Beheaded Nightmares - Swapped AU
@ender1821 @arithebroadwayaddict @percy-the-penguin @mega-heir-of-heart (sorry I keep @ you guys specifically but you’re the other minds behind the au—)
So, I made a thing. It was really to experiment a bit with personalities (and I also just really wanted to write a bit for that idea I made for the Beheaded queens). I hope it worked out well, if not then I’ll just work on getting personalities and the like right in the future.
(All Swapped!Queens go by their last name. Original queens go by their first.)
TWs: nightmares, mentions of arson/setting fires, past beheading, language
Seymour grumbled under her breath as she was pulled along.
This night had not been going as planned. Her life wasn’t going as planned, being perfectly honest.
Her first life she got beheaded. Then she woke up in a strange house with Henry’s other five bitches. Seymour liked being brought back, but five (four) pains in the ass and constant nightmares were really shitty.
Seymour appreciates chaos, she would even say she thrived in it, but the arguments were starting to get old.
And just when things couldn’t get any fucking weirder, they were sent to another universe.
Another universe with a different version of her.
Another version that reminded her too damn much of her old self. Quiet, demure, anxious, motherly. Seymour hated it.
(She didn’t know if she hated Jane as a person. But she surely despised the memories. And this woman being another version of her who had died before breaking her chains certainly didn’t stop Seymour from pranking her and setting fire to one of Jane’s shirts.)
Apparently, Seymour’s group was supposed to learn to get along or some shit.
Seymour still doubted extremely that it would happen. They were all bitches and Seymour couldn’t see herself getting along with them. They were either scolding her for the arson and general chaos she brought with her or intimidating. She supposed Cleves was alright, she’s started to help her with some pranks (it turned out much later that Seymour adored Anna, she was much more than ‘alright’)
Parr was the only one of her group that she could stand.
The woman was quiet, almost mute. She had constant nightmares and always looked so anxious. But she was also so nice, a sweetheart. And when Seymour wasn’t causing her usual amount of chaos, she could usually be found by Parr’s side.
And it looked like Parr latched onto her in turn.
Seymour would never admit it out loud, but she could even go so far as to say she was very protective of the younger woman. She cared.
Maybe that was why she was letting herself be dragged through the hallway by the mentioned former queen.
That and the nightmare she had.
Seymour had actually been in the kitchen when Parr found her. It was a rare night when she actually decided to sleep in trade of the chaos. The following nightmare had left her scratching at her throat and creeping from the room she shared with Jane.
Seymour didn’t need her counterpart’s pity.
At some point, she decided to distract herself. By seeing how many glasses of water she could chug. Seymour was on her second cup when Parr found her, the former still scratching at her scar with one hand. In fact, Parr herself was also scratching at her scar, tears on her cheeks.
She was next to Seymour before the third queen really had a chance to process seeing her, curling into the taller woman’s side.
Seymour didn’t hesitate before wrapping an arm around Parr’s shoulders. The usually chaotic queen was silent.
Soon Parr pulled back slightly to look up at Seymour. It was the older of the two that asked, “nightmare?”
Parr slowly nodded, her hand still over her exposed scar.
“Same here. It’s really shitty, huh?” Seymour laughed. “Fuck that fat bastard!”
Parr smiled slightly. “Yeah.”
“Want to help me ruin more of Aragon’s sweaters? I need to vent on something.” Seymour asked, pulling the lighter from her pants pocket and lazily flicking it.
Parr stared at the flashing flame for a moment before taking Seymour’s hand. “Come with me?”
And after a teasing remark of acceptance, Seymour found herself being carefully pulled through the house. The former queen wasn’t entirely sure where they were heading, but she could definitely say she was surprised when they stopped in front of the Annes’ door.
(Seymour didn’t know about Parr and Anne meeting in the kitchen one night. Both of them had nightmares and had to calm each other down. A friendship blossomed from there and Parr usually went to Anne for nightmares now.)
Then, Parr gave her familiar, quiet knock, one as if the door would fall if she knocked any harder (hmm, that got Seymour’s mind buzzing. How many knocks or how much force would it take to knock the door down? Something chaotic to test, it seemed).
There was muffled conversation and then shifting from within the room. Then, the door opened to show Anne.
(Anne was someone Seymour actually could call herself friends with. The two had quickly begun making chaos together, much to the chagrin of their counterparts, more so Boleyn than Jane.)
Seymour hummed with a tilt of her head upon noticing the scar around Anne’s neck being scratched just like theirs were.
“Are we bothering you?” Parr asked softly, keeping her hold on Seymour’s hand.
