Vivi Duarte - Blog Posts

I'm thinking about Justin Duarte seeing Madoc and immediately deciding to cut him down with an axe.

He didn't even try to apologise and talk it out. Of course, he thought Madoc would be angry and though that killing him would do the trick, but did he literally consider the fact that his daughters were there at the time? Did he actually think that Madoc was so dangerous that killing him right in front of 3 little girls was better than trying to talk it out and apologise?

Of course, we know Madoc's an honourable person, but Eva and Justin did dishonour him by pretending to die and then running away with Madoc's child, no less (Though Eva and Justin were also her parents. They raised her for 9 years).

Did Justin really think that Madoc was so angry that he'd kill both of them right there and then in front of 3 little children even if he tried to talk it out?

Eva was already talking with Madoc. Madoc hadn't killed her yet. Did Justin think that Madoc would be angry enough to kill him if he saw him (Justin) because Madoc loved Eva, but he didn't love Justin?

Did he not think at all because everything happened so fast? Did he not think it out properly because the whole sequence of events was too rushed?

We get to know Madoc, but it's through Jude's perception, and that's very different from Eva and Justin's perception. How did Justin and Eva see him? What stories did they hear? How did his interactions with them view their perception of him?

I really wish that Holly expanded on their relationships, because it would make this scene much more interesting.

What are your thoughts?

VIVIENNE AND HEATHER HURT/COMFORT (Part one?)

Heather grunted and rolled over. Something was missing………….. Her eyes slowly opened. Vivienne was not there. She frowned sleepily. Mmmmmmm, where was Vivienne? Maybe she had gone to the bathroom. Heather yawned and snuggled into the blankets. Vivi would be back soon. And then they'd snuggle and be warm. Yay. But time passed, and Vivienne didn't come back. And far from falling asleep, Heather started to gain more and more consciousess, until she was finally wired enough to go and find out where Vivienne was. Heather slowly walked out of the bedroom and turned on the lights as quickly as possible. Whew. No monsters in the dark. Heather never really believed in monsters until the incident years ago. After that, she'd been more than a little wary of the dark, but she had accepted that not all faeries were out for her, and some of them could be kind. Other than Mother Marrow. That woman gave her the freaky-deakies. Yech. Heather rubbed her eyes and stopped, tensing.

Sobbing sounds were coming from the bathroom. The smell of popcorn was strong and fresh in the air.

How could that be? They HAD made popcorn today, to accompany their watching Superhero Movie, but what was left of it was in the fridge, and it had probably gone cold. So how had Vivienne heated it up again? Did she use magic? her mind said. Heather inhaled sharply and strode towards the bathroom. She didn't like Vivienne using magic in the apartment and Vivienne never did. So why would she use it now..........? 'Vee?' she said softly. 'What happened?' The sobs were muffled by a slap of hand to mouth, then a surprised squeak was emitted. 'N-nothing,' Vivienne's broken voice came from the bathroom. 'I-am-fineHeather. Gobacktosleep.' she said. 'Vivienne……..' Heather pushed open the bathroom door. Their popcorn, the one that Heather had stored in the big green plastic bowl, was trembling on Vivienne's lap. Vivienne's hands were shaking and she was hyperventilating. 'VEE! What happened?' Heather fell to her knees and leaned towards Vivienne, who sobbed and shook her head, wiping her tearstained face. 'The popcorn,' she sobbed. 'Superhero movie. OW.' Heather felt like her heart was breaking. Here Vivienne was, sobbing, and Heather didn't know why. How could she help Vivienne? 'Vee,' she said gently. 'Do you want to tell me something?' Vivienne shook her head, but yet another sob escaped her, and she grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into her mouth. Vivienne's entire body was shaking. Heather slowly scooted in. 'Vee. You're shaking. Hey, listen to me. Just lean on me for support.' Vivienne gulped and wiped her nose. 'I miss him. It HURTS.' 'Miss him?' Heather asked. 'Do you mean Oak?' 'N-no. I mean-my dad. Justin.' Vivienne said. Heather mentally raised her eyebrows. Vivienne almost never talked about her father. She said that she had two fathers, but Heather had always heard her refer to Madoc as her father mostly, though Vivienne also thought of Justin as her father. Vee sneered at Madoc and took pleasure in taunting him. Heather was uncomfortable about it, so she stayed out of it. Not her problem. But now………'Justin?' she said slowly. 'Your mortal father.' Vivienne sniffed and nodded. 'I-I was going to-' she gestured to the bowl of popcorn. 'Vee, you can tell me,' Heather said, slowly rubbing Vivienne's back as her girlfriend sobbed into her shoulder. Once Vivienne had calmed down, she took a deep breath and gulped. 'My father-Justin. He made me popcorn.' OH. Ohhhhhhhhhh. Of course. Vivienne had always liked popcorn a lot. She made a big bowl for herself every movie night. Somehow, the bowl was always full. So Vivienne clung onto her memories of the mortal world and with it, her mortal parents. Heather had wondered if Vivienne really thought that the big, hulking, scary man was her father or whether the muscular yet gentle-looking man in the rare photos that Vivienne had taken with her was Vivienne's father in her thoughts. Maybe it was both, as weird as that sounded. Maybe that was it. Faerie was weird. Not Vee, though. 'Today. Superhero Movie.' Vivi said weakly. 'Released 2008. Dad and I were going to watch it that night. He made popcorn. But it never happened because-' She smiled weakly and then burst into more sobs. Oh. Oh. OH. Heather sucked in a breath. Of course.

Madoc had killed Vivienne's parents and taken her and her sisters back to Elfhame. When Heather had first heard the story, she was terrified of Madoc. She hadn't wanted to meet him, but Vivienne assured her that he wasn't always violent like that, though he could be 'a total jerk' most of the time. It was hard to believe that Jude and Taryn could love him and Elfhame, hard to believe that they could want to takr their chances with the cruel faeries who plagued Locke's wedding party. Heather had never been able to understand them.

Oh, well, it took all sorts to make a world.

