Summary: Emma was tired of the boring, dutiful life of a princess. She longed for an adventure–something to break up the monotony of life at court, something with
a little intrigue and possibly even a bit of romance–perhaps that was why the notion of sneaking away from the palace to attend a masquerade was so
appealing. Little did she realize that a dance with a ghost would lead her on a quest for vengeance over the man she would come to love. [ on ao3 ]
happy halloween! this isn’t really a halloween story, but there are costumes and ghosts! and pirates, sort of! and men in tight breeches! and granny as a Duchess in her own right! and hey, how ‘bout that incredibly gorgeous art? like, i’ve been dying for you all to see it. @fairytalesandtimetravel did an incredible job, make sure you let her know what you think of her work! you can check it out here.
anyway, enjoy my rated-for-everyone lieutenant duckling romance adventure. and be safe tonight!
The Ghost and the Mask
Lady Ruby regarded Emma with a solemn expression, but Emma could still see the devilish twinkle in her friend’s eye. Deciding to ignore Ruby’s obvious
attempt to elicit questions from her, Emma instead called upon years and years of lessons in comportment and her mother’s ever-present voice in her head
counseling patience as the best form of diplomacy; she folded her hands in her lap and fixed her countenance in the most bland expression she could summon.
Because Ruby had been a friend since they were young girls, Emma tilted her head to the side, her only concession to curiosity, though inside she
impatiently waited for whatever outrageous thing her old friend would say next.
Lady Ruby narrowed her eyes slightly, but she must have remembered that great friend or no, Emma was still the princess, so she sighed heavily and smiled.
“A ghost.”
Emma lifted one brow but otherwise maintained her composure. Inside, she felt a tingle of excitement. A ghost! In Lady Ruby’s ancestral home!
“He has the Lucas light eyes and dark hair; probably some long-lost ancestor doomed to haunt the halls with a forlorn expression on his handsome face.”
Here’s this not so little thing I’ve created that consists of Captain Swan fanfic recommendations for the major fall/winter holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, with stories listed by holiday. I know many of you love holiday stories just as much as I do, so hopefully you’ll find something you like here! Also, since it’s early in the year and new fics will be posted over the next few months, I’ll be updating this periodically as the holidays roll around. Please let me know if there are any errors with fic links or author usernames, and feel free to continue sending me suggestions to include in the next update! (PSA this fandom desperately needs more Thanksgiving-related stories.)
playlist:control / halsey; in the dark / cathedrals; beggin for thread / banks; serial killer / lana del rey; let’s kill tonight / panic! at the disco; yellow flicker beat / lorde; no rest for the wicked / lykke li; up in flames / ruelle; monsters / ruelle; cosmic love / florence + the machine; seven devils / florence + the machine; the devil within / digital daggers; black black heart / david usher
It All Starts With a Dance 