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Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton | Season Three (Part 2)

DOMINIQUE DEVENPORT as EMPRESS ELISABETH of AUSTRIA SISI 2.06 ( 2021 - present )

“  marry  me  ,  and  i’ll  stop  the  war  “ / @persephonyed

"marry you, and i betray everything these people look to me for. marry you, and i—" marry him, and eirinn would have to admit she finally gave into selfish temptation.

a person wasn't incapable of change, airlie knew that. but she also knew that the high lord had undoubtedly sent countless lesser fae just like her down to these very cells and likely left them to rot, or worse. her being the first one brienne found was not quite a strong excuse for turning a blind eye, but she supposed that the guards did serve as a strong deterrent for coming down. the fae's temper tantrum did not impact her, not really. while airlie was not cold hearted nor oblivious to the plight of being married to a high lord she had a suspicion that brienne was simply letting out what she had kept inside for quite some time. her blinking stare never wavered, expression neutral until the mention of food being withdrawn made her laugh — or what may have resembled one considering her throat was so dry. " ah there it is . your kindness comes with a price , doesn't it ? i never said you were the same as him , your worth isn't found in other people . it's something you find within yourself , regardless of the family you come from or where you end up . there is no reason for you to feel less than unless you truly do believe it ." which clearly, the other woman did. or perhaps she was conditioned to believe in such things, to place her worth on whether she could make a tyrant happy and smile in the right ways. " if you want to do something meaningful then i strongly suggest you do not make promises only to take them back when you become frustrated ." after all, airlie had gone countless days without food prior to the woman sneaking down to visit her. it wasn't the food she was angered about, it was the quickness with which brienne had threatened to withdraw it.

brienne was thoroughly resigned to be done with tonight’s adventure, having found herself suddenly extended too far beyond her typical abilities. and, if asked, she’d deny that the fit the lesser fae sent her into had anything to do with it. deny all claims that she lost her temper and was ashamed of herself for it. she had striven her entire life to counter the affects of her birthright, yet they still plagued her even on her strongest of days. “you’re a fool if you do not think everything comes with a price,” her voice was lacking much of the warmth it held prior, “my only conditions were to be treated kindly in return. though it was not something i thought needed to be spoken to be known — that was my mistake.” standing upright and patting out any wrinkles in her nightdress, brienne prepared to take her leave. even if she cared to further tend the connection between the two of them. she knew herself well enough to know she couldn’t come back from her outburst. her autumn soul needed time to simmer, and pursuing further would only turn volatile for both fae. “to warn you does not mean i have gone back on any promise, airlie, but hopefully it does bring a few things to light in your darkness. mainly the fact that i will not be treated as less than i deserve and still be expected to risk my life for you. to do so would be imprudent, left biding my time before fulfilling a death wish.” gathering herself, she turned to leave, only stopping to let the girl know she’d be back tomorrow eve.

david foster wallace, susannah irene, anne carson

" i am not the first person to be held down here ", she stated, pinning the other woman with a knowing look. " nor will i be the last so tell me , what is special about me ? what could i possibly have the others didn't ?" some untrusting part of her still clung to the idea that this was a cruel trick played upon her by the high lord, to lure airlie into feeling some sort of hope before he ripped it away. she had survived countless horrors in that cell, but she feared that may break her completely. it was unknown to her just how brienne could help her, how she had even managed to sneak past the guards was a mystery to the fae. her time was surely running out. so she was sold off like livestock. it was a horrid reality for someone to face, despite how wealthy they were. " women can be more than breeding centers , it is a shame that your family didn't believe that too ." her brows furrowed at the woman's final sentence, the surety the words carried. " if you truly do believe that then you may just be a perfect match for that cruel bastard sitting up there now . how many women have suffered at the hands of men similar to him purely because they weren't born with the right anatomy between their legs ? because they were pretty and some tiny dicked man assumed he had a right to them ?" it was incomprehensible to airlie that the woman before her could believe such a thing was her purpose in life.