But it was hard to believe that the tall, hefty, frowning man who'd stared at her with those eerie cat eyes was really nonviolent. Heather had shivered. She'd loved Vivienne's cat eyes, but somehow, they looked terrible on Madoc. She had been terrified of Madoc then. And she was still a little scared of him-but there was something else stirring in her now. Anger. Not just anger. Fury. Boiling rage. Heather had seen enough of Vivienne's silent crying and Madoc bothering Vivienne for something or the other. Now, she wanted to stride into his apartment and punch him deep in the gut. She didn't care if Oriana gasped or if she was glamoured or even if Oak cried. Vivienne was hurt, and this bastard had hurt her. Heather remembered thinking that Vivienne was crazy. She remembered her remembrance and the fear that came with it- But she also remembered the pure love that she felt for Vivienne, and her absolute joy and contentment at being with Vivienne again. Vivienne sighed and rested her head against Heather's chest. Heather immediately shifted her weight to accommodate Vivienne. 'Sorry,' Vee mumbled. 'I just really miss him. I mean, I miss both of them really bad sometimes, and now-it's just one of those times. I'm so sorry, Heather. And-and Jude and Taryn don't think that I'm grieving Dad, because Madoc is my dad, but he raised me too, you know? Crap, I'm so sorry.' 'It's no problem.' Heather said, slowly rubbing circles into Vivi's back. She couldn't imagine having a life like that. Just thinking about her parents being murdered made her want to vomit. But to have the murderer be her actual father and to have her sisters love him? Heather didn't have sisters, but she cared for Mikey, and she couldn't imagine how betrayed she'd feel if Mikey loved the man who did that. Vivienne had suffered so much that all Heather could do was be there for her and support her during these trying times. 'Vee,' Heather said, 'Let's not talk about that. Let's go back to bed. Do you want to finish the popcorn, or………?' 'Yeah,' Vivienne said, stuffing handfuls of it into her mouth. Once it was over, she took the bowl and poured water into it, leaving it in the sink to clean tomorrow. They both went back to bed. Vivienne was shivering.

If Madoc came tomorrow, Heather would tear him a new one.

One of the worst things that Jude and Vivienne did

Ok, so this is something that's never been talked about-at least I haven't seen anyone talk about it-and I really want to talk about it.

So........during TCP, Jude tells Vivienne that she wants her (Vivienne) to take Oak to the mortal world and raise him with Heather.

And Vivienne and Heather are 19 during this, they're just teenagers who are barely adults, and Vivienne agrees. Heather isn't happy about it, but she agrees in the end, and Oak isn't too bad to raise? (Not sure about the last part)

But.......moving this aside, can we talk about the fact that Jude and Vivienne put Heather and her family's life in danger?

You're probably really confused right now. Just keep reading.

We the readers and most faeries in TFOTA KNOW that Oak is the heir to the Greenbriar throne, which puts him in an incredibly dangerous position, because many people will come after him and try to kill him or use him.

Now just to be clear, this apartment isn't Vivienne's apartment. Yes, Vivi lives there, but this is Heather's apartment, it's under her name, she owns it, Heather's parents bought it for her. It's canon that Heather could kick Vivienne out if she wants to.

Jude has guards watching the apartment because it's dangerous and people could try to come after Oak in the mortal world too. And they could also come after Vivienne and Heather, and by extension, everyone and anyone that Heather cares about.

Do you see where I'm going with this now?

If Jude had guards watching the apartment, it's very likely that enemy faeries would be watching it too, and they would notice a certain pink haired mortal girl living with the important heir of Elfhame, and they'd take note and observe her and her movements, and her parents and friends and everyone she cares about.

The faeries could've killed Heather and her family. Having Oak there may have taken him out danger (he was relatively safe) but it put Heather and by extension everyone she cared about in a whole lot MORE danger.

THIS in my opinion was the most horrible thing that Jude and Vivienne did in the series.

I'm not sure if Holly Black thought about this while writing TFOTA-I don't think she did, but I did, so I'm sharing it with you.

You know, one thing I LOVE about The Folk of the Air is the existence and juxtaposition of the modern mortal world and Faerie.

Vivienne drinks mango smoothies. Heather plays games on her phone. The modernity of the mall is described in great detail. Bobblehead figurines make an appearance. Minecraft, Uno, Go Fish, Ring Pops, Halloween, soccer and Rocket League are explicitly mentioned.

Jude rides in buses and on bikes. Vivienne and Heather live in a modern mortal apartment building. Oak eats string cheese and food colored cereal and milk. It's all just so beautiful.

And this happens in other fantasy series like Shadowhunters, but the reason that I love it here is because we're looking at the modern mortal world from a person who has lived in Faerie.

We're looking at it from a near faerie's perspective, and while it's not completely shocking, Jude feels very foreign in it. It's a sort of culture shock to her after spending so much time in Faerie.

I think I like it essentially because it's a human culture shock to a foreign species. That's what I love about it.

Vivienne Duarte, Bianca di Angelo and being an older sister

So, in this post, I'm trying to examine how we as a society, even the ones who are progressive, automatically expect the older sibling, more importantly the older sister, to take on the burden of their siblings when their parents can't.

I'm going to use the example of Bianca di Angelo from Percy Jackson.

For context, I'll tell you-Bianca and her younger brother Nico were from pre WWII before the big 3 took the oath, and once her mother was killed by Zeus, her father put her and her brother in the Lotus Casino, which makes time pass slowly while the outside world time goes faster.

Bianca and her brother Nico were in there for about a month according to them but actually 70 years in real time. Keep in mind that during this time, there were no parental figures for them, even if they got everything they materially needed-food, clothes, etc.

Nico also mentions that Bianca was strict with what she let him watch, so this means that she watched over him in the Casino. Not fully, maybe, but she watched over him and felt parentified nonetheless.

Bianca felt that she had to take care of Nico.

And when they come out, they remember that their parents are dead and they go to a military school of all schools. Now Bianca feels like she has to take care of Nico because their parents are dead and because of the general expectations piled onto older sisters and they probably cling to each other a lot, seeing as how Nico didn't mention any friends from his boarding school time.

And when Bianca gets the chance to join the Hunters of Artemis, well, she takes it-and how do people react to this?

