Whispers

Dunk's point of view and the way he sees Baelor is a beautiful simplification for the sake of the story, but can be dangerous in the sense that it can lead to oversimplifications and black-and-white thinking. Like, Baelor could do no wrong, or Maekar was a villain, or Baelor cared about Dunk only, etc., etc. It can be far too easy to ignore the reality of Baelor being a good, but complicated man, whose judgment was not always perfect. They are only human, and they are flawed, just like everyone else, and this is sort of the point here as well.

I like the idea that no one is pure goodness, just like no one is pure evil, even though this, too, can be a slippery slope in terms of the extent and the good old moral ambiguity. Namely, what, exactly, are the lengths that this good man can go to, when he feels he has to, or simply wants to? In Baelor's case, this question remains largely unanswered.

The thing is (I believe) that this whole affair was not just about "Dunk and Baelor's goodness versus Aerion's wickedness". It was also "a small man versus the royals", "the royals versus public opinion", and "the royals versus gods". There were so many ways this could go catastrophically wrong for the Targaryens, and Baelor was trying to prevent that by putting himself on the line, as the man who held most of the power and responsibility. And of course he could have used his power in so many other ways. He could have put Dunk back in prison and taken his time. He could have put Aerion and Daeron in prison as well, if they still insisted on their games involving "high treason". He could have found, or appointed, or hired a fighter, or two, or three for Dunk, and then he could have sat back and watched the show.

However, the fighters turn up themselves (thanks to Aegon and the fact that Aerion has an impressive ability to make enemies). But Steffon Fossoway gets bought to Aerion's side, and by this point the game has become so rigged it's unbelievable. And Baelor, as a Targaryen prince, a nobleman in the best sense of the word, a man of honor, and one of the best fighters in the realm, cannot remain neutral, because he cares for the truth. "Goodness is as goodness does", as we know. I believe he is capable of deep empathy, just like Dunk, who seems to empathize with every living creature he encounters. And on top of it all, he can see the injustice being done to Dunk by the Targaryens more clearly than anyone else, what with the trial of seven being basically a trap, and the alternative for Dunk being essentially a slow death, had they actually chopped off his hand and his foot. But the fact that Baelor had to ride into the arena at all should give you an idea of just how dire the situation was. Publicly. Politically. Personally. It was awful both for Baelor and for Maekar.

In fact, Baelor was so desperate to fix the situation (while making it much, much worse within his own family, though), that he actually went into a serious fight without being armored up properly. He wasn't wearing a proper helmet, of all things, which is an incredibly reckless thing to do, if you think about it, no matter how experienced, perhaps, even practically unbeatable you are as a fighter. It's just something you're strongly advised not to do, no matter how confident you feel.

And he knew exactly what he was doing, and to what extent his son's armor didn't fit him. The grand toss of his head when he takes off the helmet in front of Dunk and the crowd is because the helmet is too tight. All it essentially did was give him, and others as well, a false sense of security. And I'd love to see if Maekar had tried to pull off something like this, especially in their younger years. Baelor would have told him — absolutely not, you are not doing this, and only over my dead body, I imagine. But this, of course, was different.

I could also go on a tangent about the "how dare he love his flawed brother, when he's so perfect" thing. Well, maybe it's because they are brothers? And neither is perfect? And the love was earned? You can say what you want about the brothers' relationship and their traits. But saying that Baelor's love for Maekar, which he displayed literally until his final moments, was hollow and meaningless, a "delusion", or maybe even an "act" (especially when there was literally no reason for him to put up an act in front of Fossoway), is an insult to Baelor's obvious intelligence. It essentially destroys Baelor's character — which some people, somehow, seem to believe they are uplifting by degrading Maekar. Any relationship that is not superficial is complicated, and we are talking about insanely complicated men, circumstances and lives here.

But let's just say they grew up, and learned, and made mistakes, and laughed, and cried, and loved, and hated, and fought together. They were the two warriors of their family, so they were bonded from a young age, they were naturally close, especially in their younger years. There was a strong bond there, and while a lot of different things can be said about its nature, its presence is undeniable, I think. In George R. R. Martin's works it goes to curious lengths — they even die in a similar manner. You don't even have to look for certain symbolism and an intricate, painfully pronounced connection here, because it was there in the first place.