            ”you are the first i have found,” brienne combatted, a defensive tone creeping into her words, unfamiliar with her intentions being questioned. this had never happened before, though this palace was seemingly a breeding ground of unfamiliar experiences for the high fae. and the way airlie was prodding her for deeper answers, attempting to uncover some unknown secrets, was fair warning that brienne should keep some semblance of her walls up. after all, the other fae knowing that she was breaking her own set of rules by coming down here could be used as a bargaining chip with someone who had more power than she if given the chance. “do you not see that i’m trying? or are you choosing to remain blind to the shadows i’m tip toeing in, that i’m attempting to gather any amount of power i can have here, to figure out what change i can make in this godsforsaken place?” the autumn court temper brienne worked so hard to combat was fighting it’s way out, desperate for a flame after having been starved for weeks while she attempted to be the obedient wife her husband commanded. “you have no idea what it’s like to be treated as a token in these males’ war game, airlie — i may be born into legacy, powerful by name, but i’ve been stripped of everything in actuality. reduced to detailed paperwork, to a high lord’s promise. so be not mistaken, i do this all for my people, and being here means i have nothing left to lose. so you will not compare me to him, and you shall never reduce me to nothing.” releasing a deep breath, brienne stared down her nose at the other. “let that be your only reminder, or you shall go hungry once more.”

KRISTINE FROSETH via instagram story

despite the inherent want to believe brienne's words airlie knew that even the best intentions could not save her, not unless her tyrant of a husband suddenly had a change of heart and decided to let her roam free once more. the mere fact he had married someone like brienne told airlie that he was fond of collecting pretty things, of chaining them up and clipping their wings so they could no longer flee. her knowledge of court politics was weak to be kind, given how she had grown up in a town that did nothing aside from pay their tithe and pray that the high lord deemed their business to be worthy enough to still stand. it was rather humorous, how despite airlie and her townsfolk living so close to the esteemed lord's land they knew so little about the dynamics within it — she likely suspected that was a purposeful choice, to remind them of their place subconsciously. " everyone has a choice ", she remarked quietly, the need for more liquid to coat her tired throat causing the words to rasp. " you may not have had a choice marrying him but . . . this choice may have you killed ." was she worth dying for? she was no noble woman, a visitor from another court that had somehow gotten caught in a trap. airlie was a small girl in an even smaller town. what good would her existence do to brienne? " how did you marry him?" she murmured, curiosity apparently getting the better of her. at least if she continued speaking she would not be reminded of the constant aches in her body, the pangs of hunger and the lightheadedness of dehydration. " you said it wasn't your choice so . . . was it your family ?" evidently the woman had been born in to wealth, the way she carried herself and spoke told airlie it was not something that had been taught but more so handed at birth. it was a strange concept, to originate from a family that had so much power and hold over a high lord, to have attracted his attention.

            “is there a point you’re trying to make?” brienne raised her brows, challenging whatever the lesser fae was implying. “i know the choice i’m making, airlie, and i do not make it lightly. but i also would not be able to face my reflection in the mirror if i left you down here to rot. so please, don’t object, because i won’t listen to you regardless.” perhaps giving the other no chance to reject her aid would keep her from questioning the woman’s actions, or the path she’d decided to go down. in her eyes, if she was killed for being kind, then she would risk death every chance she was offered. “how?” the inquiry cast a bit of humour upon her features, finding the trivial question amusing amongst the gravity of the situation. how silly of her not to see it for what it was. “what else is the daughter of a high lord good for besides trading her hand in marriage for undying loyalty? unity with the second most powerful court? promises that go beyond anything i could surely provide in bed?” brienne held her head high, not letting emotion penetrate the facts she was posing. “this is how i was most valuable to my family, and who am i to object?”

"and yet you cannot", words are spoken with resignation as opposed to spitefulness — for it is not the woman before her that makes the decisions, nor was she the one to put airlie here in the first place. in truth, she had somewhat come to terms with her end being found in this dank cell, what little life she had lived wiped from existence in the blink of an eye — with the swipe of a filthy sword or possibly a single glance from a powerful fae. "i heard stories of this place, above me. how beautiful it was, how the dining plates are lined with gold and the food is fresh and ripe ... yet now all i can think about is this place, how a pretty exterior hides something rotten and foul inside. how can you stand it? to be here? to ... to share a bed with such a monster?" if her stomach had been more than a quarter full it may have churned at the thought. she did not kid herself in to believing she knew brienne, yet the femme had shown herself to be decent at the very least. hardly a perfect match for such a foul creature. yet perhaps it was her beauty that had drawn him in, captured his attention and his mind. "and how can i ever survive this?" a weak hand rises, drifting around the small cell that has been her home for cauldron knows how long. "i doubt i will last another week, unless a guard decides i interest them enough to be kept alive", and in that case airlie would rather be dead. sighing her hand drops, tongue swiping across her teeth as she weighs up the high fae's words. "if he realises what you're doing he'll kill you and yet you do it regardless?" it was difficult to look away from the lady once their eyes locked, for a moment airlie wanted to believe her words — that there was some kind of salvation to be found for her.