Well......they don't like it. They think she's abandoning Nico, they call her selfish, even though she's only 12-a literal child, not even a teenager. And she only wants to not be just a big sister, to have a life for herself. And she's groomed and mislead by two much older women who are also in the guise of being children (Artemis and Zoe) and she's told that she can meet Nico from time to time, but that she won't have to take care of him anymore and that he'll be taken care of. And so she takes the chance. She doesn't know that they're going to camp-she thinks that if she declines, she won't get this again. And she doesn't even think about the possible consequences of this, because again, she's just a scared twelve year old who barely had time to make a decision with a lot of pressure and 3 people there who tried to pressure her into the opposite directions.

No one really thinks about this, do they? They only think about how her joining the Hunters and her death affected Nico, and they judge their reactions to her based on him.

Because the way Bianca was written, she was always the Earth to Nico's Sun. And ultimately, she died and was only ever remembered as Nico's older sister, which is so sadly ironic because she always wanted to be more, but Bianca was doomed from the start.

And now we come to Vivienne Duarte, who can also be a slightly selfish sister, only people love her more because we actually see her helping Jude, and Jude doesn't seem to be that affected by Vivienne's distance from her and Taryn-in fact, Jude has said that Vivienne has come through for her plenty of times, and Vivienne does help Jude a lot over the course of TFOTA, so Vivienne would of course not be hated that much, right?

But, as always with case of older sisters not being there for their younger siblings, there's Vivienne hate for this.

And I mean, I can understand where you're coming from, because maybe it looks like Vivienne should have been there for Jude and Taryn-

But let me tell you, have we ever considered Vivienne as a person, and her desires and wants?

Let me tell you something very frankly-I wholeheartedly believe that if TFOTA was from Vivienne's POV, then a lot of people would be hating Jude and Taryn. We'd all be wondering why they choose to stay with the people who don't care for them and treat them like toys or pets. We'd be cheering Vivienne on, and maybe some of us would take some time to think about Jude or Taryn and maybe even defend them, but ultimately, we would say that they chose to stay in Faerie, so they weather the consequences.

And that's what I'm talking about. Have we ever considered the fact that Vivienne wanted to go back to the human realm, but Jude and Taryn wanted to stay in Faerie?

And then Jude and Taryn grew to love Madoc. Madoc, the man who killed Vivienne's parents, and kidnapped her and her sisters to a foreign land which they knew nothing of, and then her sisters started to love him.

It must have been awful for Vivienne. How many times did she turn away, her heart being pierced, when she saw Jude smile at or hug Madoc? How many times did she blink away tears when she saw Taryn with Madoc?

And she vowed to hate Madoc, but she was forced to live with him because of her sisters, even when she found a way out, because they wanted to go back to his stronghold, and VIVIENNE stayed for JUDE AND TARYN, even though she could have gone and lived in the Mortal Realm using her magic and she could have come and visited them when she wanted to.

Can you imagine a man murdering your parents, then he kidnaps you and your sister and is your biological father? And then your sisters, who aren't his real daughters, grow to love him even though you hate him, and you can't fathom how they can love him, because HE MURDERED YOUR PARENTS IN FRONT OF ALL THREE OF YOU.

I love the fact that she hates him. I love that she tried to kill him and betrayed him for her sisters. I love her for that.

And Vivienne did try to protect Jude and Taryn, but their relationshop fractured as Jude and Taryn grew to love Elfhame and Madoc, and that's realistic, because which person in Vivienne's place, with all her trauma and vows, would not hate her sisters a little for doing what they did?

And now we come to Vivienne's desires.

I mean, I already told you that she wanted to go and live in the mortal world away from Faerie, but she stayed for her sisters. Was she planning to stay forever if she had met Heather? Probably not, but she would have stayed longer.

But I think that when she met Heather and Heather wanted Vivienne to move in with her, Vivienne realised that it was either her or her sisters' desires-

And she chose herself over them.

And I think that that was wonderful, because she couldn't stay behind forever. She couldn't sacrifice forever.

And let me tell you, she offered so many times to Jude and Taryn, she said, hey, let's go back, stop being the the crazy psychos, and they kept saying no, we want to live here.

And Vivienne ultimately accepted that she couldn't always just try to help her younger sisters, that she and they would have to go their own separate ways, that ultimately she couldn't help them anymore. That Jude would have to fend for herself, that Taryn would have to find a husband.

And so she chose to leave for herself, and I think that that's so bittersweet, because she was leaving them behind for a new life, and she must have been hurt too, but she stopped sacrificing for her sisters. And she knew that she was immortal, so she could come back and visit them when they were settled.

And she tried, one last time, and she was even prepared to give up Heather for her sisters, but then they refused, and she gave it up entirely.

But I think that if Jude ever came to her, then Vivienne would help her, always.

Yes, Vivienne did play with Cardan, but that was most likely before he started bullying Jude and Taryn. Jude literally said that Vivienne stopped attending classes and also that she and Taryn hid their trauma in Faerie from Vivienne, so Vivienne didn't know that Jude and Taryn were bullied. And being the big sister that she is, she would never tolerate Cardan if she knew that he was bullying Jude and Taryn.

Bianca died, and Vivienne lived, and when people think of Vivienne Duarte, they're not always going to remember her as Jude's older sister, because she's so much more.

Vivienne stopped taking care of Jude and Taryn when she felt that she didn't need to and realized that they needed to fend for themselves and she couldn't always help them.

I feel like Bianca and Vivienne could have such a talk.........

@madockisser not sure if you've read Percy Jackson but what do you think about this? I'm trying to understand Vivienne's POV and I feel like I made some good points here, but I want your opinion too

Let Vivienne hate Madoc. Just let her.

Sooooooooooo I just saw some posts saying that Vivienne could love Madoc because she only believed that she would hate him when she vowed to hate him-

and even if that is true............

Let her hate him. Just let her.

First of all, can we have a Duarte sister who doesn't forgive Madoc for killing their parents?

I want to see him face consequences for murdering them, even if he had his explanation for doing so. I want to see him feel guilty about it and not be able to forget it. And Vivienne is perfect for this.

Jude loves him (albeit in an uncomfortable manner) and Taryn seems to have some love and loyalty to him too.

And honestly, I cannot emphasise how awful their parents' murder was for the Duarte girls. They saw it right in front of their eyes, and then Madoc kidnapped them and took them away from the only home they knew back then.

