off her canines.

“How interesting, princess,” Sylus said, sounding genuinely intrigued.

You looked back and forth between the two in confusion. You knew of Sylus’s ability to read others’ desires, but you couldn’t imagine what would have garnered this kind of reaction.

Sylus turned back to you, looking over you more carefully for the first time since she returned. She ran a hand down your arm, feeling the soft silk of your robe, before pulling away.

“Very well. I’ll prepare my catch. It seems we have a guest for dinner.”

--------

The following winter was one of the coldest in recent history.

Blizzards relentlessly assaulted the mountains and surrounding countryside. Snow and ice made going outdoors dangerous. Attempting to travel meant certain death.

Luckily, you had no need to leave the dragon’s cave.

Sylus had prepared well for this cold season, of course. You had plenty of food. Her extensive hoard left much to be done to avoid boredom, from playing music to simply sorting through the endless treasures.

Your favorite activity, though, was cuddle time.

Sylus slowed down significantly in the cold weather. She didn’t hibernate, but she grew lethargic and was much more willing to lay among the luxurious fabrics she’d collected over the years and conserve her warmth.

The newest addition to her hoard only enabled the habit further.

Xavier, who was not a dragon in any sense, loved napping more than your sleepy dragon. She practically had a sixth sense for when you or Sylus started to feel tired. Before you knew it, all three of you would be piled together, limbs tangled and hearts content.

You were in such a situation now. Sylus was beneath you, one arm cradling you close to her right side, and another cradling Xavier close to her left. You could feel her soft, rumbling snores in your chest as you braided Xavier’s hair. It had grown quickly since she first arrived at the cave, and she wasn’t always the best at taking care of it. You had a feeling that was purposeful, so she would have an excuse to have you brush and braid it.

Xavier was on her stomach, her face resting on Sylus’s chest, sound asleep as well. When you looked over at her and saw the peaceful expression on her face, your heart swelled with joy.

When you finished her braid, you tied it off and carefully set it down, turning in Sylus’s hold to cuddle in closer to your princess and your dragon.

Relaxed, safe, and happy, you let your eyes drift shut, and you joined your lovers in peaceful sleep.

[gemstonerose]

Xavier and Motorcycles (StarCrowMc)

StarCrowMc but it’s passenger princess Xavier who chooses not to drive a motorcycle but loves riding with his partners. At first it was a good way to get in a quick nap. Then it just became more convenient since Sylus and Mc are good at finding escape routes that they’re certain the bike will fit through without second guessing themselves. And then Xavier just became content with it all. And yeah, Sylus and Mc have tried to get Xavier to learn how to drive one. Sylus has a specific motorcycle reserved for Xavier’s use only, but he’s never touched it outside of maintenance. And neither can figure out why.

There are a few reasons. Firstly, they’re hot. Xavier loves seeing them so in-tuned with the bike. Like it was an extension of themselves. Sexy as fuck.

Secondly, it gives him an excuse to touch them. Xavier loves having his hands on his partners (in more ways than one 😉) this is just another bonus.

Thirdly, as mentioned before, it’s a free nap.

Fourth, it’s very easy to tease them. Especially Sylus whose ears turn a bright red when Xavier decides to pepper little kisses to the back of his neck.

Sylus and Mc have seen Xavier drive a motorcycle ONCE. Crazy deal gone sideways, gunfire everywhere, and there came Xavier sword in hand on Sylus’ bike slashing through enemies just to get to them. They were never the same since and Xavier had to call out of work the next morning.

[glass-rosenheart]

SYLUS IN PHILOS CONFIRMED HOLY STARCROW BATMAN

HIS MYTH3 IS EVERYTHING I NEEDED IT TO BE OUUUU

[azure-nevermore]

𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫: 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝐚𝐨𝟑 ✦ 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐜 (18+ content ahead!!!) || arranged marriage AU w/ eventual polyamory and smut

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: You are the newest lady of House Li, married to a man twice your age who seems reluctant to even look at you after a wedding night fueled by desire and aphrodisiacs. As new players enter the stage, you learn more about your husband's past and find love…in more places than one.