And maybe, just maybe (most probably, actually), Baelor had also held the little, innocent Aerion in his arms and he remembered it, even while looking at the monster that Aerion finally became. And even more than that. If Baelor played a more or less constant, integral part in the life of Maekar's family — and apparently, he did — then, at least to a degree, Aerion is his creation as well. I mean, Baelor trained him, shouted at him, humiliated him and encouraged him in the yard just like Maekar did? You bet. Taught Aerion a trick or two that he would later use on Dunk, because Uncle Baelor had taught him what to do if things got nasty indeed? Absolutely. An ultimate Baelor-ish thing to do, if you ask me, when it comes to his sons or nephews.

And could Baelor have — inadvertently — planted in Aerion the idea that you can do whatever you want, if you're a Targaryen prince, as long as you stay, or at least pretend to stay within certain boundaries, which, again, are rather vague, because you're a Targaryen prince? I really don't know. Perhaps? But if there was one person within Baelor and Maekar's inner circle who could have guessed and believed that there was more to his father and uncle's past than they were letting on, and collected all the possible information and gossip on the subject — I bet you anything, it would be Aerion. (This is a fanon-ish tangent, but I just think it weaves into the story quite nicely.)

And he was comfortable as hell in Baelor’s presence literally until the very end, which tells you a lot not only about his impertinent nature, but also about the family dynamics there. Still, nobody is born a villain and nobody becomes a villain or a selfish monster overnight. It had to be a long process and it took years (as Daeron later pointed out to Dunk). So Baelor and Aerion were simply used to each other, just like everyone else in the family.

And another curious thing about Baelor and Aerion. "Aerion is your brother. And the septons say we must love our brothers" — excuse me, but you don't talk like this about someone you believe is completely irredeemable, you just don't. Even if it's your nephew whom you've known since birth and probably even helped raise to a degree — and still, most likely, you cannot know everything about him, simply because he's not your own son and your brother's family will obviously have its own boundaries — and secrets — regardless of how close you are, it's only natural. But this very well may also have something to do with "anger not being his default" (as Bertie Carvel put it). He is, obviously, terribly angry with Aerion at the moment, and disgusted by his actions — he might have even wanted to kick Aerion himself — but it looks like if they were not at Ashford, it would be just another damn evening in the Targaryen household. The main problem being — they are not at home, and they are under the scrutiny of commoners and nobles alike.

But back to Baelor — I don't think all of this affected his decisions, at least on the conscious level. He had to keep at least some semblance of peace between himself and Maekar, who sided with Aerion — as long as it was still possible, and even while deeply disagreeing with Maekar. He couldn't afford any further damage to their public image in any form. (Lord Leo Tyrell was also sitting there, by the way, representing the high nobility and hanging on every word.) And he wouldn't position himself or any of his relatives above the law. But still, it was his family. And let's not forget about Aegon, who can still turn out to be either good Aegon, or bad Aegon, and is watching things unravel. So Baelor feels obliged to set a good example.

“For most dialogue, use a comma after the sentence and don’t capitalize the next word after the quotation mark,” she said.

“But what if you’re using a question mark rather than a period?” they asked.

“When using a dialogue tag, you never capitalize the word after the quotation mark unless it’s a proper noun!” she snapped.

“When breaking up a single sentence with a dialogue tag,” she said, “use commas.”

“This is a single sentence,” she said. “Now, this is a second stand-alone sentence, so there’s no comma after ‘she said.’”

Ok so let me set the scene :

__________________________________

Set right after the trial of seven, Baelor has just instructed for the Maesters to tend to his brother Maekar.

He turns to Duncan and gives his speech about the realm needing good men. People crowd around them to listen in rapt attention as he removes his helm (unharmed) and smiles down at ser Duncan gently.

Duncan pledges himself to Baelor with loyalty and the shimmer of admiration in his eyes.

The people around them, knights , squires, lords and servants are in awe of Baelor's presence and demeanor.

This man will one day be their King and ruler of the seven kingdoms, and they know they couldn't be in better hands.

In his short period spent in Asford, he has shown time and time again that he is fit to rule over them, with humility and a kind but firm hand, with a strong sense of justice.

The perfect Heir.

That is, until a maester rushes into the scene, covered in blood, sweating and babbling incoherently.

Baelor turns to him, rests a hand on his shoulder and tries to calm him. He let's the maester gather his thoughts before asking what is wrong.

The maester seems slightly less agitated but worried all the same. He wrings his shaking hands nervously and mutters quick apologies.

It's Prince Maekar. He says

The maester feel the crown prince's hand, once comforting suddenly still. He winces as he feels the hand on his shoulder grip and squeeze with an iron grip.

When he looks up, his his heart drops and blood runs cold.

The man before him no longer wears a gentle soothing smile.

His carefully curated mask has slipped.