there was no proper way to confirm airlie’s words, so brienne remained silent, letting that answer the girl in heed of her own attempts. none would soften the blow that was airlie’s current fate, so she saw no need to further push the current situation down on the girl stuck behind her husband’s bars. “i’ll find a way.” the words slipped out before she could pay them thought, surely aware that shock covered every inch of her face. it was a weighted statement that brienne had no idea she could back up, yet she didn’t take the promise back. “if you know anything of their politics, the kind i’m forever burdened to endure, you’d know sharing his bed wasn't a choice of my own. my fate isn’t up to me to decide, airlie, but i can try to make the best of my situation. i can try to do some kind of good with the small power i do have while i reside as a warm pawn at the high lord’s side, no matter how cruel he may be. my destiny has never been my own to write.” it was the heavy truth of being born into power, her fate always to be written by her father and what would be best for him, for his people, even if she must be sacrificed. it was the way it always was. “i will continue to come down here whenever i can, visit you in the middle of the night and bring you scraps i can gather without drawing attention to myself. we may be in different circumstances, but we are both trying to survive this place. if i can do something to help you, i will.” and though she paid no mind to the girl’s final question, there was a sincerity in her eyes that met the other’s, and brienne was sure the girl could understand the fate she was accepting. that this risk could cost her everything, yet she was still determined to do what she thought was right.

THE WORLD TO COME (2020) dir. Mona Fastvold

taking up the well-missed space she liked to keep in aamani’s arms, winifred felt home again at last. the woman she utterly fell into was now, and always would be, the one who held her heart for eternity. she knew the paths designated for them, laid out since birth, but when they were together, it was almost like winifred could forget what was awaiting them back in their respective homes. which made these moments all the more treasured. “my dearest aamaani,” she uttered, pulling back just enough to see the other’s face, smiling as she took in everything she’d missed these past few weeks. “i could speak for hours about how i've missed you, how my heart yearned to reunite with yours, but it would waste all the time we have now. please, tell me all you’ve been up to, everything i haven’t had the privilege of being a part of, all the adventures and what you've enjoyed most. i want to hear it all.” reaching up, she let her fingers trace the other woman’s features, gently lingering on the more delicate parts of her.

✧˚ · .   was coralie meant to be hiding their true nature from the humans? it hadn’t really occurred to them before now, but it seemed like this human girl before them likely thought that coralie was just that as well – a human girl, that is. the other had been a great help to them so far, and it really would dampen the mood if coralie admitted straight-out that they were the stuff of human legend and this girl dragged them off to be put in chains again. they’d had enough of chains to last many lifetimes already. ❝ I –  ❞ they hesitated a second before finishing, opting for a small truth rather than an outright lie. ❝ I HAVE NEVER KNOWN HUMANS TO BE VERY HELPFUL. ❞ they gave the girl a small smile, if a little teasing. ❝ AND SO FAR YOU SEEM TO BE FRUSTRATING THAT EXPECTATION WELL. ❞

“i tend to frustrate many expectations, so please, don’t be alarmed if this is a first for you,” eirinn laughed lightly as she remained focused on the other, attempting to unravel whatever the girl was hiding beneath her approachable air. the way she spoke, how she observed the world, it seemed just slightly out of place that it caused eirinn to nearly pause, wondering if the girl had simply hit her head too hard or if there was more to her story. it wasn’t entirely cause for alarm, but eirinn often prided herself on being knowledgeable about the people in town and the surrounding areas, and she was so unlike anyone she knew... “you say ‘humans’ as if you categorize yourself apart from us. why’s that?”

"you are not where my intentions lie. i simply sought you out to ensure the safety of a dear friend." a half-truth, one he would not fully divulge. calix was a friend of the high lord's, and that is what made astarion's growing desire for nissa all the more complicated. "you must believe my affections to be easily won," he points out matter of factly, "that all it takes is for a pair of beautiful eyes to look my way to be swayed."⸻ "do you think so little of me, nissa ? to believe i may be so simple in my desires." no, the two were far more complex than that. "then what is it you are after ?"

“we all have a dear friend to pass our undignified behaviours upon,” nissa winked slyly, spreading a layer of doubt over a statement he certainly attempted to stick to. something told the fae that his words did little to match his true intentions. “even high lords have simple, carnal desires they fall victim to, do they not? we are all seeking pleasure in some way — it’s alright if you cannot admit where you truly desire to find it.” perhaps they were dancing around the statement because they both secretly wanted to know what bedding the male was like, as much as he attempted to hide his craving for her. feigning a gasp, they asked, “are you saying i have beautiful eyes, high lord?”