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: going from posting chapter 13 on ao3 to chapter 4 on tumblr is pretty funny!!!

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: mentions of rape and suicide

Lord Qin came to Castle Li a few days later, taking up residence in a little corner room at the far end of the hallway that you and Zayne's bedrooms were located in. You didn't see him often, save for when the three of you dined together or when you'd cross paths in the hallway. He moved almost like a ghost, always disappearing into dark rooms or closed doorways, which you supposed was fitting for a former spy.

If you were being honest, you were…strangely drawn to him. He was much more approachable than your husband, who still seemed to be avoiding you to an extent, and generally much more amenable to conversation. There was somewhat of a mysterious aura about him, too, but one that made you feel like you could learn all his secrets if you approached him just right.

You really wanted to learn his secrets.

Thing was, the man was seemingly always off to go do something, but you had no idea what he was actually doing. What kind of business required him to go talk to the kitchen staff? Hadn't Lord Zayne said he was helping your father? There was definitely something going on, but it was being hidden from you. Deliberately.

You had tried to ask your husband about it the night after Lord Qin moved in, but he rebuffed you, saying that it wasn't anything you'd find interesting enough to be involved in. (The joke was on him—not being forthcoming about it made it interesting on principle.)

Fate was smiling on you one evening, though, because you managed to catch Lord Qin in the drawing room after dinner.

You didn't even mean to track him down; he was just there, sipping on a glass of wine and leafing through a book. His profile was illuminated by the glow from the fire, and you stood there for a moment, admiring the picture before you. Astra, was he handsome. (Maybe not more than your husband, but they were certainly comparable in looks, you thought.)

After a minute or so, he looked up and saw you standing in the doorway like a creep, a smile forming on his face.

"Oh, the little lady has decided to visit me?" He closed his book, setting it aside and holding a beckoning hand out to you. "Come join me."

You moved as if on instinct, settling down next to him on the divan (a respectable distance away, of course.)

"Someone's been curious about me," he mused, resting his head on his fist.

You paled, averting your gaze in embarassment. "You knew?"

"It was obvious, sweetie." There was laughter in his voice. "Tell me. What are you curious about? I'm sure Zayne gave you the bare minimum in terms of information, as he's prone to do."

His gaze made you feel a little bit like you were being pinned down by a predator, but you continued anyways. "He told me you were a spy. Does that count?"

"Just that? What an oversimplication of my accomplishments." He sighed, sounding long-suffering. "Yes, I used to be a spy for His Majesty. His best spy, in fact."

It sounded like he was going to tell you more, so you leaned forward a little and scooted closer. "His best spy? Tell me more."

"I started when I was…what, 22? 23? Not much older than you are now," he began, with a bit of a wistful smile. "Ah, I'm just a year older than our dear Zayne, in case you weren't aware."

You nodded, leaning in closer.

"I have a gift for making people trust me, you see. A very good quality for a spy. So, I went abroad to Philos."

At the mention of Philos, you stiffened a little. Philos was your country's enemy; details of new atrocities committed by the ruling elite ran almost daily in every newspaper across your home country of Alore.

"I started out in the military there. Just poking around, sending what info I could back here. I helped prevent a few battles here and there," he explained. "But my big break came when I'd been there for almost a decade."

You were hooked, now, scooting closer again.

"I got offered a promotion. A big one, mind you, one that would put me in league with some of the most important people in the Philosian government."

"And you took it?" you asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" He took a sip of wine before offering the glass to you. "Some wine, my lady?"

Shyly, you took the glass, raising it to your lips as he continued.

"I knew everyone. I even met their king once or twice." He smiled again, one full of warmth. "And, of course, I met my husband."

His husband?

"You're married, Lord Qin?" you blurted out, unable to help yourself.