In his place stands a man with the eyes of a dragon. Cold and dark mismatched eyes, ready to burn any who should anger him any further.

He asks what the maester means, looking him up and down, he asks whose blood is on his robes.

When the maester takes too long to answer, he feels the hand once placed on his shoulder lift for a moment. In the blink of an eye, Baelor's hand is wrapped tightly around his neck.

He pulls him close, dragging his frail body up until the tip on his toes barely graze the floor. He asks once more. Who's blood is on his robes?

The maester chokes with tears streaming down his cheeks. He manages to scrape out that Prince Maekar had removed his armour and had collapsed. He had been pierced in the side by a longsword.

Just before the maester looses all consciousness, due to the lack of air, Baelor releases him and lets him crumple to the ground.

The poor maester coughs and trembles at his feet. When he looks up, Baelor is looking down at him with something akin to a glare, he tells the maestar to pray for his dear brother's recovery, the threat clear in his voice as he turns and rushes to the castle.

The previously admiring onlookers now watch the prince leave in horror and dismay.

Perhaps they were wrong to place their faith in this man.

This monster.

_________________

Baelor makes his way to Maekar's chambers and enters without warning. He freezes on the spot.

The scene before him makes him feel nauseous.

He watches as the maesters move and work in a frenzy to stop any more blood from leaving the prince's pale body.

Baleor doesn't remember ever seeing his brother look this weak. Not since they were much younger, when he had the pox, and when Baelor would sit outside Maekar's room to keep him company as he regained his strength.

He looks too still and far too small for the bed he lays in. He's pale, so very pale. A stark contrast to the vibrant blood pooling under his body.

Baelor tries to move in, he needs to be close to his brother. He needs to feel him. Feel his heartbeat. Anything to indicate he's alive.

But something stops him. He feels resistance. Hands trying to push him away.

Away from Maekar.

The maesters try to make Baelor leave. He grows furious and tries to shove them aside, tries to reach his valonqar.

A painful wheeze can be heard from Maekar, and all hell breaks loose.

Baelor starts shouting, demands to be let through.

More hands wrap around him.

Guards are trying to pull him out of the room as maesters return to Maekar's side.

Baelor screams and wrenches as he tries to get out of the kingsguards sturdy hold. They haul him out of the room and close the doors.

Once they secure the latches they let the prince go.

He turns to them slowly and tells them to step aside. They refuse.

He threatens to have them removed. How dare they deny a prince, their future king, entry to his brother's room. Their captain steps in and asks him to see to reason.

Prince Maekar needs to be tended to, and Prince Baelor needs to gather himself and turn his attention to the people.

Baelor calms for a moment, looking around he can tell he's not getting into his brother's chambers without a fight. And as much as he would like to cut all these treacherous vermin to the ground he knows the maesters must focus on healing Maekar.

He turns and walks off.

________________

Baelor walks and walks, and then walks some more.

Lost in his own dark thoughts, he does not notice the way everyone around him avert their gazes to the ground. Or how they stumble to get out of his way, fearing the wrath he may impose on them should they cross his path.

He eventually reaches Aerion's chambers. No one is guarding the room. Baelor enters slowly and closes the door behind him.

He walks up slowly, watching his nephew sleeping soundly.

Aerion's face is a mess of bruises and cuts. Baleor can tell from the bandages around his body that he must be in a great deal of pain.

He does not quite seem to care though.

He leans in and watches Aerion sleep for a moment. He looks so peaceful, so content in his slumber.

Baelor reaches out and places his hand on a particularly nasty looking injury.

He presses down.

Aerion wakes with a painful gasp. He looks around blearily and finally focuses in on his uncle.

He tells him to let go. He's hurting him. Baelor looks at him with a cold detached stare and presses down even harder.

Aerion lets out a stifled screech but Baelor stops him from calling for help.

He lifts his hand from the wound and grips his face, squeezing as Aerion winces and tries to pull away.

Baelor leans in and drags Aerion's face to meet him halfway. Aerion trembles as he tries to hold his failing body up.

Baelor tells him that Maekar has been mortaly wounded. That he may not make it through the night. He blames Aerion for Maekar's injury.

If he hadn't demanded a trial of seven, Maekar would be fine. Only Aerion was supposed to get hurt after all.

Aerion, even in pain tries to argue back. Who's longsword pierced his father? He could not control the favour of the fight.

And, was it not Baelor who fought against his own family? Against his nephews? Against his dearest little brother? He spits out.

And for a moment, Baelor wishes his wretched devil spawn of a nephew dead.