(And if Justin and Madoc can both be fathers to Jude, then the same goes for Vivienne. Madoc's her bio father, Justin's her adopted. He took care of her for 9 years-don't tell me she didn't love him.)

We as the readers are not really affected by it, because Jude barely talks about her parents and their murder, and doesn't express much grief after ten years because she's bottled it up and pushed it down.

But the Duarte sisters are. They knew their parents and they miss them, especially Vivienne who knew them longer and had better and clearer memories of them.

And honestly, Madoc was an awful person for that. He's an awful person for killing two people in front of children. Justin I get, because the guy tried to axe him, but he could have knocked Justin out-don't tell me he wasn't that strong or reflexive.

And Eva? He had no need to kill her at all. He could have grabbed her-AND THERE WERE THREE SMALL CHILDREN RIGHT FUCKING THERE!

It doesn't matter if he had an instant killing instinct. He's still a terrible person for killing Eva and Justin.

And do you know how much it must have affected Vivienne that Jude and Taryn treated their parents' murderer like their own father? Put yourself in her shoes. Imagine the betrayal, the hurt, the fury and pain.

We've been thinking and looking at TFOTA from Jude's perspective for far too long. It's time to dive into other characters' minds and see it from theirs.

Eva and Justin aside-let's go to Oak.

We know that Madoc was going to put Oak on the throne for his own gain, and we know that this would have traumatised Oak. Imagine being a king, having to make so many decisions-and Oak would still have some degree of responsibility, even with Madoc as the regent. Imagine having so many people looking at you for so many things that an adult should handle when you're so young.

Oak would've been traumatized, and you know it. And Madoc knew it too, and he still decided to go forth with the plan.

But where does Vivienne come into this, you ask? Why don't I just post this under a Madoc hate rant?

(I don't hate Madoc).

Because Vivienne knew what I just told you too. She saw Oak who was young, and he was almost 9 then (I think) and she was nine when her parents were murdered and she was stolen away.

And honestly, I'm pretty sure she hated Madoc in that moment. Pure hatred.

She probably took pleasure in forcing him to adjust to the mortal world, though. That must have been nice for her.

I don't think Vivienne loves Heather in the faerie way-she loves Heather in a more human way. (I love Vivienne and Heather so much, you have no idea, as much as some of you love Jurdan). And honestly, good for her. Good for both of them.

And honestly, I don't hate Madoc. It's just that when I think of him with relation to Vivienne, then I really start to hate him. That's all. Feel free to debate with me if you want.

Vivienne and Madoc angst part two

She had called him daddy on the day of the coronation. She had called him father when shooting bolts at him. Sometimes she acknowledged him, sometimes she acted like he was a stranger. In a way, however, they WERE strangers. Madoc realized with a start that he didn't know what her favorite color or foods were. He didn't know what clothes she liked to wear, he didn't know what she did for a living, he didn't know what music she liked to listen to. Well, she had never stayed for long. She was always off to some place, even when he tried to get her to stay. It wasn't HIS fault. 'Oh, yeah, look at this park! It's my favorite-Lincoln Park. My dad used to take me here all the time.' she said. Madoc raised his eyebrows. What? Her father? He'd never- Justin. Justin. My father. Justin.

It suddenly crashed into him. That even though he was Vivienne's biological father, the man who had raised her was Justin Duarte, and then he'd died, and there was no other man, because his one biological daughter had always avoided him, avoided acknowledging their bond. 'I loved playing catch with him. And when I was tired, he would take me for ice cream. Vanilla ice cream-my favorite. While Mom took care of Jude and Taryn.' Madoc bit his lip. He was very uncomfortable now. The car was very cramped. He wanted to get out and run away. (Run away? How odd. He never ran away from things. Emotional troubles-he pushed them down, not ran away.) Vivienne swerved to avoid accidentally running a dog down and cursed. (Push down, run away. Run down, push away). He had never apologized to them for killing their parents. His apologies came in the form of raising them as his own, insisting they live like the Gentry Faeries. Teaching them swordplay and strategies. Giving them ball gowns and faerie food. 'I don't really like killing. It's a you thing.' she said. 'Of course, you wouldn't know anything else, would you? You can only kill, pathetic monster.' 'Vivienne.' he said. 'I've had enough. Stop this.' She snorted. 'Of course. Run away from emotionally charged conversations. Always the Madoc I knew.' When she had yelled at him, about Justin and Eva, he had always yelled back and told her to shut up. Walked away. Distracted himself. He never cried. (Though he'd blinked quite rapidly when standing near Eva's cooling body. Very rapidly, more than usual.) 'I never-' he said, then stopped. He couldn't speak. Why couldn't he speak? (That was a lie. He couldn't lie.) 'You never WHAT?' Vivienne yelled. The car was going to fast for his liking now. 'Never WHAT, Madoc? Never wanted to talk about them? Yeah, you never DID acknowledge what you did to us.' 'I have you everything, but you never took it.' 'No you didn't. You took what you wanted from my mother and then took even more from the three of us. Took everything from the three of us.' 'Vivienne, please-' 'NO.' she screamed. The car slammed to a halt and Madoc lurched forward. 'Get out.' He blinked. 'What?' 'Get. OUT!' she screamed, blinking back tears. 'I don't know why I took you on. I never win. Just get out and find your way back. I don't care.' He sighed and got out, staring at the car zooming away morosely. And then he realized where he was. The house. The house where it all happened. He grit his teeth. VIVIENNE! Then it hit him-Eva would've done something like that. A silly, lighthearted prank-well, not really, but she would have done it in a lighter manner. He remembered Eva and her reddish brown hair streaming behind her as she squinted her eyes and threw her head back when laughing. She had been a perfect mix of Jude and Taryn-Jude's daring and cunning and Taryn's soft femininity. He knew that he was so dedicated to the twins because they reminded her of him-more specifically Jude, who could have been an adopted Vivienne. His own Vivienne, however, had his eyes and ears, but she also had Eva's brown hair and a lighter shade of her skin. And now Madoc really saw some Eva in Vivienne-her snark, her boldness, her carefree nature. And he wondered how he hadn't seen it before.

Vivienne and Madoc angst part one

So this is what a car looks like, Madoc thought. He had forgotten what they looked like. The models that Eva had showed him were 'old-school' and 'practically ancient', as Vivienne had put it. She had screamed with laughter when he asked about cars, using his fairy terminology.