"I am," he replied, chuckling. "My husband is Xavier Shen, the owner of the Uluru Inn in town. He is…well, it's hard to put it into words, but he's one of the most wonderful men in the world. I adore him."

The fact that Lord Qin was married was, somehow, now more interesting to you than him being a former spy in an enemy country. "Tell me about him."

"We met at a ball," he sighed, almost longingly. "I saw him across the ballroom and just knew, deep in my soul, that we were meant to be."

"How romantic!" You were squealing internally, but you couldn't let him see that—that was unladylike.

"I always know when I'm meant to be with someone." He looked at you, and you could see a hint of something in his gaze, but he started to talk again before you could dwell on it. "He was from a very well-off family, and his family didn't approve, of course, but we continued anyways. The thing is, I was discovered."

You let out a gasp, hand flying to your mouth.

"I ended up faking my own death to get away, but Xavier begged me to take me with him. He was always unhappy in Philos, and he couldn't stand being there without me. So, I faked his death, too. A lover's suicide."

"How'd you end up here, then?" you asked, curious, as you took another drink of wine.

"His Majesty let me choose where I wanted to settle, and I knew Zayne was here, so I took the manor in town and moved in." He thought for a second. "Zayne and I….we have history. I've known him since before you were born."

You'd struck gold with this conversation, somehow. "Really? He doesn't seem to like you very much."

"Zayne is a…complicated man, so to speak. I think he'd prefer it if he never saw me again, but I know that he'd destroy himself if I wasn't around, so unfortunately for him, he's not getting rid of me anytime soon." There was a strange look of longing in his eyes, but you couldn't understand why. "He will always be my….my dearest friend."

"Oh." There was, clearly, something going on between the two of them, but it felt wrong to press. You continued nursing your wine glass.

"He used to be a priest, you know," Lord Qin offered, almost in consolation.

"Oh?" Priests didn't usually leave the priesthood, to your knowledge, so you wanted to know more.

Thankfully, he provided. "He entered at age 15. That's the whole reason we know each other—we were in the capital at the same time." He let out another sigh. "This stays between us, but I wish he'd never become a priest."

You opened your mouth to ask why, but Lord Qin continued before you could speak.

"Anyways. He left when his older brother, William, died defending the border and House Li needed an heir. They're lucky the Church let him leave."

"…I see." You went to take another sip of wine, but it was empty, you realized with a start.

"Need more?" he asked, teasing, before taking the bottle and pouring you more. "Here."

"Thank you."

"Tell me, little lady. How do you like it here?" He looked at you intently, a soft smile on his face.

"Well," you sighed, suddenly feeling a little warm, "the castle is nice. It's a little cold here, though."

"And your husband?"

You took another swig of your drink. "I don't think he likes me."

"How so?"

"He keeps avoiding me!" you protested, speech a little slurred. "I think he's really handsome, and I want him to like me, but he's not helping!!"

"How cute," Sylus mused.

"I just want to…to…." You racked your brain for the most polite way to possibly bring harm to the most infuriating man you knew. "I just wanna scratch him."

"Scratch him?"

"Yeah! With my nails." Thinking this was maybe the best idea you'd ever come up with, you nodded before taking another sip.

"Like a kitten?" Lord Qin laughed, a mirthful smile on his face. "Actually, that's fitting for you. I should call you Lady Kitten."

"That's mean. I'm not a kitten," you pouted.

"But you're cute like one," he countered, reaching to tuck some of your hair behind your hair. "My pretty little Lady Kitten."

"What is the meaning of this?"

You both looked over to find Zayne standing in the doorway, clearly upset about something.

"Good evening, Zayne. Me and Lady Kitten were getting to know each other a little better." Lord Qin, as always, seemed unphased by Zayne's sudden appearance.

"You couldn't get to know her without alcohol being involved?" Frowning, Zayne crossed the room, moving to help you stand. "Come on, my lady, let's get you to your room."