He lets go of his face and shoves him back down. He glares at him with hatred seeping from his very soul.

Should anything happen to Maekar, he whispers, Baelor willl not hesitate to end his nephew's life.

He leaves a trembling nephew behind and continues to walk, and walk and walk.

Aerion gasps once his doors are closed and lets a few loose tears fall. He had never been so terrified of anyone in his entire life.

He felt, for a moment, that this is what being in the presence of a wild and unclaimed dragon must've felt like for his ancestors.

He hides under his bedsheets and prays to gods that may or may not not exist, for his father's swift recovery and return to the land of the living.

_______________

The days that follow become overwhelmingly somber.

Maekar is stable, but his body needs rest before he can wake.

Baelors demeanor worsens with each passing day that his brother remains asleep.

Servants run past his chambers in a hurry, guards posted around sigh in relief when he is not near.

The lords of the lands try to get through council meetings as quickly as possible to avoid the prince's attention and wrath. Even lord Ashford, who had once welcomed them kindly, tries to avoid the volatile prince.

That is until a serving maid rushes in with a smile on her face. She informs them of Prince Maekar's awakening.

Baelor all but rushes to his brother's chambers. He enters without interruption and stops at the sight before him.

Maekar is leaning against big, fluffy pillows, looking toward the light streaming in through the windows. He turns to look at Baelor as he enters and relaxes a little.

He cracks a small smile and asks if everything is alright. Baelor walks up and sits at the edge of the bed. He reaches out slowly and tucks a stray hair behind his brother's ear gently.

He smiles for the first time in days and envelopes him in a tender embrace. Maekar pulls him in and lets him cry against his neck.

Baelor apologises for all the pain Maekar has been through. Maekar doesn't blame him, simply stroking his hair, and letting his brother air out his troubles.

He asks about his sons, and about what will be done now that all is well. Baelor smiles as he holds him.

He will let Maekar decide on what to do with his children, though he does recommend sending Aerion away, perhaps to the wall. Maekar laughs at the thought and Baelor couldn't be happier.

A maester tries to interrupt their reunion by advising that Baelor should leave so Prince Maekar may rest in peace.

Maekar tells him to fuck off.

Baelor smiles into the crook of his neck and sighs in relief

His Maekar is ok. He pulls him in even closer and simply breathes him in, feeling a strong heartbeat in his ear. He's ok. That is all that matters.

__________________

A sense of normalcy returns to Ashford with Maekar's wake.

Baelor has returned to the picture perfect heir to the throne, treating everyone around him with respect and understanding.

People breathe a sigh of relief knowing they no longer have to tip toe around the grounds of Ashford.

Baelor happily walks the grounds with his brother as they make preparations to return to Summerhall for a while.

Lord Ashford is more than happy to send them on their merry way, as soon as possibe, which confuses Maekar a little.

He asks Baelor if there is anything of importance that happened while he was abed. Baelor simply smiles and assures him that all is well.

The people bid the royal family farewell as they ride into the distance. However, a unanimous thought seems to cross every person's mind as they watch them leave.

They pray nothing bad happens to Prince Maekar anytime soon, and that he lives a long and healthy life, so they may live in peace under the future kings reign.

They pray.

_____________________

Whoooie that was a long one, so what'dya think? You like?

You don't need to diminish yourself in order to make others feel good about themselves.

You can compliment someone else without insulting yourself. In fact, demeaning yourself will probably make it more difficult for the other person to accept the compliment.

You also don't need to disparage your own abilities in order to give someone else confidence. You can be a capable person and support other capable people.

Compliment: You write such great angst! I was in tears after that last chapter. Compliment + self-insult: I could never write angst like you. Mine never has that gut-punch that yours does.

Compliment: You look gorgeous! That's such a pretty colour on you. Compliment + self-insult: I wish I had your fashion sense. I just wear whatever smells clean.

Compliment: This piece is awe-inspiringly good! How long did it take you?? Compliment + self-insult: Your art is so much better than mine. I could practice for a million years and never get close to this.

The thing about insulting yourself while complimenting someone else is that you might think that you're making your compliment sound that much better because you're increasing the distance between their level and yours. But what you're actually doing is refocusing your compliment away from them and onto you and your insecurities.

Maybe they'll notice and maybe they won't, but you will. Eventually, all of the insults you've given yourself will make you feel bad about that other person's skills and now, instead of a mentor or a colleague you have someone you're jealous of. Or at least, that's how it tends to go for me.

“college is absolutely nothing like this” “why are we writing four people on the team scoring a hat trick in one game” “so tech work is nothing like this, hope that helps!”

