Cedric Porter - Tumblr Posts

Callisto: Love is a weakness and a evolutionary mistake.

Cedric: You’re literally making a Valentine’s Day card for Penelope.

Callisto: *waves glue gun threateningly* You’re on thin fucking ice.

Cedric: I sleep with knives under my pillow.

Reynold: Weak. I sleep with a sword.

Callisto: Hah. You’re both pathetic.

Cedric: What killer weapon do you sleep with Mr. Badass?

Callisto: *smiles proudly* Penelope.

Cedric: What do you have there?

Child Callisto: *running past* A SWORD!

Cedric: *chases after him* NO!

Callisto, remembers kissing Penelope: *laughs* Cedric: ? Callisto: Don't pay attention, I just remembered a joke. Cedric: Okay? Callisto remembered how Penelope blushed and puffed out her cheeks: *giggles* Cedric: ???? Callisto: Are you still here? Get out of here. Cedric: Cedric: Should I call a doctor? Callisto wanted to tell him to go to hell when he suddenly remembered how Penelope was worried about his arm wound and even bandaged with a piece of her dress, which he carefully keeps: *happy laughter* Cedric: If he can help, of course.

I hope they’ll have his POV this week, maybe just to keep how things between Penelope and Vinter are resolved a mystery for a little longer, keep people interested for another week. But yeah, they’ll most likely have Callisto’s POV to end the season.

VADD FLASH FICTION: PAPERWORK PILEUP

One day, while Callisto was poisoned and on his supposed death bed again and with Penelope away and scheduled to return soon.

Cedric looked at the pile of mounting paperwork and then at the Baroness, the closest thing Callisto had to a mother, worries over their charge for two completely different reasons. Cedric puffs up and produces a letter and mouths ‘I got this.’ To the Baroness.

“Your Highness, oh, what should I tell Lady Penelope?” He said in despair. The Prince twitched. “She should have returned by now and is no doubt getting ready for the date. Or perhaps she’s there by now. Oh the poor lady, she’ll think you’ve jilted her.”

The Prince twitches harder. And Cedric continues. “She doesn’t know what’s been going on and this might push her into another’s arms. I heard she’s good friends with the Marquis Verdandi.”

Callisto springs up in bed, the ill effects of the poison gone and miraculously now fully healed.

“Your Highness!” The Baroness cries in relief from her seat but Callisto spares her no mind as he races for his wardrobe and orders them to prepare him a bath.

As soon as he’s ready, Cedric hands him the letter he was holding. “Oh, and this came for you two days ago.”

Callisto spotted the Eckart crest and quickly grabbed it from him. He tore it open and read it before his face fell.

“It seems the Princess has been delayed until three days from now. A combination of poor weather and dangerous roads holding her back.” He sighed before he dropped onto his bed. “Still I’m glad that she’s safe.”

Cedric had known the contents, the messenger had given him a brief rundown of the situation when he had received it on the Crown Prince’s behalf. Cedric consoled his liege. “There, there. At least you didn’t inadvertently stand her up or give her a false impression that you were jilting her.”

He then coaxed and led the Crown Prince to his office with surprising efficiency, so much so that by the time Callisto had even realized it and come out of his stupor, he had signed half of one pile of documents and had eaten a hearty lunch that the Baroness had brought. He stared at his aide in confused suspicion but the man was purposefully focused on his own work before he stood up and excused himself.

As he walked out of the door he glanced back at his employer. “Your Highness, I’m so happy that you’ve woken up and though I do feel bad that your date has been postponed, please look on the bright side. At least you’ll get to spend more time with the Lady if you get all your paperwork done in time.”

And then the door slammed shut behind him.

Penelope: Callisto says “I love you” weirdly.

Cedric: How so?

Penelope: Watch this.

Penelope: *turns around* Callisto, I love you!

Callisto: I’d kill for you.

Cedric: Your Highness, why does Lady Penelope call you baby girl?

Callisto:

Callisto: How about we stop talking for now.

Penelope: (About Callisto) Did you know how he felt about me?

Cedric: Did I know? For 4 years now, I have been hinting to you, I have been hinting to him, I have been hinting him to hint to you. Why do you think I don’t have enough time to make patè?

Cedric: There’s no “I” in team, Your Highness.

Callisto: Yeah, there’s no “U” either. So I guess if I’m not on the team, and you’re not on the team, nobody’s on the goddamn team. The team sucks.

Callisto: I’m invoking the “No judgments” clause of our friendship.

Cedric: My God, what have you done?