You slurred a goodnight to Lord Qin before following Zayne towards your rooms. At one point, you tripped over your own feet, and he scooped you up into his arms and carried you the rest of the way, despite your protests.

You did scratch him, just for your own self-satisfaction.

Sylus entered Zayne's study the next evening, leaving the door a crack open behind him as he crossed the room.

Sitting behind the desk, Zayne looked up, closing the book he'd been leafing through. Four thin, reddened lines crossed one cheek, and Sylus grinned.

"She really scratched you? What a fiesty kitten."

"Please don't refer to my wife like that," Zayne responded, tone flat. "But, yes. She did scratch me."

"I can do what I want."

Zayne let out a sigh, then, clearly tired of Sylus' antics. "Fine. What brings you here?"

"Well, I have something you'll be very interested in, my dear Lord." With that, he pulled a vial out of his pocket and set it on the desk.

"What is this?"

"The drug they used on you and the lady."

Zayne froze, staring at the vial like he wished he could will it out of existance.

"It's called Rose Kiss. Very rare, very hard to get."

"And?" Zayne urged, balling his hands into fists.

"The standard dose is a no more than five drops for an entire barrel of liquid. The servant that drugged you poured the entire vial into the barrel of cider that was used for the two of you that night."

The vial was the size of Zayne's hand when he reached out to pick it up, turning it over in his hands.

"You and the lady were given ten—no, probably fifteen times the normal dose," Sylus continued, voice serious. "Lady Kitten might have even gotten close to twenty times the dosage. The fact that you were able to hold yourself back at all is a feat of extreme strength, Zayne."

"That doesn't excuse my actions," Zayne hissed back, clearly angry at someone—perhaps himself, perhaps someone else.

"I'm not saying it does. I'm saying it provides an explanation." Sylus shook his head, knowing that it was useless to continue. "It also seems like your little hunch on the culprit was correct."

"Lord Xia?"

Sylus nodded. "The servant was bribed by Lord Xia himself. I have no idea where the man got the money from, but that's an entirely different story."

Zayne set the vial down in favor of burying his face in his hands. "What in Astra's name have I gotten myself into?"

"You gave her the contraceptives, correct?"

"Greyson did," Zayne replied. "I just…I cannot understand how someone can be so greedy that they find no issue with drugging their own daughter and handing her over to be violated by a man twice her age."

Sylus nodded. "You need to talk to him. I can help, if you need me. I've been known to be….very persuasive with my methods."

"No," Zayne said firmly, shaking his head. "No, it needs to be me. He'll just accuse you of slander. I will take care of it."

"And the lady? What about her?"

Zayne let out another sigh. "She must stay here. I am not comfortable allowing them around her, not if they're willing to let her be raped in order to get richer. That is unacceptable. The question is, what to do with her?"

The two continued to discuss, unaware of the fact that you stood outside the door, hands plastered over your mouth as you stared at the floor in utter shock.

← 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 ✦ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 →

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 (𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧!)

@colonelkaboom @calebsfavoriteusedthong @dreamerofthewest @ellavelysworld @fand0mkatbrainrot @uvediedofdysentry

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ♥︎

[azure-nevermore]

𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨: 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬

𝐚𝐨𝟑 ✦ 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐜 (18+ content ahead!!!) || arranged marriage AU w/ eventual polyamory and smut

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: You are the newest lady of House Li, married to a man twice your age who seems reluctant to even look at you after a wedding night fueled by desire and aphrodisiacs. As new players enter the stage, you learn more about your husband's past and find love…in more places than one.

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: slowly but surely, i post this fic on tumblr.....you can read the up-to-date fic on ao3!

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: religious trauma, descriptions/references to rape

"Zayne, next time you send me a message, could you consider wording it in a way that doesn't make it sound like someone's died?"

Sylus shut the door behind him with a soft click as Zayne crossed the study to sit at his desk.

"Imagine: poor old me, comfortable in bed, when I get a letter that says that you need me to discuss a matter of the greatest urgency. What's so important that you feel the need to give me a heart attack? Xavier was worried about me."