List of various terms of endearment that can be used in different languages. A lot of them are gender neutral. Now in alphabetical order.

Afrikaans

Lief (love)

Liefie (lovey)

Arabic

Habibi حبيبي (m) (my love)

Habibti حبيبتي (f) (my love)

Ya hayati يا حياتي (my life)

Ya qalbi يا قلبي (my heart)

Ya ruhi يا روحي (my soul)

Hubbi/hobbi حبي (my love)

Catalan:

Estimat (m) /estimada (f) (dear)

Amor/amor meu (love/my love)

Sol (sun) (used more like "és un sol" ('they're a sun'??) and normally used when talking about well-behaved children lmao.

"Reiet meu" could also be used (means 'my little king') (m)

"Carinyo" (from spanish Cariño i guess)

"Bonic (m)/bonica (f)" (means nice or pretty (physically)) ("bonica" in feminine is more common as a term of endearment)

Vida (life) (can also be "videta" (diminutive version))

Bombó (that's like a chocolate sweet lmao)(used normally with women)

Princesa (means princess) (f)

Czech

Zlato (gold, my precious)

Lásko (love)

Miláčku (dearest, little dear)

Danish

Skat (treasure)

Engel (angel)

Smukke (pretty/beautiful)

Elskede/elskling (beloved)

Kæreste (dearest and also used for the term girlfriend/boyfriend)

Snut (sorta like babe, a bit outdated)

Dejlige (wonderful)

Smuksak (beautiful but only for endearment)

Pus (cute pitiful thing)

Pusling (Pus in diminutive)

Musling (mouse diminutive)

Putte[animal] (cuddle[animal of choice], most used is: animal, mouse and pig, but other animals or objects happen)

Kære (loved one)

Allerkæreste (most loved, argumentative)

Basse (cute fat, might come from bear, mostly used for children and men)

Dutch

Schatje (treasure)

Liefje (loved one)

Lieverd (loved one)

Lieveling (loved one)

English

Dear

Pet

Baby

Babe

Honey

Darling

My love

Sunshine

Sweetheart

Sweet cheeks

Prince/Princess

Farsi

Joon/Jaan جان (life)

Azizam عزیزم (my dear)

Asalam عسلم (my honey)

Golam گلم (flower)

Filipino (from various local languages, all gender neutral)

Mahal, sinta (tagalog) (love)

alternatively add "ko" or "aking" to turn it into "my love" (e.g. mahal ko, sinta ko; aking mahal, aking sinta) with "aking" being used more often when talking about the one you love to a 3rd party;

or turn it into a verb (e.g. aking minamahal, kasintahan) to make it "lover"

Paraluman, irog, liyag, giliw (tagalog) (darling) these are older terms though, you won't hear or see them being used unless you're lovers with someone 🌟Extra🌟

Tangi (tagalog) (only one)

Tinatangi (tagalog) (the one i hold dear/the only one for me)

Tinadhana - fated (from the root word "tadhana" meaning fate, which in and of itself should also be a term of endearment and I stand by that)

Hinigugma (bisaya) (beloved) (very old)

Palangga/pangga/langga or "ga" for short and sometimes pagingging (ilonggo) (love) (can also be used platonically or between family members)

Kalasahan (tausug) (beloved) (this is pronounced with an emphasis in the SA syllable (as in kalaSAhan) instead of the LA like in the tagalog word LAsa (which means taste)

Jowa (filipino slang) (significant other/boyfriend/girlfriend)

Bebe, bebe ko, beh, bhe, bhie, bih (filipino slang) (babe)

Lablabs (filipino slang) (literally "love-love" in a heavy filipino accent)

Finnish

Aarteeni (my treasure)

Armaani (my darling (A bit old fashioned to say.))

Höpönassu/höpönassukka/höpsö (silly)

Kalleimpani (my most valued one)

Kulta/kultaseni/kultu/kultsi/kultsipuppeli (gold; darling (These are ordered from least syrupy to most syrupy.)

Mielitietty/mielitiettyni (favourite/my favourite (Formal, usually used when speaking about your loved one to someone else.))

Murmeli (marmot)

Muru/murunen (crumb; honey)

Mussukka (sweetie)

Pikkuinen (little one (Used for children and animals.))

