fortune favors the bold

"There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself."

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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Manon knew that running off to see Garrett whenever she pleased wasn’t realistic. Real fighting had not yet begun, and yet, it was already difficult to go to Solis. The guise of peace talks wouldn’t be a viable excuse forever, and she wasn’t sure what other reasons she’d be able to come up with. “I love that idea. Our anniversary will be a cause for celebration all over.” Her soft smile turned genuine as she leaned into him, her eyes falling back to the ring on her finger. “I’ll have to start orchestrating the first attack this week. People are going to think I’m going soft if I don’t make the move soon.”

Garrett reached up a hand to tease one of her curls, thinking about their future together distracted him from some of the doubts she’d infected him with. But when talk turned to war, his face grew sober. “I understand, we should try to keep casualties low, though. We need to keep our forces strong, especially until we find out where Acacia’s loyalties will land.”

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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Manon knew Garrett well, despite their limited time together, and his muted smile didn’t escape her. It brought a cold sadness to her heart, one that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to shake. She wanted to soothe him, to make him believe that she wanted him as much as she ever did, but it was difficult to comfort him when she was still reeling from her own insecurities. She watched as he slid the ring on to her finger, and for a second, all she could do was stare in awe at it. She leaned into his side, lifting her head so that she could look up into his eyes. “I always carry a part of you with me. Now, it’ll just be something I can actually hold.” She brushed her lips against his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent. “Please believe me when I say that our wedding day will be the happiest of my life. I do love you - so much. My heart has always been yours.”

Garrett nodded, letting her words soothe his wounded ego, although the doubts remained. He tried to ignore them, rubbing his hand over her waist. “Good, and anytime you decide you’ve had enough of that pathetic excuse for a man you call a husband, come back to see me.” He knew they needed to be more careful than ever since they’d been found out, but he hated being apart from her. “It had better be... it’ll be the happiest day in all our kingdoms. We’ll make it a holiday for all our subjects to enjoy.”

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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“Of course it is.” She placed on a hand on his heart, trying to steady herself to its rhythm. She felt like a fool. What kind of woman got so caught up in her own mind that she couldn’t say yes when the love of her life offered up a ring? She very rarely doubted herself, but in the moment, she wondered if there was something wrong with her. “So much has happened as of late, my mind is having trouble keeping up with what my heart wants.” Manon knew it was a poor explanation, but if she said much more, she was afraid the argument that had never really finished when they met in Solis would spark again. “I will marry you, Garrett. And the second I can wear your ring, I will, so all of the four Kingdoms will know that this was no temporary affair.”

Garrett’s heart ached. How much more could he take, if she were to keep stringing him along? He knew what he wanted. Garrett had always been a man of vision, a man who could see what he wanted, and could envision a way to get it. He wanted her, he wanted their vision of a united kingdom, he wanted to build a world he could be proud to hand to their heir. But none of that would happen if she abandoned him now. When she finally agreed, he smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. Her doubts had infected him. He took her hand, putting the ring onto her finger, even if only temporarily. “Keep it until then, keep it hidden. It will remind you of my love, even when I am not present.”

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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Manon hoped that Garrett still knew that her affection couldn’t be bought. Her love was worth far more than shiny accessories. “It’s beautiful. I love it - I love you,” she assured him, and she was being honest. She could imagine the ring slipping on to her finger and staying put until she was old and gray. But Manon wasn’t sure any promise would fix the damage that had been done by her assumptions following the public spectacle their affair had been made into. She could still feel the flurry of disappointment and grief as if they were fresh wounds. She moved her hand to his collar, tugging at it to bring his lips to hers. Manon was sure she’d never kissed anyone as desperately in her life. One kiss wouldn’t silence her doubts, but maybe it would help her find the right words.

Garrett tried to smile, but he couldn’t help but notice that she hadn’t said yes. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest uncomfortably fast, his jaw tensing. He had expected --he had wanted-- her to say yes, immediately, irrevocably. He wanted her to want it, as much as he wanted her. And yet, he could feel her hesitation. When she pulled him towards her, he kissed her back, feeling her desperation, her passion, and yet, there was no certainty in that kiss. He pulled back from her, looking into her eyes. “Manon... isn’t this what you want?”