Heather had politely smiled, but Madoc could tell that she was holding back laughter too. Her trembling lips conveyed as much. Madoc internally groaned. He was banished to the human realm, and he needed to brush up on his already scanty knowledge of it. And Vivienne seemed to delight in showing him how terrible he was at it. Laughing at every single thing he did wrong and condescendingly showing him how to do it better. He grunted in annoyance. 'This baby right here,' Vivienne patted the car, 'is a Toyota. Great model, very nice for a secondhand car, and holds four. Though with you in it,' she added casually, 'it'll probably be quite stretched, so be careful.' Madoc chose to take it as a compliment. His daughter was complimenting his muscular physique that could flatten any of these odd, lightning-speed, roaring vehicles. And anyway, the car was somewhat roomy at the back. He was studiously avoiding going to the house where it had all happened years ago. He would NOT remind himself of that time. Everything was better now. Jude and Taryn liked Faerie, and Vivienne- Vivienne, ironically, had been the only one who hated Faerie. She only stayed there for her sisters, and the moment she got a real chance to, she dropped everything and left to live in the human realm. Madoc had wondered at her loving a human girl. Just like him. And not understand her. Just like him. (And unintentionally hurting her. Just like him. Only this time, they were both well and good, while his hands were bloodstained and Eva lay six feet below). He had wondered how Vivienne would deal with Heather's death, but decided not to point it out. Vivienne was only 20 after all, and when she had lived centuries as he had, she would gain more experience. Oriana had chosen to come with him. What a wonderful woman and wife. Prim, thoughtful, proper, careful to consider he next move. Not like Eva, who was a restless whirlwind and broke more than one rule of faerie etiquette. (But then again, that was why he had liked her.) The human realm, however, was different from Faerie. No servants, no big grand mansions, only their little apartment in the building adjacent to Vivienne's, as she had absolutely refused to get him a flat in the same building as hers. He had already started playing politics with his neighbours and was making wonderful progress. He avoided telling Vivienne about this. Oriana rolled her eyes and shook her head. 'What will you do to the human world?' she had jokingly asked him. Maybe I'll take it for a spin, he thought, just like Eva did with my world. He had asked Vivienne to take him around the city to see what to catch up on. Now he stared at the glowing neon signs, recalling the ones from the 1970s, when he'd travelled around the city. He looked at the small stores whirl by. Vivienne wasn't even driving slowly-she simply drove ahead, telling him about the city and its modern developments. 'My goodness, humans really do evolve fast.' he said. 'I haven't been here since-well-' He fell silent. He hadn't been there since that fateful day-when he had killed Justin and Eva. 'You haven't been there since you killed my parents,' Vivienne said cheerfully. The car sped up. Madoc opened his mouth and closed it again. It shocked him that she said that, even when he had internally acknowledged it. My parents. My.

(Part one, since the whole thing is too long to post)

Why leave, did I not give you enough? (Part 2)

Was it because of Oriana? Madoc had not seen much of her interactions with the children, but they might have been apprehensive of new stepmother-Vivienne certainly taunted him about his infidelity to his previous wife. And when she had said at the wedding, in front of everyone, that Oriana certainly hadn't married Madoc because even his first wife didn't want him, he had thought that he might kill her. Certainly his stare had silenced her, but she continued to smirk and many fairies silently laughed. He had not been able to face her after the event. Everyone knew about and questioned (Even silently ridiculed) his two human daughters. Yet he continued, and they had come to be accepted over time. The fairies questioned him no more. He wondered if they had cut off her top ring finger or whether it had really been an accident as she claimed. It had been almost 2 weeks since they had gone-the first few days, he had been too busy to notice, yet at the end of 4 days with none of his daughters running around and yelling, he had begun to worry. And then he had checked on them, and they hadn't been there. And he had searched, and they hadn't been there, and then he had searched more, and they were gone. It was only the next day that they had come back, and when he had seen them there, they had run to him, and he had run to them, and then tear-stricken apologies and half-explanations tumbled from their mouths, and Vivienne had looked at them through her cat eyes, blinking back tears, betrayal and anger and grief blazoned on her face like a painting for the world to see. And he had sunk upon his knees and told them that they would have nothing to fear and that Oriana would not hurt them, and that he would not send them away, and that all four of his children would be safe. And he had been so angry at Vivienne, but Jude and Taryn begged him not to punish her, so he relented. 'Why leave, did I not give you enough?' he had asked. Subconciously, he knew that he had taken what he could not give, and had tried to trade jagged, rusted, useless metal for the most beautiful, rarest diamond in the world.

(PART 2! Sorry if it's a bit underwhelming. Please leave constructive criticism under my writing posts-I'd really like to hear how I can improve!)

Why leave, did I not give you enough?

Madoc was standing in the house once again, reliving his worst memories-Eva and Justin's deaths. The house where Vivienne had vowed to hate him. The house where Jude had screamed at him and hit him. The house where Taryn had sobbed, shaking her mother's dead body, though Eva would never get up again. It was empty. No one had bought it even after 3 years-the deaths still haunted them. It looked normal-a red plastic FOR SALE was mounted on the lawn and the wind chimes jingled in the comforting breeze. He wondered if ghosts existed. Would Eva and Justin be staring at him with contempt in their eyes? He hesitated, just as he had 3 years ago on that fateful day. Oh, how he wished he had grabbed Vivienne and Eva and ran. Would Justin come after him? Perhaps. But maybe he would take care of his daughters first. Madoc didn't know-Justin had been such a strange man. He didn't want to go inside. He didn't want to relive the bloodstained carpet and smell of wet blood.