Rakas/rakkaani (love/my love; dear)

Sydänkäpyseni/sydänkäpynen (my heart cone/heart cone; sweetheart)

Söpöliini (cutie)

French

Mon amour (my love)

Mon cœur (my heart)

Chéri (m) / Chérie (f) (darling)

Chou (used like "honey", but directly translates to cabbage)

Mon lapin (my bunny)

Ma vie (my life)

L'/amour de ma vie (love of my life)

Ma poupée (f) (my doll)

Gàidhlig (Scottish)

A chuisle (a hoo-sluh)/ A ghràidh (a ghrah-ee) (my love)

Mo chridhe (moh hree-uh) (my heart)

A chiall mo chridhe (a heel moh hree-uh) (my dearest darling)

Both romantic or otherwise, i.e. they don't have specific romantic connotations.

Leannan (lyen-an) (sweetheart)

M' eudail (may-thal) (darling, romantic)

Luaidheag (luah-yak) (darling, the way a wee old lady talks to a child)

German

Liebling (beloved/favourite)

Schatz (treasure, I would say the most common one between established couples)

Liebes (loved one) (not that romantic, can be used by older people)

Liebster (m) (loved one, bit old-fashioned)

Liebste (f) (loved one, bit old-fashioned)

Hase / Hasi (bunny)

Maus (mouse)

Spatz (sparrow)

Bär / Bärchen (bear)

Engel / Engelchen (angel)

Prinzessin (f) (princess)

Sonnenschein (sunshine)

Kleines (f/n) (little one, can be used in a cute way for women, (while actually being neutral), but can also sound degrading or offensive)

Greek

Αγάπη /Αγάπη μου (love /my love) (the first can also be used among friends, usually between women, but both are very often used in romantic relationships)

Ψυχή μου (my soul) (mostly romantic but can be used by a parent to their kid)

Hebrew

Chaim sheli חיים שלי (my life)

Neshama sheli נשמה שלי (my soul)

Lev sheli לב שלי (my heart)

Ahoovi אהובי (m) (my love)

Ahoovati אהובתי (f) (my love)

Hindi

Meri jaan मेरी जान (f) (my life)

Mera jaan (m/n) (my life)

Rani रानी (f) (queen)

Hungarian

Kedvesem (my dear)

Szerelmem (my love)

Drága (precious)

Édesem (my sweetie)

Kicsim (my little one)

Babám (my baby)

Kincsem (my treasure)

Indonesian

Sayang (to love/love, can be used as 'honey', doesn't have to be romantic)

Cintaku (my love, mostly used romantically)

Irish

A stór (darling)

A stórín (little darling, sweetie. More commonly used for children, but can be used romantically too)

A chroí (heart, you can say "mo chroí" too, that means "my heart")

A ghrá (love)

Aingeal (angel, used both romantically, and for people who've done something nice for you (think "you're a doll"))

A ghrá geal (directly translates to "bright love", but means something more like "honey" or "darling")

Mo ghrá amháin (my one, my one love, my true love)

Mo chailín/mo bhuachaill (my girl/my boy, we say this in place of "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" because there's no proper words for those)

Mo bhean/mo fhear (my woman/my man, like the above, but more seriously, usually said by married couples as a short form of "bean chéile" (wife) and "fear chéile" (husband))

A réaltín (star/little star, used both romantically and to refer to children)

Italian

Tesoro (treasure)

Amore mio (my love)

Cuore (heart)

Vita mia (my life)

Cucciola (puppy/cub) (mostly used for women, but you could say "cucciolo" for men)

Piccola (little one) (mostly for women, "piccolo" would be the male version)

Cara/caro (dear) (now mostly used by grandmas for grandkids but perfect for couples in the past or old couples nowadays

Bimba (f) (child)

Patata/patatina (potato/little potato) (again mostly women when used romantically, "patato/patatino" for men, but they can also be used for pets, babies, your kids or anyone that you find cute)

Tata/tato (short version of papata/patato)

Polpetta/polpettina (meatball/little meatball) (very uncommon, but I've heard it used for girls)

Topolina (little mouse) (very uncommon, but could be used for girls)

Bambola (doll)

Korean

Jagiya 자기야 (honey/baby)

Aegiya 애기야 (baby/little one)

Gongjunim 공주님 (f) (princess)

Wangjanim 왕자님 (m) (prince)

Nae Sarang 내 사랑 (my love)

Gwiyomi 귀요미 (cutie)

Yeobo 여보 (darling, loved one to a spouse)

Malay

Sayang (dear/darling)

Polish

Kochanie (my beloved)

Myszko (f) (little mouse for women romantic, or for young daughters)

Misiu (m) (diminutive bear, romantic for men)

Misiaczku (another form of the above but more intersex)

Słoneczko (diminutive for sun, can be for children but also romantic for women)