"Sylus," Zayne replied, tone desperate.

Sylus paused, mouth open around his next retort that would never come. While Zayne could certainly be…prickly at times with him, he rarely heard Zayne be upset to the point that it was evident in his voice. Something felt horribly wrong.

"I have an immense favor to ask of you."

Well, that was unusual. Zayne usually went out of his way to not owe anything to Sylus. He suddenly felt very, very uncomfortable.

"Sure. What do you need, some weapons smuggled in?" he joked, trying to cut the tension in the room. "You know Onychinus is at your beck and call whenever you need. Just say the word. I'm just as serious as defending this place as you are."

Zayne gave him a look then, one that made him look like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Sylus, would you and Mr. Shen be willing to take in my wife?"

What the hell.

"What the hell?" Sylus asked, incredulous. "Why the hell would we do that? You do know how that would look, correct?"

"I am well aware that it's…unconventional."

"Unconventional? That's the last word I would think to use."

Zayne's voice was rough, frantic. "My lady is not safe here."

"This is the damn safest place in the Arctic, Zayne." Sylus was getting agitated, as well as increasingly worried. "She's best off here."

"You don't understand. I am a threat to her safety."

"You're the threat?" He'd heard some crazy things in his life, but Zayne, a man who was, generally, very averse to violence, being a threat to an innocent young woman seemed like a horrible joke at best, and an awful accusation at worst. "What the hell happened in the 18 hours since your wedding?"

"…I raped her, Sylus."

A heartbeat.

Sylus shot to his feet, leaning across the desk and hauling Zayne up by the collar of his shirt.

"You have exactly one minute until I beat you within an inch of your life," he hissed, fingers coiling tightly into the fabric. In response, Zayne gave Sylus the most devastated look he'd ever seen on the other man's face, and a shot of pain stabbed into Sylus' heart.

"I believe that mine and her drinks last night were drugged." There was a look in Zayne's eyes that Sylus had seen before—but not for decades. He'd never wanted to see that look ever again.

He released the fabric in his hands, letting Zayne droop slightly, Zayne's hands scrambling to support himself on the desk.

"What do you mean, drugged." Fury and a strange sense of dread mixed in his mind.

"Some sort of aphrodisiac. I think she'd had maybe twice the dose I had." Zayne leaned his weight forward, letting the desk hold his weight as he sagged. "I just—she was so clearly struggling, and I—I couldn't control myself. No, I failed to control myself. The responsibility is mine, and mine alone."

Sylus looked at the man in front of him. Zayne seemed so small in that moment, hunched over the desk as if the weight of every sin he'd ever committed was bearing down on him. Something about this situation was horribly wrong.

"What were the symptoms?" he found himself asking, mentally cataloging every aphrodisiac he knew of in his brain. Maybe his experience with the kingdom's underworld could finally be useful; he'd seen almost every drug there was to take, after all.

"Cramping in my lower stomach. A fever. And, ah…intense arousal. More intense than I've ever felt."

Immediately, Sylus began to rack his mind. Most aphrodisiacs make one aroused, of course, and some could cause a fever, but the cramping was…odd. Nothing was coming to mind. "Nothing else?"

"No." Zayne shook his head, letting it droop between his shoulders. "I must have had a strong dose. It was like there was another entity in my head, trying to convince me to throw my conscience to the wind."

There was no doubt in Sylus' mind that Zayne had overdosed, given the mental effects.

"Zayne. Do you want me to look into it?"

The other man looked up at him, eyes desolate. "You'd do that?"

Something struck Sylus, then, a sense of utter desperation. Zayne knew Sylus, he had for decades, and yet Zayne had any doubt that Sylus wouldn't move mountains for him? Part the sea for him? Die for him?

Sylus had loved Zayne for the last two decades, after all.

"Of course I would," Sylus said, voice softening. "You know that."

There was a soft, barely-there glimmer of hope in Zayne's eyes, just for a brief moment.