Imperial Domesticity: Expectant Father

A story about Callisto during Penelope’s first pregnancy. I just want some fluff.

Callisto helped Penelope up and out of the cave as carefully and gently as he could, it wasn’t lost on him that some of his most significant moments with her were in caves. The weight of his sword was a comforting presence of safety as they made the (slightly hazardous) trek back up the mountain and into the little hovel… er house, that Penelope had been living in while she worked for the last few years. He had been there a few times for short visits. He knew the house quite well, though it was quite bare and utalitarian since most of her things was in their shared bedroom within the Imperial Palace.

His fiancee (his pregnant fiancee), yawned tiredly even as she shivered. Callisto frowned at the sight and led her to the bedroom, or at least he meant to. He paused midway as he observed the way the house seemed emptier, the stacks of papers on the desk was higher than usual and he worried that she was overworking herself when she was pregnant. He clucked his tongue and made sure to speak to the wizard who he had assigned to her before he resumed his steps, eventually just sweeping her up into his arms when she almost fell out of sheer exhaustion.

He placed her gently on her bed and helped her strip off the wet clothes before he reached for the towel and helped her dry herself. Then he helped her dress in her nightgown before tucking her in. When he was certain she was asleep, he stripped and lit the fire in the fireplace before returning to the bed. He stared at her for a few moments, happily taking in the beautiful sight of his fiancee illuminnated by the moonlight before his gaze fell from her face and down to her still flat stomach. His hand reached out and gently stroked it before he dipped his head and kissed the womb where their unborn child grew.

‘I would love a girl.’ He thought. ‘But, so long as you and your mother are healthy, I truly don’t care if you weren’t. You would always be our beloved little one.’

And then he lay down and pulled his Princess, no, his soon-to-be-wife, into his arms and let sleep drift into him.

-

-

In the morning, Callisto woke up to the annoying ring of the communication orb that only Cedric used. Penelope groaned as she stirred and he immediately answered it.

“Your Majesty! Where are you?!?” Cedric asked in frantic annoyance.

Callisto glared at the man with quite a lot of spite as Penelope began to truly leave the realm of sleep. “With the Princess.” He answered as bluntly and flatly as he could. After all, where else would he be if he wasn’t in the Imperial Palace?

“It’s not a visitation day though.”

“So?” He was the Emperor, he could do what he wanted. Though he had been good and had been playing nice for Penelope’s sake as he waited for her to finally be ready despite knowing that there was a large possibility it would never happen. That was why he was so happy for their little blessing. He had accepted that Penelope might never be ready for marriage or to start a family. And that it would just be the two of them living as lovers and nothing more. But this… to know that Penelope was finally ready to marry and that they were soon to become parents? No amount of happiness could overcome this.

“There are papers that need to be signed. What time will you be back?”

Porter knew that trying to get him to leave the Princess’ bed right now would only end in him vindictively dumping more work on his desk and was careful not to push on the issue of his returning to the Palace immediately.

“Is there a war?” He asked.

“No.”

“Is there an emergency where lives are at stake?”

“No.”

“Is it something that would go away if I kill the nobleman who was responsible for it?”

The Princess pinched his arm at his words and Cedric stared at him blankly. “No.”

“Tch, then just leave it. I’ll deal with it when I return. Just make sure to have the wizards ready to get the Princess and I when I call.”

He cut off the call immediately and placed it back on the table before he pulled her back to him. His hand tangled itself into soft magenta curls. “We’ll need to start planning the wedding soon.” He murmured into her hair. “I can send people over to pack your things.”

“There’s no need.” Penelope told him.

“Are you planning to just leave them here?” He traced patterns into the soft, unblemished skin of her back and arms. His hands wandered here and there, leaving goose bumps where his hands touched. Could feel her heartbeat pick up. “It doesn’t matter to me, either way. I can just call for some tailors and seamstresses for you.”

The Princess placed gentle kisses on his neck before she looked up. “No, it’s because the house is pretty much packed up.”

“What?” Then he scanned his surroundings now illuminated clearly by the morning light. And he finally noticed that, yes, her clothing was mostly packed away in bags now. And the sparseness of the room was to a different degree.

Though this wasn’t the kind of thing that could have been achieved within a day. “But you only found out about the baby yesterday?”

“Yes.” His Princess confirmed with a chuckle at his confusion. “I found out that I could be pregnant yesterday, but I’ve been preparing my replacement and packing things for the last month.” She explained as she kissed his lips. “I decided that I was ready to get married right after our birthdays. That’s why I’ve been so busy recently. I wanted to surprise you when I went home tomorrow that I’ll be there to stay.”