Pączusiu (diminutive doughnut, romantic partner)

Bąbelku (bubble diminutive for young children, toddlers or infants)

Duszko moja (very outdated, meaning my soul, for women)

Serce moje (also old school, meaning my heart, unisex)

Gwiazdeczko (diminutive star, for girls and romantic female partner)

Kotek/Kotku (kitten, unisex)

Mała (literally: little (f), for women, can be romantic but also offensive if used by strangers)

Skarbie (my treasure, unisex)

Rybciu (diminutive for fish, little fish, for women)

żabko (diminutive for frog, little frog, for women)

Portuguese

Meu querido (m)/ minha querida (f) (my darling)

Meu amor (my love)

Princesa (f) (princess)

Meu docinho (my sweetheart)

Coração (heart)

Amado (m)/Amada (f) (my beloved)

Meu (m)/ minha (f) mais que tudo (my above overall) Meu tesouro (my treasure)

Paixão (passion)

Meu bem/ meu benzinho (my goodness)

Meu doce/meu docinho (my sweet/ my little sweet)

Brazilian Portuguese

Amor (love)

Querido (m) / Querida (f) (darling)

Bebê (baby)

Meu bem (untraslatable; something between "my dear" and "my treasure")

Meu docinho de coco (my coconut candy - really old slang, nowadays used only for fun)

Patroa (f) (it means a female boss; not ironic not aggressive, but used by men to describe their wives affectionately, eg. "I can't go today, my patroa is waiting for me at home")

Gato/gatinho (m) / gata/gatinha (f) (cat/little cat; if a person is pretty, they are called a "cat")

Minha vida (my life)

Meu xodó (my crush)

Bebê (baby)

Docinho (sweetie)

Chuchu (honey)

Fofura (cutie)

Querida (dear)

Lindinha (beautiful/cutie)

Meu anjo (my angel)

Mozão or Mor (love, more like slang)

Romanian

Iubi (Sweet heart/darling)

Iubirea mea (my love)

Draga mea (f) / Dragul meu (m) (my dear)

Dulceața mea (jam/honey)

Sufletul meu (my soul)

Suflețel (little soul)

Russian

lyubov' moya / любовь моя (my love)

radost' moya / радость моя (joy of mine)

dusha moya / душа моя (my soul)

schast'e moyo / счастье моё (my happiness)

sokrovishche moyo / сокровище моё (my treasure)

solnyshko / солнышко (sunny)

zolotce / золотце (golden)

lyubimyj (m) + lyubimaya (f) / любимый + любимая (beloved)

dorogoj (m) + dorogaya (f) / дорогой + дорогая (darling, dear)

milyj (m) + milaya (f) / милый + милая (dear but in more informal way)

kotik / котик (kitty) malysh / малыш (baby)

zajchik (m) + zajka (f) / зайчик + зайка (bunny)

ptenchik / птенчик (little bird, hatchling)

rybka moya (f) / рыбка моя (my fish)

Serbian

Sreća(o) moja (my happiness)

Zlato moje (my gold)

Srce moje (my heart)

Život(e) moj (my life)

Duša(o) (my soul)

Slovak

Zlato / zlatko (gold)

Láska (love)

Miláčik (bit cheesy, but means my lovely)

Spanish

Cariño (darling)

Bebé (baby)

Corazón (heart)

Mi amor (my love)

Mi vida (my life)

Cielo (sky)

Amor (love)

Swedish

Sötnos (cute nose)

Älskling (darling)

Tamil

Kanmani [cun-mun-ee] (darling)

Turkish

Aşkım (my loved one)

Canım (my love/soul)

Hayatım (my life)

Bebeğim (my baby)

Kocacığım/karıcığım

(my husband/my wife, but in a more endearing way, you can say it to a person you're not married yet but thinking about marrying)

Her şeyim (my everything)

Yaşama sebebim (my reason to live)

Ceylanım (My gazelle, it's a gorgeous creature like cmon)

Güzel gözlüm (My lover with beautiful eyes)

Nazlı yarim (My coy lover)

Kalbimin sahibi (the owner of my heart)

Güzelim/yakışıklım (my beautiful/my handsome)

Kediciğim (my kitty/kitten)

Biriciğim/bi'tanem (my one and only)

Çiçeğim (my flower)

Balım (my honey) (can also say "bal dudaklım (my lover with honey lips)" if you feeling on fire)

Evimin direği (literally meaning "the post of my house," if you say this to a person (usually your husband), you mean to say that he keeps your household/family up, whether financially or with emotional maturity)

