Greenbriar shenanigans (one-shots)

Bedtime fairytales

Tristan loved the stories Cardan told Cassie and himself every night before bed as he'd tuck them in. Fey parents generally never 'tucked in' their children or told them fairytales before bed, after all their children don't need as much love or care to be raised as mortal children do.

 Still, Cardan insisted on doing it every night ever since Jude first told him of this little ritual of 'tucking children into bed', practiced in the mortal realm by the parents. He wanted to give his children all the love they could ever ask for, everything he had been denied as a kid himself.

Perhaps, that was what made them even more special for him knowing this was his fathers way of showing love to him as verbal affections were rarely exchanged in the land of faeries.

Jude would hardly ever be present for these bedtime stories as some work or the other would always turn up or she at the end of the day would be barely left with any energy to spend this time with them. Still, Tristan never complained as he understood how difficult it must be to be the High Queen of Elfhame. 

Cassie threw a fit over their mothers absence from time to time but he never did, he always tried to understand and even support her in these instances. 

For him this was his own little way of showing love to his mother as he knew how misunderstood Jude was. She may crave for power but she truly did love her family and Elfhame, a place she had come to see as home. 

Most people assumed that for the ruthless murder Queen of Elfhame, even her own family members were mere tools or stepping stones to power, to most she was the biggest villainess.

Every fairytale had a antagonist after all, the Villain or Villainess of the story and Jude Duarte was the biggest manipulator and Villainess, there was no way around it for it was a fact.

She had manipulated the then cruel prince, Cardan Greenbriar, into taking over the throne against his wishes. She had betrayed her adoptive father and family in favor of the throne and power. She controlled the High King, indirectly controlling the throne and even killed prince Balekin, the first born child of Eldred. She had also exiled her own adoptive father and was now the fierce, stone hearted High Queen of Elfhame.

 Thus she was the Villainess, without a doubt.

That's why he always liked the clever and ruthless Villainess' in every fairytale and would always vouch for them. For they would always remind him of his mother, whom he loved and admired more than anything. He was a proud Mama's boy and would never hesitate in admitting that.

***

"A true battles person wouldn't just focus on their own weapon and brawn, Tristan. They would always be resourceful and make the best use of the resources around them as well."

Tristan found himself face planting into the ground for the nth time. He quickly scrambled to his feet holding up his practice wooden sword.

 He charged at her with a burst of power and energy but with a swift and fluid movement from Jude, he had been disarmed with a hit to his fore arm. His sword went flying out his hands and his mothers own wooden sword which she used to train him was pointed directly at his Adam's apple, holding him at bay.

"How do you do that?" Tristan couldn't help asking his mother in amazement. She sighed pulling away her sword and offering him a hand to pull him up, he took it.

"It's due to your stance. Your stance is way too wide leaving enough space for an open ended interior attack. You should make your body movement more fluid and make your stance more concise."

"Alright. Stance and speed, got it."

"Good, let's try again."

After a few more tumbles he had finally improved his stance and agility, at least according to Jude he had. She gently smiled at him, pushing back his fringes to kiss his temple. He leaned into her touch as he felt his insides fill with warmth at her affections.