It always brought him an irrational sense of joy whenever she called the Palace, home. And especially now that he knew that her decision came long before the discovery of the babe.

-

-

The first thing Callisto did when they returned to the palace, to their home, was to set a date for the wedding. Penelope had tried to insist on a small and quiet wedding but he had argued (and won) against it. First, not only was he the Emperor and she, the Empress-to-be, which meant that they needed a formal ceremony so that she could be properly recognized and crowned. Second, people would talk and would perhaps question the legitimacy of their marriage and their child. Third, she was the daughter of the only Duke in the Empire and as such, there would be a backlash, especially by the Eckarts (though he didn’t particularly care for them but had thrown them in for good measure) who would no doubt be upset by it all. And finally, he had waited five years and was going to be deprived of the five-year-long honeymoon he’d been promised.

That had won her over and she finally consented to a proper wedding. Callisto took care of most of the planning, Penelope being too tired from the pregnancy to do much so early in the day, which was when they (he) did most of the wedding planning. Afternoons were set aside for them to do their respective duties with his bride having long ago taken on the duties of the Empress, though in a less official capacity. And the evenings were spent wrapped up in pleasure as the pregnancy inspired new heights to her lust. Which also went hand in hand with why she was so tired.

Whatever free time he had, he spent it having his old palace renovated and prepared for the future Crown Prince or Princess. A project that they had both taken to heart.

The Porters' experiences in child rearing came in handy as they spoke to them quite candidly about their experiences in child-rearing.

And so did the fifty books on parenting he had read, the four hundred testimonials of his staff, and the full medical team he had that was always checking on Penelope and the baby.

He thought he was justified in what he was doing. Between the poison from the Leila, the backlash from using her magic, and the abuse and starvation she had gone through while at the Duchy, he worried for her health constantly.

Callisto also made sure that her duties would be reduced so as not to cause too much stress on her body. Instead, he contented himself with watching her flutter about trying to design the nursery, making toys for the babe, and discussing child-rearing practices from her world, a discussion he gladly took part in. He listened to her talk about all of the novel concepts she had learned from her time working as a nanny for one of the part-time work she had held in her previous life and he found himself drawn to the way things had been done there.

He didn’t want his children to grow up estranged from them, he wanted to be there and be an active participant in their lives, in a way that his father had never been. He wanted to be there for their first words, their first steps, everything! And he wanted to make sure that his child’s right to inherit would never be questioned, especially if the babe was a girl and the only child Penelope would ever have. So he got to work changing the succession laws.

-

-

Callisto stared at his wife in disbelief. Whatever he had expected from his wedding night, it wasn’t this. His new wife was sleeping with a smile of contentment on her face even if she had fallen asleep just as he’d begun his gentle seduction of her for the second time that night. Yes, technically, the marriage had already been consummated earlier as they’d bathed together, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want another, more proper consummation in their marital bed.

Still, he sighed before he let out a gentle laugh as he watched her sleep on. Her face turned to his hand as he caressed it gently. The exhaustion from the festivities of their wedding fell away the longer and deeper she slept.

He pulled away from her for a moment as he went down to her belly and kissed it through the thin fabric of her nightgown. “Good night my baby. Papa loves you so much.” He whispered. “I can’t wait to feel you start to move, especially for the day I get to meet you.”

Then he straightened himself and kissed his wife before he lay down and let her curl herself into his side. “Good night, My Love. Thank you for choosing me.” He murmured into her hair.

“Hmm.” His wife mumbled. “I love you.” She said sleepily before her breathing evened out again.

-

-

Just as the beginnings of the more obvious changes to Penelope’s body began, Callisto decided to call for the tailors and seamstresses to make an entirely new wardrobe for her. It wasn’t just the fact that the baby was now making itself known, it was also the fact that the seasons had shifted and the silks he had dressed her in were now too light and thin to withstand the fall and coming winter seasons.

He lavished his wife with every comfort she could ever want, made it a point to see her at least once an hour if possible, and even put up with the intrusion of his newly reconciled in-laws.

The further along her pregnancy went, the more doubts and fears crept up into him. What if he was a bad father? What if he made the same mistakes as his father? What if something went wrong and he lost Penelope and the baby? What if…

There were too many things swirling around in his mind like a storm that was unable to stop.

And then one day, as the two of them sat down for tea, Callisto had brushed his hand across her womb and felt it. The telltale kick he had been waiting for and bother his wife over the last few months.