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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Manon’s eyes were fixed on the diamond she’d been presented with. Tentatively, she touched it, delicately running the tip of her finger over top it. “Garrett,” she breathed, heart beating madly in her chest. This exact moment had been the subject of many fantasies - and yet, now that it was upon her, Manon wasn’t simply filled with excitement. Doubt and confusion muddled her thoughts, making it difficult for her to answer in the way she’d dreamed about. “You don’t need to ask for my hand just to ensure I’m on your side through this. It shouldn’t - I don’t want you to use this as an apology.”

He watched as she touched the yellow diamond, excitement finally mingling with his worries. “I had it made especially for you... canary diamonds are much rarer than regular diamonds, you know. But I wanted you to have something that gleamed like the sun, like you.” He explained, hoping it would win her over. She wasn’t a woman who could be bought, he knew that, but the ring was a symbol of his esteem. But his brow furrowed at her assumption. “It’s not an apology, Manon. It’s --I wanted to make it official. I want you to believe that I’m serious when I say I love you.”

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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Manon couldn’t pretend his words didn’t sting. She wasn’t sure Garrett understood the source of her frustration at all. She’d never fallen out of love with him, never desired to be anything less than his equal and his wife and queen. What she had been was hopelessly lost without his affection, and righteously angry for being played. She bit her tongue to keep from explaining that to him, not sure it would do either of them any good. But when he spoke again, her eyes snapped open. She stared at the diamond for a long minute, her lips parting in surprise. “What are you saying?”

“How many ways do I have to ask?” He chuckled to hide the strain, the seed of worry that she might actually say no. It wasn’t something he was used to being told, he was the king of Solis, and ever since he was just a boy, he’d been given everything he wanted. But this was her decision, to say yes or no, and it was one of the only times in his life that he’d felt vulnerable. His heart was entirely in her hands, and he couldn’t do anything to make her say yes. “Please, Noni. Marry me?”

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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Manon’s nose crinkled in disgust, and she pulled back from Garrett just enough to swat at his chest. “I’m positive. Whatever Dominic’s…love life includes, it is most certainly not my daughter.” She had to work hard to keep her eyes from fluttering shut. The flurry of kisses Garrett was showering her with made her head swim, all while her heart pounded furiously in her chest. “You already know the answer to that,” she breathed, bringing her free hand to his cheek. “Say it, then. Say that you love me and you still want me to marry you. Let me hear it out loud. Make me believe it.”

“All right, all right... forget I said anything,” he chuckled, catching her hand as she swatted at him, he kissed the palm of her hand affectionately. “I thought I did, but apparently I should have asked you before,” he commented, he was trying hard not to simply assume he knew how Manon felt anymore. Garrett could be a fool, but he did learn from his mistakes. “I love you, Noni, and I want you to be my wife, and my queen.” He assured her, before he reached into his pocket. “I was going to wait to give you this, until you could wear it freely, but...” he pulled out a ring with a huge canary diamond. “Say you’ll marry me, my love.”

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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Manon was overcome with guilt, ashamed that she’d truly believed Garrett had abandoned her. Still, even among all the shame, she couldn’t stop the thoughts that whispered he’d used her as a pawn in his game. Perhaps it had just been his flawed, masculine way of doing things that had stopped him from reaching out…but was it really so radical to believe it might have been more than that? She felt a hot blush creeping up her neck at the feel of his lips against her skin. Pawn or not, she was defenseless when it came to his affection. “I think he’ll side with Eden, for Willow’s sake, if he takes a side. They’re very close. He sees himself as another parent to her. It’s a little sad, really. He so clearly needs a life of his own to worry about,” Manon explained, trying not to let her jealousy show. After all, she wasn’t sure how much of Dominic’s words were true - there was a chance that her daughter was closer to him.

“So, you still want him out of the way? My husband, I mean.”