He swallowed. He was a redcap. He was brave, and he slept at night knowing that he had killed thousands of soldiers. He could go inside and endure the ghosts of the past. He inhaled, curled his hands into fists and stepped inside. Nothing. It was empty, scrubbed clean, like no one had lived inside it at all. There were ornamental decorations and a pleasant perfume permeated the air. All dressed up to make it look flashy and attractive. Nothing could ever attract Madoc to the house, except for the fact that his daughters had run away. Just like Eva. Just when he had thought that they had begun to like him-they had sat on his lap, eating out of his plate, and played Nine Men's Morris with him. Taryn had stopped flinching every time she saw him, and Jude had smiled at him, even coming to have a somewhat twisted affection for him. Vivienne, of course, had not stopped. The weight of her vow would never leave her, and she had been so angry that she could not speak to them for days. Had she guilt tripped them into leaving? Most probably. Though they loved him somewhat, they would never be able to forget their real parents. The ones that he had murdered right in front of their eyes. Blood on the kitchen floor and the heavy smell of blood. He forced his feet to move, up, down, up, down. Into the kitchen where Eva once lay. Into the backyard where Justin's forge once stood. Into the bedrooms- He stopped, inhaling sharply. The beds were clearly made with gray and yellow covers. The room was airy and sunlit, dust motes dancing in the sunlight. A peaceful, drowsy afternoon. Was this where his daughters had slept? Where they had played with each other? Where they had watched, what did humans call it, TV? Television? Eva had told him of it and he had watched the strange pictures dance across the screen. They had watched it together, she laughing, he not understanding but smiling and playing along. He closed his eyes. He opened them again. Any question of them being here was gone, though they might have come for a brief visit. Were memories too painful for them as well? Footsteps made him spin around. Standing there was a woman, wearing a suit that hinted that she might be a-what had Eva called it-a 'real estate agent', someone who sold property. 'Sir,' she said. 'I don't know what you're doing here, but you need to leave, unless you're a potential buyer. How did you get in here?' He hit her on the side of the head and she crumpled. His heart wildly richocheted and suddenly she was Eva. He had killed another person. He stepped back and fell against the wall, screaming into his bundled cloak. Was she dead? His eyes were wild, his heart pounded as he scrambled to find out. No, Eva, please don't be dead- She had a pulse. She was bleeding, but she would be all right. He couldn't stay here. He had to leave-he barely had a few minutes to go back before he would have to attend a meeting. He took her phone, called the police (911, was it?) gave them directions and then stepped out. Suddenly, he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay here and drink in the memories of a family, torn apart by him, that he had so desperately tried to put back together. And now that they had run away, he might never be able to. He took the silky black horse back to Elfhame. His memories took the form of knives, stabbing into him as he recalled their painful shapes and colors. They took the form of needles, slowly sliding into him as he silently screamed, feeling the cold, sharp pain of memories upon him.

Vivienne Duarte short analysis

So, we talk about Vivienne not being there for her sisters in Elfhame and letting them get bullied by the other children of the Gentry, but I raise you this-

Vivienne WANTED to go back to the human realm, but Jude and Taryn wanted to stay in Elfhame, and when they were actually able to finally go to the human realm, Jude and Taryn hated it and wanted to go back, which broke Vivi's heart and immensely saddened her, because have we ever considered what Vivienne wanted?

Jude also recalled how angry Vivienne was when she and Taryn finally 'gave in' to Elfhame. I think that Vivienne thought that by choosing Elfhame, Jude and Taryn didn't just choose its perquisites, but also its perils, so one side of her mind decided that she didn't need to protect them so that they could learn a lesson. The other side of her, however, felt guilty that she wasn't protecting them, so she stayed for them. And so this cycle continued-angry one day, guilty the next. Just a theory of mine.

I want to draw you (Part 2)

Heather showed Vivienne her drawings. They were amazing-Vivienne loved how they portrayed her cat eyes and faerie ears, making them pop. 

‘How long have you been drawing?’

‘Well, since I was a toddler. I’m going to attend community college and major in something involving art. I just love drawing and painting-it’s my central passion. I’d die if I couldn’t draw anymore.’

‘So, drawing is the thing that calms you down?’ Vivienne said.

‘Most of the time, yeah. It doesn’t always help me, though-sometimes my emotions are so intense that even if I draw, I can’t calm down, and when I have art block, it’s the worst.’

‘Yeah, art block sounds bad if your main thing is drawing,’ Vivi agreed. ‘Um, hey, want to go get some Chinese food? Just you and me-I can pay for it.’

‘Ooh, really? That would be great! I’ll pay for my own food, though. You can pay for yours.’

They went to that great Chinese restaurant-the one with the amazing fortune cookies. Heather had been there once and she’d gotten the funniest fortune-there is money in your future-that doesn’t belong to you.

‘They have really funny fortunes, though you find generic ones too.’ she said. She started talking about the restaurant and telling Vivienne all about it, though Vivienne had been there a few times before (in glamour disguise). Still, Vivi nodded her head and pretended that she was just going there for the first time, just to hear Heather talk about it.

They ordered spring rolls and sweet and sour chicken. Heather talked about her life and family and Vivienne listened to her. 

Before she knew it, hours had passed and Heather had to go home. They exchanged numbers and she left, Vivienne staring after her. 

When Vivi returned home, Taryn asked her why she was smiling so hard, and she blinked and noticed that she was. She simply shook her head and went to her bedroom, then jumped onto the bed, squealing and giggling. Maybe life wasn’t so bad after all.

(I recently learnt that there's a short story on Heather and Vivienne in Faeries Never Lie-The Honest Folk. If I've made any mistakes in this short story, please let me know! Thanks for reading!)

I want to draw you (Part 1)

She met her in a mall courtyard. 

Vivienne was simply walking around, window shopping. She occasionally bought something if she felt like it, or if she thought it would annoy Madoc, or to gift to Jude and Taryn, though they seldom liked such presents-maybe because it reminded them of their brief childhood in the human realm and they had no use for it in Faerie.

She usually glamoured herself to have round ears and brown eyes, though sometimes she let her natural features shine through. Some humans saw through it-rarely adults, sometimes children, who were not believed, though she smiled at them. If an adult really did see it, they convinced themselves that they were hallucinating. Sometimes, however, she let her real features show to enjoy the look on people's faces. Some of them would come up and ask her about it, and she would be vague about it. 

This time, she wore her real features. She was feeling somewhat bummed out after a fight with Madoc and Oriana and wanted some comfort food after window shopping, one of her favorite things to do.

She wandered along the aisles, looking at glittery sticky hands, beautiful porcelain mugs, comfortable-looking sweaters and beanies. She smelt the aroma of Chinese food and Subway. She ran her hands along the grainy counter tops. And she sunbathed on the wooden benches while listening to her favorite music playlists on her phone that she had magically obtained-there was a whole lot of glamouring involved, too many complications all for a simple phone.