It had taken a moment for his mind to understand what it was as he sat there stunned. But then it happened again and again and he found himself laughing in delight. His heart soared with love as he quickly shifted himself to kneel on the floor, one hand on the side of her womb where the baby kicked and his head lay on the other side. Penelope held his other hand as he murmured encouragements and words of love to their little one.

“I love you, Callisto Regulus.” He heard her say. “And I’m very happy with my life here with you. I’m happy that I made the choice that I did, and I’m happy that I chose you.”

Callisto inhaled sharply as something settled in him. This contentment and peace that he had long craved, the connection and unabounding love that he’d lacked and searched for was here, in this very room. His whole world was made of this woman and the child growing in her. His greatest treasure. She hummed a tune softly as she stroked his hair while he waited for his child to move again.

-

-

He stayed with her throughout the whole delivery. His teeth gritted at the way her face twisted with pain as contractions hit her, even as she tried (and failed) to break his hand when she squeezed it tight. He silently prayed that it would be over soon and that his family would be safe.

Even as he wiped away the sweat from her beautiful face as she leaned on him for support, he whispered quiet reassurances. Callisto had broken tradition and had banned any but the medical staff and her loyal maid from entering the chambers while she gave birth so as not to over-tax his wife with the added stress of the many stares of courtiers watching. It was unprecedented, especially the active role he took but he didn’t care. He was the Emperor and she was his Empress, no one stood above them in this empire.

Callisto heard a sharp and loud cry just a few short breaths after the Doctor had announced the babe’s arrival. “It’s a girl, Your Majesty…” The Doctor declared. And from the first moment he had heard that cry, his heart shattered and remade itself. His world grew into two, and is now more tangible.

“But… Your Majesties…” The Doctor was hesitant as the whispers and gasps of the medical team abounded.

His heart sank and he felt his beloved wife begin to shake in his arms.

“What’s wrong?” He demanded, fearful for his daughter’s life and wellbeing.

“She’s healthy.” He reassured them but he was hesitating.

“Out with it!” He commanded.

“She has dragon wings.” The Doctor said immediately as he presented the child to them.

Callisto blinked and shared a glance with Penelope as she reached for the babe, arms a bit shaky.

The two of them looked at their beautiful daughter and he fell deeply in love, as deeply as he felt for his wife, but so very different. And sure enough, their beautiful child had wings sticking out from her back.

There were whispers of prophecies and the second coming of the golden dragon going around the room but that was something for him to think on later. Right now, his attention was on the child that made up the other half of his world.

“Welcome to the world, Judith Regulus.” He said as he grasped her little hand gently. The name they had chosen sat well with their beautiful girl. “We love you very much.” They both whispered to their daughter.

For something that was meant to be a one shot, Imperial Domesticity is now turning into a full on series. I’ll compile this into a proper fic on AO3 when I have the time. Also just me craving for some sweet content between the two. And I wanted a fic about Callisto throughout the pregnancy and just him being so in love with Penelope and the unborn baby and just being so happy but also being terrified of making the same mistakes as his father and being hated by his child.

Cedric: Relax. Just act mature.

Callisto: Mature. Got it.

*later, on a date*

Penelope: So, what do you like to do for fun?

Callisto, with a deep voice: Taxes.

Cedric: Your Highness, we need a plan of attack!

Callisto: I have a plan: attack.

Callisto: With great boredom comes great irresponsibility.

Cedric: Please tell me you’re not on their roof again.

Cedric: What happened?!

Callisto: Do you want the long version or the short version?

Cedric: Sh-short?

Callisto: Shit’s fucked.

Cedric: Okay, long.

Callisto: Shit’s very fucked.

Cedric: Do you play fighting games?

Callisto and Penelope: Every time we go outside.

Villains are Destined to Die plot synopsis for those who aren't reading it yet

Callisto: If modern day government was a monarchy and I was in charge, ho ho, the things I’d do!

Cedric: Please list some things you would do my liege.

Callisto: I dunno, ensure a proper separation of church and state instead of the half-baked version we have now so that one’s personal preferences doesn’t actively hurt and affect the lives of millions by willfully ignoring the utilitarian nature of helpful ordinances.

Callisto: Actually, scratch that, I want to release dangerous exotic animals into malls.

Cedric: So how did you two end up together?

*FLASHBACK*

Penelope: Hey, if we got married, would I get diplomatic immunity?

Callisto: Penelope, what did you do?

Penelope: Wedding first, questions later.

Callisto: *gets up* Okay.