“Are he and the girl that close?” Garrett didn’t know much about the relationship between the girl and his fellow king. “He swore to me that he would stay out of it,” he told her, although if he was that close to the girl, maybe he would side with Eden. In that case, he and Manon would need to be clever with their strategy. “Are you sure his relationship with her is entirely... fatherly?” He raised a brow, he himself had no interest in young women, and it was hard to believe that Dominic would simply take a fatherly interest in all the young women he surrounded himself with. “Of course, don’t you? We can’t be together as long as he’s in the picture, and I doubt he’d stand aside.” He kissed down her arm, drawing her closer to him. “Don’t you wish to be my wife?”

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

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Manon hadn’t truly stepped out of line until she and Garrett began seeing one another in secret. She spoke out of turn in Court and let her opinions be known, but she hadn’t been the scandalous type. Sneaking out of the royal castle for any reason - whether it be to worship the gods at the festival or get a mug of mead - hadn’t crossed her mind since she was a young girl. She walked her fingers up his chest, averting her gaze. “I told Talbott I plan to petition my husband to make the first move against your Kingdom. I’ll say, that boy’s opinion of me certainly has changed. You’d think I was ill with something that spreads quickly.”

Garrett had been born crown prince; there was very little he hadn’t been permitted to do, if he so desired it. He made a soft noise of approval as he felt her fingers on his chest, before he reached up to catch them, lifting her knuckles to his mouth to pepper them with little kisses. “He’s getting judgmental in his old age... not that he’s in any position to. He’s been having an affair for longer than he’s been married.” He answered, shaking his head. “Maybe it’s the talk of war that’s setting him off, though. I wonder which of us he’ll side with, when it comes down to it... or maybe he’ll choose to sit apart. That could work to our advantage, after we kill your husband, we could take Aura while everyone’s still scrambling, then unite our forces against Acacia. Maybe he’ll even surrender peacefully.” Garrett still hoped Dominic would see reason, once their intentions were revealed. He had never wanted to be king, and Garrett was loathe to kill his old friend.

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Treason | Garrett & Manon

“Did you ever go to one of the festivals? I tried once, but my parents caught me sneaking out.” Manon, good as she was at faking smiles and pleasantries when necessary, had more trouble putting on a happy face with Garrett. Doubt and agitation still lingered in her thoughts, threatening to burst the fragile truce she felt they’d come to. She placed her hand on his chest, leaning her side against his sturdy frame. From where they were hidden, they could hardly make out the light from the fire. It was too risky for them to venture too far from where the royalty was staying. The likelihood that they would be recognized was high. “What are you thinking about?” @thcsunking​

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“When I was younger,” he nodded, when he was a teenager he’d ventured out amongst the people, although even then he’d stood out among them. “But never since taking the throne. Better to let the people have their fun without the worry of a royal gaze lingering on them,” he mused. Perhaps if he didn’t stand out, he might like to walk amongst the people and hear what they would say, but he was too tall and recognizable, as Manon was. The two of them made a striking pair, and he wrapped his arm around her slender waist. “I was just thinking what good timing it is, that the festival should happen now. Let the people have one last hurrah, to bolster their spirits for the days that are to come.”

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True Disaster | Garrett & Manon

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Manon allowed herself to imagine what her life would be like if she accepted his offer. For one, blissful minute, she thought about finally falling into bed with him without the threat of morning ready to shatter their fantasy. Waking up next to him without having to run off would be magical. But…her doubts about their relationship lingered, no matter how comforting his touch was. “Garrett,” she breathed, closing her eyes to gather strength. “No. No, we can’t do it that way.”

Before the conflict had arisen like this, maybe it would’ve been an option. But now? Her eyes fluttered open, and she gathered up a fistful of his shirt, tugging him toward her. “I have too much left there. My son, my daughter. I can’t do anymore to hurt them right now. We’ll have to wait. We’ll have to do what you thought I was doing all along. It’s the only way now. If I stay here, all three of the other Kingdoms will attack, and we’ll burn every bridge in the process.” Tears were still leaking from her eyes, but her mind was snapping back into work, formulating a new plan.