And then she saw Heather. 

The first thing she noticed was a smudge of blue ink on her nose. Then she noticed her beautiful eyes, the color of darkest amber. And finally, when she spoke, Vivienne was afraid that she was talking to someone else.

'I want to draw you.'

Vivienne blinked. 'What?' she said, looking around, but there was nobody else. The girl was talking to her. 

'I want to draw you. You're beautiful!' the girl said, gesturing towards her face. 'You're absolutely breathtaking-ethereal.'

Vivienne blinked rapidly and blushed. 'Oh-um, thank you. Thank you very much.' she giggled. 

VIVIENNE. STOP GIGGLING LIKE AN IDIOT.

'I'm an artist,' the girl said, sitting next to her. 'I love drawing things. What's your name?'

'My name? Oh, it's Vivienne.'

'Ooh, French! Meaning full of life, very spirited.'

Vivienne laughed. 'Yeah, that's me. Very vivacious. Though my sisters call me ferocious.'

The girl laughed too. Her laugh was beautiful-very musical. 'Your eyes and ears-they're beautiful! How did you do them like that?'

How did I do them like that? Vivienne thought. Oh-she probably thinks that they’re fake products and contact lenses. 

‘It’s a bit difficult, but I get it right in the end.’ she said, smiling mysteriously. At least, trying to smile like she was an enigma.

The girl laughed again. Her laugh really was music to the ears. ‘Oh, cool. Are you cosplaying or something? Or are you just doing it as part of a makeup routine, or do you just like the look?’

‘Oh, um, I just like the look.’ Vivienne said.

No, I do not like the look. In fact, if I could, I’d trade them for rounded ears and brown eyes in a heartbeat. Madoc would be so mad.

‘Wow. How’d you get your parents to approve? Mine are a little bit strict.’ she said.

Vivienne swallowed. ‘Well, my mom is dead, and my father and I aren’t on the best terms, so I usually stay away from the house. He doesn’t pay much attention to me anyway, so.’

She couldn’t lie, so she’d have to twist her words with this mystery girl-but she’d have to be much more subtle, since humans were not like the fey. They could probably see through lies much easier, since they could actively lie, something Vivienne wished she could do at times.

‘Ohhhhh.’ she said awkwardly. ‘Well, that’s sad. Um. So, do you come here often?’

‘Yeah.’ Vivi replied. ‘I love window shopping and then getting food to eat. It calms me down, every time.’

‘That must be nice-being able to find something that will calm you down, no matter what.’ 

‘It is.’ Vivienne agreed. Especially after she had come back to Elfhame after trying to leave forever. 

‘So………….may I draw you? You look fascinating. Not to objectify you or anything,’ she hastily added.

‘Yeah……..wait, what’s your name?’ 

‘My name? Oh, it’s Heather.’ she said. ‘I’m gonna start sketching-are you ok with that? Just tell me if you’re uncomfortable.’

‘No, I’m ok. You can start,’ Vivienne assured her.

Heather started drawing, looking at Vivienne and then back at her notebook. Vivienne, in turn, secretly stared at Heather-she loved her bunch of pink curls, her gray glasses that kept slipping off her nose, her lovely eyes that were a lot like Jude and Taryn’s, her rounded ears, her clothes that also had drawings on them-beautiful, intricate designs. She didn’t know if she’d meet her again, but she wanted to stay in touch with her-someone actually her age.

‘Did you draw those?’ she asked, gesturing towards her clothes.

‘What? Oh, yeah, I sometimes sketch on my clothes, though it drives my mom crazy. I love tie-dye shirts because I can make whatever patterns I want-I also like to design my clothes.’

‘You can design your own clothes? That’s brilliant!’ Vivienne said. She normally wore human clothes, even when in Elfhame, but she sometimes wore faerie clothes, that were also intricate and delicate and simply designed for beauty, and she had a feeling that Heather would love those.

No way. You can’t tell her about Elfhame. She’d go mad. She wouldn’t believe you. She’d think YOU were mad. 

‘Thank you!’ Heather smiled. Her smile was beautiful, like her laugh-it changed her face so much, Vivienne wished she’d smile forever, though she’d have so many wrinkles if she did. ‘My mom knows how to sew and all that-she taught me!’

‘Your mom is brilliant,’ Vivienne offered, then was pleased with Heather giggled and offered another thanks, saying that she’d be sure to tell her mother.

Oneshot of Vivienne and Madoc a little after the three girls being brought to Elfhame

‘NO!’ Vivienne screamed, running away and sobbing. ‘LEAVE ME ALONE, MURDERER!’

Murderer. Madoc’s head pounded. How long ago had it been since his rage and grief controlled his head and actions, thus causing another emotion to seep in-guilt?

But maybe he had already been guilty-guilty that he hadn’t done enough for Eva to want to stay here. He had always been at war, and she had been so young-somewhere in her early twenties. Human aging was confusing. 

He took a deep breath and strode towards his daughter. He couldn’t make Eva stay, but he had his daughter now and he was going to make her stay. He’d make her stay and learn how her mother was wrong-she would be his heir, his pride and joy, and she would stay in Elfhame.

He picked her up and pinned her thrashing arms to her sides. Vivienne screeched and he winced. If only Eva were here to control her.

Eva. Another wave of guilt overtook him. How could he have thrown his sword at her back just like that? Justin was another matter entirely (escaping with HIS wife and siring THOSE brats! Hmph). But Eva was their mother, the mother of ALL of them, even those bastards.

(They looked so much like her, though. And Vivienne looked like him. She had his ferocity from his younger days.)

‘Vivienne,’ he said sternly, ‘listen to me. I am your father and you will obey me. Can you not listen to me for once? You are already behind-I will catch you up on the ways of Faerie. You and your sisters.’

‘I HATE YOU!’ she screamed, tears running down her face. ‘MONSTER! KILLER! MURDERER! I HATE YOU SO MUCH YOU KILLED MY PARENTS LEAVE ME ALONE LET ME GO-’

‘SILENCE!’ he roared, and she flinched away from him, trembling in his grasp. She glanced at him and then glanced away, continuing this like a pendulum. 