"You are too kind to me." Zayne's voice was nothing but a whisper.

Sylus wanted to reach across the table and cradle the face of the man he loved in his hands, but he settled for grasping his shoulders. "Listen to me. It sounds like you were given something bad, if it could mess with your mind like that. It might be that you were so under the influence that you were incapable of controlling yourself."

"No," Zayne said immediately, jerking himself away. "I should have controlled myself. I should have never let my filthy hands touch her."

"Zayne—"

"I've defiled her. I've corrupted her." Zayne's hands went to his face, burying himself in them. "My sin should never have been allowed to spread to her. I've made a horrible, horrible mistake."

In his mind, Sylus was catapulted back years and years, to a memory he never wanted to remember.

Zayne, on his knees in a chapel, hands clasped together so hard his skin turned white, praying to a god who wouldn't listen.

"Please," Zayne had begged, drowing in the silver robes of a servant of Astra. "I beg of you—take this desire away and purify this corrupted body. I have sinned against the natural order you have established. Make me whole again, Holy One. I beg of you!"

His heart broke, all over again.

"Zayne," he urged, reaching out again. "Don't talk about yourself like that."

His hands failed to make contact, as Zayne stepped away again.

"I've wronged her, Sylus. There is no atonement I can ever attain for my crimes."

"Tell me something, then." Sylus let his hands drop to his side, clenching them into fists. "If you had never been drugged, would you have forced yourself onto her?"

"Never," Zayne rasped, looking up, eyes wild and pained. "I didn't even want to touch her. I knew my corruption would spread to her. I knew it!"

"Stop—"

"I'm a monster."

If someone had opened Sylus' chest and ripped his heart out, it would have hurt less.

Wordlessly, Sylus stepped forward, reaching out to gather Zayne into an embrace. Zayne's body wrenched away violently, but he held fast, using all his strength to hold Zayne.

"I will look into it," Sylus said softly. "I will help you."

"Will you take her in?" Zayne's voice was barely audible.

"No, I won't." Sylus could feel Zayne's shoulders droop, but he continued. "You need to make things right with her. No running, no hiding."

"How can I?"

"You'll find a way, Zayne. I know it." His thumb carressed Zayne's shoulder in an attempt at comfort. "If you can't, then I will, I swear. But you need to try."

He felt Zayne nod.

"My lord?"

Zayne looked up from his desk to find Noah staring in the doorway.

"Did he leave?"

"Yes." Noah stepped inside, gently pulling the door closed behind him. "I sent some of the leftover wedding cake with him. I thought Mr. Shen would like it."

"Good." Green eyes focused back on the papers on his desk.

"I would like to discuss a matter pertaining to our lady."

Zayne looked up once again, silently.

"Yvonne informed me earlier that my lady's wardrobe is….well, lacking, to put it lightly."

Put it lightly, he did. Yvonne had been utterly shocked that you'd come with only one trunk of belongings. That was nothing compared to what she'd found inside, though—dresses that had been patched and repatched, stockings with holes, and chemises that were clearly ill-fitting. It certainly didn't look like the trunk of a well-off lady.

"She thinks it would be best to take the lady to a tailor. My lady owns nothing that reflects her status as a lord's wife, save for the clothing she wore yesterday."

He nodded, gaze returning to the text in front of him. "I will look into it. Thank you."

The door closed as Noah left, the light in the room becoming dimmer.

Zayne's eyes skimmed the document in his hands. For some reason, he felt compelled to look over the marriage contract that he had signed all those months ago. Lord Xia had brought it with him, having signed it after Zayne did. It reeked of entrapment, but Zayne let it go, not wanting to argue any more with such an insufferable man.

Suddenly, he stumbled upon something that made his eyes widen.

With every child that Lady Li bears, Lord Li will contribute an additional 5,000 gold per year to Lord Xia and family.

That had not been there when Zayne had initially looked over the contract.

What the hell?

← 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 ✦ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 →

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ♡