Visenya (fem! Vasily) & Nikolai || Lantsov dynasty au

«can't escape it, no
the damage has been done...»

There is a cost, always, to making difficult choices. The key is making sure that cost is not regret.

I had an idea to somehow combine Hotd & Grishaverse for the longest time and finally, this storyline came to me. I had so much fun making all the manips this is probably my favourite au video I've ever done! It really feels like it could be a fic and these are the moments I wish I had time to write (and, you know, write well😂).

Also, so sorry in advance because the storyline explanation is gonna be hella long 🙈

TW: inc*st

Storyline: Visenya and Nikolai are brother and sister; they grow up together, having a much deeper bond than siblings usually do. Their relationship turns romantic, and they keep it a secret from the court. Meanwhile, the capital gossip starts reaching the palace walls about Nikolai being a bastard. As the oldest and heir to the Double Eagle throne, Visenya tries to shield him from the gossip, but it isn't enough, and Nikolai decides to travel abroad for his studies. It's hard to leave Visenya behind, but she understands he needs some space from the court. 5 years pass since they had seen each other. Without Nikolai, Visenya becomes lonely and grows closer to the Darkling, as she is a rare Grisha who can control majestic animals. She bonded with a mythical Dragon Juris when she was only 8 years old. As part of the Grisha, she sees how her father treats her people: he shows no regard or sees them as equal to otkazats'ya even though she is the heir. Visenya becomes more involved in politics and champions the Grisha; she agrees with the Darkling and believes they deserve to be treated equally. Once Nikolai returns to Os Alta, the couple reunites, and, at first, everything seems to be just as before. But both have changed immensely – Nikolai has become more bold, assertive, and believes he deserves more power and say as a prince. Meanwhile, Visenya has also grown into her role as heir and takes her responsibilities seriously. She starts to feel threatened by Nikolai as he is a male child of the king (even though presumed as a bastard). To gain more power, Nikolai announces his engagement to the Sun Summoner Alina Starkov. Both the Darkling (who has his own relationship with Alina) and Visenya are furious and see this move for what it is – a power grab. Visenya wants things to go back to the way they used to be between Nikolai and her, but as her allegiance lies more with Grisha and the Darkling, Nikolai starts believing he's the one who should be the next king. As Nikolai's popularity rises thanks to the Sun Saint, Visenya and the Darkling take matters into their own hands and dispose of the king. She is proclaimed the new queen. Finally, a Grisha is on the throne. Nikolai tries to get back into Visenya's inner circle, but she's wary and distrustful. He betrayed her and was conspiring to take her throne while knowing that he had no rights to it as an illegitimate son of their mother. The Civil War begins – the otkazats'ya army and Grisha, who follow Alina, side with the usurper Nikolai. While Visenya is left only with Grisha loyal to the Darkling, however, her most powerful weapon is her dragon Juris, who is incredibly useful in battles. Visenya and Nikolai still love each other, but they're putting their ambitions above any feelings. During one of the battles, Visenya ambushes Nikolai's flying ship and sets it on fire, making him presumably dead. The Darkling vows to find him if he's still alive. They learn Nikolai survived as the news of his upcoming coronation in the Spinning Wheel reaches the capital thanks to a few Grisha spies who infiltrated the enemy side. Visenya and the Darkling go there to put a stop to him being crowned & they are successful. She still remains the rightful queen. There's a final battle where Visenya and her forces decimate Nikolai's side. However, she can't bring herself to kill him, and he goes into hiding to plan his next move. Visenya is aware this war will never stop until one of them is dead, so for the good of her country (and against her broken heart), she decides to put an end to this bloodshed. She pretends to want to meet Nikolai alone to talk about her surrender. When they meet, they share a sweet moment, but Nikolai is unwavering in wanting her gone from the throne (he believes the Darkling has corrupted his sister, when in reality that's just who she is). Although it pains her greatly because he's the only man she's ever loved, Visenya kills Nikolai to end the Civil War. His forces disband and bend the knee to her as the rightful queen of Ravka while the Sun Summoner is captured and her custody is given to the Darkling. Finally, they can start mending Ravka and giving Grisha a proper place in the country.

Information
Fandom: Sab&Hotd
Pairing: Visenya Lantsov (fem! Vasily) & Nikolai Lantsov
colouring: ‪@impossibletardis‬

#fanvidfeed #houseofthedragon #shadowandbone #nikolailantsov #visenyalantsov