Garrett couldn’t imagine parting like this; with her in tears, thinking that he had used her, and her refusal made him wonder if she even believed him now. He wanted to shake her, or make her come with him... but then wouldn’t it truly be exactly what she feared? Reluctantly, he released her arm. “Fine... but if you should ever change your mind, at any time... you’re always welcome here. Your children too, if need be.” He wiped away her tears, looking into her eyes. 

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True Disaster | Garrett & Manon

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Why did he have to keep using her name? She wasn’t sure she could stay angry at him when he called her that, and it only made her hate herself more. She could’ve pulled away, and maybe that’s exactly what she should of done, but instead she let him spin her around. Staring at up him with blurry, tear filled eyes, Manon quickly weighed her options. “I-I-I love you,” she told him honestly, placing a hand on his chest. As much as it hurt, she couldn’t take her eyes off his. “But I can’t do this anymore.”

He couldn’t stand to see her cry, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away. He reached a hand up to cup her face, brushing her tears away with the pad of his thumb. “Then don’t,” he answered her, an intensity burning in his eyes as he looked down at her. “Don’t go back to Eden, don’t go back to him. Come with me, stay with me. I’ll never leave your side again if that’s what you want, just don’t leave me, Noni.”

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True Disaster | Garrett & Manon

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The answer to his question felt so stupid that Manon wanted to scream. How could she tell him that embarrassment and insecurity had kept her from seeking him out? Was she supposed to admit how weak she’d felt in those moments? How loneliness had gripped her? A tear escaped, and she lifted her fingers to wipe it away. His tone did nothing to calm her, though, she was starting to think she deserved it. “We did want the same thing! I thought - I didn’t know you thought I was doing it for that!” Desperation colored her words, but she wasn’t sure she wanted forgiveness. After all the emotional pain, she was the one who had wrecked things between them. She wiped furiously at her cheeks, brushing away the tears that began to spill freely. “I need to go, I can’t stay any longer.” Turning, she started to walk away, her heart aching for a what fool she was.

Garrett was furious, and yet, he couldn’t help but soften at the sight of her tears. He was still hurt that she could have doubted him --what he felt for her was the strongest emotion he’d ever felt, to think she could doubt the strength of those emotions... it stung. But even enraged, he wasn’t ready to let her go. “Manon --Noni!” He called, unwilling to watch her walk away like this. He went after her, reaching for her arm to spin her around to face him. “Don’t walk away from me like this... you’re still mine, aren’t you?”

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True Disaster | Garrett & Manon

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All the sadness, anger, and doubt were ripping from her rib cage, spilling into the alleyway where they stood across from one another. Memories from the past months flooded back to her - the humiliation, the loneliness - overwhelming her senses. She could feel the desperate ache in her bones as if it was still the first week after the affair became public knowledge. She had waited and waited, sure that Garrett would say something, anything, that made his love for her known to at least his Kingdom. But that never happened, and in the end, the only conclusion she could come to was that it had been a lie.

She’d never been truly in love before, and when it was stolen from her, it was far too easy to believe that it had simply been a figment of her imagination. Now, she wondered if she was foolish for doubting what had gone on between them. Still, she doubt prickled at her, making it impossible to cave to Garrett’s anger and beg for his forgiveness and understanding. “I don’t know what to believe anymore,” she said coolly, though she could feel hot tears stinging her eyes. “I thought we were partners. But partners don’t abandon each other without any explanation! I didn’t need you to ride in and steal me away in the night, but gods, I needed something!”

Garrett could feel his heart hammering against his rib cage, rage and sorrow creating an ache within him that he had never known. So many people had let him down in his life, he was no stranger to disappointment, but he had never thought Manon would. “Why didn’t you seek me out? Why didn’t you come to me for the reassurance you needed? You could have found a way to contact me before now, surely!” He barked, clenching his fist. “How could I know what you needed? I thought.... I thought we wanted the same thing.”

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True Disaster | Garrett & Manon

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“At least what they’re saying wouldn’t feel true!” Her volume rose with every word, her green eyes wide with emotion. If she had been by his side, showing people that she was more than just a common whore, then she would’ve been able to stand the gossip. But in her own Kingdom, alone, with a family and subjects who were now questioning her every move? It had been too much to bear. Manon’s heartbreak quickly flipped back to anger. She took a step toward him, pointing her index finger at him. “Why did you expect me to read your mind! I’m not a fool, Garrett, I know kings have affairs they don’t care about. What was I supposed to think? It seemed like you’d forgotten about me! Like I was just - I wasn’t going to wait around to confirm that!”