“Yep.” Anne gave them a grin.
Parr laughed, as if that response was normal. Seymour only stood there, gaze flitting between the two as Anne let them into the room.
Kat sat on Anne’s bed, her own choker off and neck in the same state as theirs. Boleyn was nowhere to be seen.
It was still strange to see their faces but yet so different. Different styles and personalities. To not be called a ‘cretin’ or ‘that one bitch.’
“I guess we’re all having bad nights, yeah?” Kat asked with a rather bitter chuckle.
“None of you losers look nice tonight.” Seymour said with a snicker.
Anne grinned at her. “Right back at you.”
“Nice pair of scissors on your desk there.”
Parr grabbed onto their arms, giving the both of them pleading looks. “Please don’t.”
The two relented, but gave each other smirks over Parr’s head.
“You two get the shitty dreams too?” Seymour pasted a smirk on her face. She needed to hide that twinge of fear still in her chest.
“Yeah, didn’t know the great, chaotic Seymour got them.” Anne looked knowing. “But then again, losing your head really does hurt more than a broken heart.”
“Poetic.” Seymour snickered.
“Isn’t it?” Anne easily matched her grin. “Parr and Chaton have come to me before, haven’t seen you until now.”
“Who needs nightmares when you can have chaos?” Seymour sneered. Usually after a nightmare, she would destroy something as an outlet. Be it setting it on fire or ripping it to shreds.
“You, my friend, are speaking my language.” Anne agreed with a laugh.
“Oh god, this house better be scared of you two teaming up.” Kat looked more amused than worried, Parr now at her side fidgeting anxiously with her hands but smiling at the conversation. “The arsonist and the prankster.”
“Bold of you to assume I’m not an arsonist!”
“I can prank your ass off, just watch! I’ve done many pranks!”
The four fell into a bit of laughter before falling silent.
They all joined Kat on the bed, sitting in a circle. They were all quiet, Anne fidgeting with the blanket and Seymour still flicking the lighter.
“Do you guys… want to talk about your…?” Kat trailed off, gesturing silently to her own scar.
Parr and Seymour both tensed. Parr began to rub worriedly at her scar and Seymour snarled.
“And if we don’t want to?” Seymour snapped immediately.
“Then we won’t make you.” It was Kat who shrugged.
“The fuck?” Seymour muttered, fixing them with a suspicious stare. “You won’t make me talk?”
“We know how hard it is to talk about things sometimes.” Kat gave her a smile.
“I was surprised too.” Parr whispered to Seymour. “But they’re telling the truth. I promise. Or at least Anne is…”
“Then what the hell do we do instead…?” Seymour questioned with a frown.
“Why don’t we just get to know each other?” Anne offered. “What do the two of you like to do?”
“Reading is nice, and Cathy’s been helping me write again…”
Seymour gave them another suspicious glance before perking up slightly. “I like chaos. Setting fire and destroying shit!”
“I’m not saying that’s a bad thing to like, but maybe calm down on the arson a bit? I’m pretty sure you can get arrested.”
The four talked into the night, laughter and banter taking away their fear and worries from earlier in the night.
“Okay, watch the lighter! I like my bed!” Anne jokes as Seymour almost dropped the lighter mid-flick.
Just as Seymour was about to retort, both Parr and Kat let out yawns. The two glanced at each other and began to laugh.
“Looks like it’s time to try and sleep some more, yeah?” Anne said, a soft smile on her lips in trade for her usual chaotic smile.
“Guess so.” Kat hummed, already moving under the blankets. Parr was soon to join her after reassurances from both Anne and Kat. Seymour blinked, standing now, as Parr willingly burrowed into Kat’s side.
Anne joined them and all three looked back at Seymour, as if waiting.
“Aren’t you going to join us?” Kat asked after a moment.
Seymour snorted. “What, sleeping together? Why the hell would I do that?”
Parr frowned at her, reaching out slightly from her place between Anne and Kat. “Please?”
“Us beheaded queens have to stick together, you know.” Anne said.
Seymour watched the three for a moment. Then, a smirk crossed her lips. “Alright, fine! But don’t think this will be a more than one night thing! I’ve got chaos to cause!”
“Hell yeah you do. Now get over here.” Anne grinned right back.
Kat rolled her eyes and murmured something to Parr that had the blue queen giggling.
Seymour wasn’t entirely sure about sharing a bed with these three, no matter how friendly they were. But their warmth and the arm Anne had curled around her quickly worked to guide her to sleep.
For once, Seymour rested well, no nightmares or chaos in sight.