Ukrainian

Mostly romantic:

зіронька [zironʹka] (star)

мій світ [miy svit] (my world)

моє життя [moye zhyttya] (my life)

моє серденько [moye serdenʹko] (my heart)

коханий [kokhanyy](m) /кохана [kokhana] (f) (my beloved one)

милий мій [mylyy miy] (m) / мила моя [myla moya] (f) (my dear one)

любий мій [lyubyy miy] (m) / люба моя [lyuba moya] (f) (my loved one)

мій єдиний [miy yedynyy] (m) /моя єдина [moya yedyna] (f) (my only one)

Mostly between friends:

сонце [sontse], сонечко [sonechko] (sun, sunshine)

пташка [ptashka] (f) (birdie)

душа [dusha] (soul)

друг (m)/ подруга (f) моєї душі [druh (m)/podruha (f) moyeyi dushi] (a friend of my soul)

Urdu

Meri jaan میری جان (my life)

Pyaari پیاری (sweetheart)

Shahzadi شہزادی (f) (princess)

Welsh

Cariad (love)

Nghariad (sweetheart)

Let me know more terms of endearment in your languages! And please correct me if I'm wrong somewhere.

I know it’s the author who gave them those names, but I find it interesting how the names 江楓眠 (Jiang Fengmian) and 江晚吟 (Jiang Wanyin) both come from Tang poetry.

Jiang Fengmian’s name is from an extremely famous poem Maple Bridge Night Mooring written about my ancestral home, which coincidentally happens to be where the Lan sect lives - Gusu (姑蘇, known as Suzhou in modern times).

The specific phrase of the poem that his name draws inspiration from is：「江楓漁火對愁眠。」, which translates roughly to, “Riverside maples and fishermen’s lights face me in my worried sleep.” (It’s a literal, not poetic translation. Forgive me for butchering such a beautiful poem.)

The poem describes a sleepless night, in which the author is disturbed by the cawing of crows, the coldness of frost, the fishermen’s lights, and the sound of a Buddhist temple’s bells. 

The name Jiang Wanyin, on the other hand, is from a less well-known poem (it’s a good poem, but the Maple Bridge Night Mooring poem is so damn famous that the temple mentioned in the poem literally has a monument with the poem inscribed), 送祝秀才歸衢州, which has no proper English title (the title basically means “Seeing off a scholar (back) to Zhangzhou”)

What I find quite intriguing is the phrase concerned with the words Jiang Wanyin, which is：「騎吏陪春賞，江僧伴晚吟。」

It roughly translates to, “Riders accompany the appreciation of spring, monks on the river (江, Jiang) accompany night chanting (晚吟, Wanyin).”

The Jiangs may be descended from free-spirited heroes, but these naming conventions show that the Jiangs are rather intellectual and poetic. Furthermore, these courtesy names also perhaps foreshadowed the tragedy of both Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Cheng’s loves. Both poems are lamentations; the former describes an insomniac who cannot clear his mind, and the latter laments the passing of time.

Anyways, there are two versions of this post - the short version, and the longer version with spoilers, speculation and symbolism. If you’re fine with spoilers and would like to read the longer version, click “keep reading”.

All three names associated with Jiang Cheng in canon - Jiang Cheng, the Sage of Three Poisons, and Jiang Wanyin, all have to do with Buddhist concepts. I think everyone who reads MDZS knows about Jiang Cheng’s inability to let go of the past and the way he’s allowed his pain, hurt and anger to fester for 13 years. 

Three Poisons refers to the Buddhist concept of the three mortal afflictions (a Western point of reference would perhaps be the Seven Deadly Sins?) that perpetuate the cycle of reincarnation/prevent ascension to Nirvana. These afflictions are delusion, desire and aversion. The in-universe character who named Jiang Cheng’s sword after these concepts most likely hoped that Jiang Cheng would destroy or break past these afflictions.

The word “Cheng” (澄) literally means clear or transparent, and connotes tranquility and peacefulness, the ideal state of being according to Buddhism. Jiang Cheng’s parents, as problematic as they were, probably wanted him to live life with peace and clarity in his heart (in ancient China heart and mind were conflated).

But Jiang Cheng appears in the story as a menacing, antagonistic figure, with a sharp tongue and a lack of sympathy towards everyone outside of his sect and family. He is cold, distant and harsh, even with his beloved nephew.

What’s interesting is that his courtesy name Wanyin is associated with monks.

If you don’t mind spoilers… well… read on.

(This might break your heart if you love Jiang Cheng so beware)

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