He drew in a sharp breath, looking at her. She was so small, so tiny in his hands-he could hurt her in any way he wanted.

(Just the thought of it made him sick. How could he do that to his own daughter?)

She looked at him, her eyes red and watery, her nose sniffly, her face wet with uncontrollable tears.

She was scared of him. His beautiful young daughter, his baby, his heir, she was afraid of him.

The worst thing was that he was used to it. He knew those flinches, those wide-eyed pendulum glances, those limbs jerked away from him, that shivering. Even Eva had sometimes displayed them, though he had tried to ignore it.

But to have his daughter do it-his sweet, precious daughter that was supposed to have been born in the walls of his mansion, who should have been trained by him from the time she could walk, who should’ve been brought up like a warrior, who should have laughed as she killed with him, a true redcap, yet Eva had run away, and this was the result.

 He moved to wipe her nose and she bit his hand. He let go of her with a yell and she dropped from his hands, rolling into a ball on the floor (who taught her that? Eva maybe) and, picking up a vase, threw it at him. It shattered against the floor, dropping before it could reach him. She screamed and ran away again.

He sighed. He was exhausted. He had accidentally ruined his chance at happiness by killing Eva, and now he was stuck with her two bastards. If it had been only Vivienne, it would have been somewhat better, but………..

(Why had he killed her? And what if he had not? Would she escape a second time?)

A thought struck him-what if VIVIENNE tried to escape? She had her mother’s courage and spunk, so the thought of her planning to run away with her sisters was not far off.

No, he couldn’t allow that. (But he did. Three years later. Though thankfully they returned).

‘You’re not my father,’ she snarled at him. ‘Justin Duarte is my father.’

He froze. 

Justin Duarte.

The best human smith Faerie had ever seen, once his friend, then his enemy for a brief period of time, before he had died by Madoc’s blade. 

He had trusted him, taken his blades, laughed with him. 

How had he not seen the signs? Of course, he had been at war for too much time. Of course he had thought that Eva wanted to spend time with Justin because he was another mortal, and wouldn’t she get lonely without her own kind? 

She had promised Madoc that she was his bride and his alone. Oh, those sweet words from her honeyed, smiling, full lips. 

Mortal words. Ones that he never should have trusted. Mortal vows, so easily broken, like porcelain vases.

And mortals themselves, who would smile and simper and promise, and in the end, they would take what they could and did not care.

How like fairies, only fairies used different methods of manipulation, and then they could be far crueler.

He’d thought Eva was a human-she could have been a faerie, the way she deceived him and took his own daughter from him.

And then Justin, raising her as his own. Horrible man.

(Honourable man, loving his stepdaughter as if she were his own.)

Had Justin ever abused her? No. Had he ever looked down on her for not sharing his blood? No.

Madoc grit his teeth. If Justin could do it, then he could too. After all, they were the progeny of his wife and thus his responsibility.

(Damn responsibility. Sometimes he wanted to fling off its burdens, just let his rage and bloostlust wander freely).

They would receive the same education as his real daughter. They would be claimed and accepted as his own and live in high Fae society and eventually settle down. 

(And they did. But did they?)

Justin Duarte is my father, not you.

He looked at her, his eyes cat narrowed. Her eyes were the same and her ears were his. Even her skin was white, unlike his green and her mother’s brown. A mix of human and faerie, both worlds. He had been excited to know what she would like, and then he thought that he would never know. And then he knew, and her face had been distorted with fury and hatred.

She was staring at him fiercely, murderously, like a redcap. He almost laughed-such irony. What he had most wanted her to look like was directed towards him. Oh, Eva.

He sighed. ‘I am sorry, Vivienne.’

She looked at him warily. ‘What?’ 

‘I am sorry for killing your mother-and your stepfather.’ he said.

She snarled. ‘You mean my father.’ 

‘No. He was your stepfather. I am your real father. And I should have not killed him-yet my rage took over. One day you too will know the feeling. Though I hope that day will never come for your sake.’

She laughed wildly. ‘It’s too late. They’re dead. They’re dead, and I hate you, and I’ll never love you, and my sisters will never love you, so stop trying.’

‘I don’t expect them to love me,’ he said. (But they did. It was just not a comfortable one.)

‘Good. Because we won’t. And one day, we’re going to leave and never come back.’ she said.

He inhaled sharply. ‘No. You are going to stay here. You are my heir and will obey me.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Like hell I will. I obey no one and do as I please.’

He swallowed and picked her up again. She started screaming and kicking, and he knocked her out. She fell imply in his hands and he sucked in a breath, pausing to make sure that he hadn’t seriously hurt her. 

He carried her back to her room, ignoring the surreptious looks from the servants. 

He opened the door and stopped.

There were Eva’s other children-her twin daughters, huddling under the covers. One looked at him, eyes wide with terror, while the other, the one who had kicked him after he had killed Eva and Justin, glared at him, burning anger concealing white hot fear. Both of their faces were like hers. They were wet with tears like his daughter’s.

He walked over to the bed and they scrambled away from him, screaming when they saw Vivienne lying unconscious.

‘What did you do to her?’ the angry one screamed. 

‘She’s unconscious right now. She’ll wake up later.’ he said gruffly.

He deposited her on the bed and turned to leave. At the last moment, he stopped, his hand on the door handle.

‘I am sorry, children,’ he said to them. ‘Sorry for taking away your parents when you so desperately needed them. But know that I will make it up. I will claim you as my own and you will be raised as High Fae.’

He would do it-he could raise them, his daughter-daughters. Eyebrows would raise, mouths would whisper, but he was the High General and he could bear it for their sake. He would sacrifice for them if need be.

He would do it for Eva and Justin, for he owed it to them-they had wanted to raise their children peacefully and he disrupted it, but now he would do the same. Maybe he could find a wife to teach them what he could not-the social customs and methods of Faerie, the intricacy and delicacy and finesse that he was so lacking in.

‘All right.’ he muttered. ‘Eva and Justin, this is for you. Here I go-to becoming a new, determined father.’

The Folk of the Air moodboards

~ 4/13 ~ Vivi Duarte

The Folk of the Air moodboards

~ 3/13 ~ Taryn Duarte

The Folk of the Air moodboards

~ 1/13 ~ Jude Duarte