Garrett’s confusion and uncertainty was quickly turning to anger, his temper stirring as she informed him of things he hadn’t even considered. Maybe he should have thought about the position she was in, but he’d only seen this as an opportunity; and naturally, he’d assumed they were on the same page. They always had been before. “How was I to know you’d second-guess me so easily? How could you ever believe that I didn’t care?” That was the part he had trouble accepting; how had she thought she was just some common whore? “If I hadn’t thought you were doing the same as I was, I would have found away to contact you before now! But when I heard how vengeful the queen of Eden was, I assumed you were playing into the role –I didn’t for a second doubt that you still loved me!”

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True Disaster | Garrett & Manon

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Manon flinched at his tone, despite the fact that she’d been trying to spark his anger. She wished she could garner more satisfaction from his rage! The love she still felt for him, burning brightly in her heart, made it impossible to feel anything other than guilt. Even as her own heart continued to break, she wanted to mend the wounds she was slashing into his. “I would’ve left on my own!” She practically cried, passion overtaking her. “One word! One sign! Anything to let me know that I wasn’t just a throwaway woman and I would’ve left of my own accord and gone straight to you! Wouldn’t that have gotten you the war you wanted? Without painting me as some prize to be stolen?”

“And how would that have looked? They’d paint you with the same brush regardless, Manon, because that is what the petty gossips of the kingdoms do! They would always have said you had been stolen, whether you came of your own accord or not!” Garrett didn’t imagine there was any way out of the shame, the rumors they had to deal with. But he had always thought they’d face it together, eventually, that they would always be on the same side at the end of it all. “How could you doubt my feelings for you?! If you had come, I would have welcomed you! I thought you were playing this way to buy time for us to rally our forces, to catch the other kingdoms off guard! I never imagined you would turn against me!”

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True Disaster | Garrett & Manon

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Manon felt every inch of her body vibrate, as if the part of Manon that loved Garrett more than life itself and the portion that wanted him dead were physically battling inside of her body. She wanted, desperately, more desperately than she’d wanted anything ever before, to let her anger slip into love. It would be so easy to melt against his broad chest and calm her racing heart with the sound of his. But Manon didn’t take the easy way out of anything. She grit her teeth, shaking her head again and nearly knocking the hood of her cloak off. “It means something to me! It matters to me! Affairs aren’t the same for women! I’ve lost all respect - it’s like I’m a young girl again just sitting in the throne room like a pretty toy!”

How could he not see that? Did he just not care? She didn’t immediately pull away when he gripped her shoulders, meeting his eyes. The act made her resolve momentarily weaken. How good it felt to be touched by him again, even in such a possessive, authoritative way. His hands send jolts of electricity through her body, reminding her of how she’d once believed the gods had made them for one another. But how could the gods have sent her a man who wasn’t concerned with her well being? One that thought she ought to come to the same conclusions as him from mile away? Clearly, she’d been mistaken. Her gaze turned deadly as she stared into his face, her lips pulling back in a thin line. “Revenge, Garrett. Why else? You think I’d actually allow you to walk away unscathed while my legacy is tarnished? Don’t be foolish.”

“Well, if people think that, we’ll just have to show them otherwise,” Garrett didn’t understand why she was so bothered, but he supposed she was more like other women than he had thought. Leave it to a woman to get so distracted by petty social standing when they had greater goals on the horizon. “We’re going to change the very nature of the four kingdoms, by the time we’re finished everyone will see that you were doing what you had to, a mastermind behind the scenes.” He assured her, trying to soothe her wounded ego.

But he was caught off guard by the way she answered him. “Against me?” He roared, dropping his hands from her arms, he took a step back as if he’d been slapped. “You’re blaming me for what they’re all saying? What would you have me do, whisk you back to my castle and declare my undying love for you? How would that not make you appear even more the trophy, the damsel stolen from one king by another?!”