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Bondless Prince, Bloodless Knight
https://archiveofourown.org/works/22552027/chapters/53891161
Prince Dirk is fixated on 2 knights & throws a tournament to further his plans
Sir Karkat is obsessed w/ unraveling Dirk's schemes while Sir Dave wishes he would focus on anything else.
Dirkkat endgame
https://archiveofourown.org/works/22552027/chapters/53891161
Prince Dirk is fixated on 2 knights & throws a tournament to further his plans
Sir Karkat is obsessed w/ unraveling Dirk's schemes while Sir Dave wishes he would focus on anything else.
Dirkkat endgame
Chp 1
"Red eyes quickly locked with the prince’s orange, then broke away to see if his conversational partner noticed, then focused back on the prince, who watched as dark red gears formed and spun in the knight’s irises and then everything around them stopped."
"Red eyes quickly locked with the prince’s orange, then broke away to see if his conversational partner noticed, then focused back on the prince, who watched as dark red gears formed and spun in the knight’s irises and then everything around them stopped."
Chp 2
""My name's Karkat Vantas, and I respectfully decline his Majesty's generous offer of reward and will instead focus on protecting the civilians watching the tournament while my comrades are otherwise occupied." There was a bite in his voice, undermining his polite wording."
""My name's Karkat Vantas, and I respectfully decline his Majesty's generous offer of reward and will instead focus on protecting the civilians watching the tournament while my comrades are otherwise occupied." There was a bite in his voice, undermining his polite wording."
Chp 3
""Sire! Thank you for taking the time to lower yourself to speak with me. Forgive me! I have not introduced myself, how shameful. If you feel you must make an example of me, I will not resist. In fact it is your duty and I quite insist you discipline me immediately.""
""Sire! Thank you for taking the time to lower yourself to speak with me. Forgive me! I have not introduced myself, how shameful. If you feel you must make an example of me, I will not resist. In fact it is your duty and I quite insist you discipline me immediately.""
Chp 4
'“And why are there no coverings for any of the stalls? What if it rains?” Guild leader Crocker continued.
“It won’t rain,” the prince said.
“Do you control the weather now? If it is like you control anything else, I suppose I’ll have to go fix that, too!”"
'“And why are there no coverings for any of the stalls? What if it rains?” Guild leader Crocker continued.
“It won’t rain,” the prince said.
“Do you control the weather now? If it is like you control anything else, I suppose I’ll have to go fix that, too!”"
Chp 5
“"You’re allowed to still be hurt, Dirk.”
“I can’t afford to be distracted by petty things like this.”
“You’re just human, it’s fine,” Rose said gently.
“ I can’t afford to be human! ” he hissed. “The king and queen are gone. My brother is gone. I’m all that’s left.”"
“"You’re allowed to still be hurt, Dirk.”
“I can’t afford to be distracted by petty things like this.”
“You’re just human, it’s fine,” Rose said gently.
“ I can’t afford to be human! ” he hissed. “The king and queen are gone. My brother is gone. I’m all that’s left.”"
Chp 6
"She ran a hand through her hair, fixing it up, rolled her shoulders, and… Stretched. Her. Translucent. Butterfly wings. Almost everyone in the waiting area gaped as she smoothed down her shiny, scaly, rainbow-sheened armor then picked up her great axe and exited."
"She ran a hand through her hair, fixing it up, rolled her shoulders, and… Stretched. Her. Translucent. Butterfly wings. Almost everyone in the waiting area gaped as she smoothed down her shiny, scaly, rainbow-sheened armor then picked up her great axe and exited."
Chp 7
""Lord Captor is a cheat."
"Do you have any proof?" the prince asked, so calm that Karkat realized he knew .
"No, but--"
"Can you get any proof?"
"No, but --"
"Then my hands are tied."
Karkat glared at his liege. "So that's it? You'll just let a cheat run rampant?""
""Lord Captor is a cheat."
"Do you have any proof?" the prince asked, so calm that Karkat realized he knew .
"No, but--"
"Can you get any proof?"
"No, but --"
"Then my hands are tied."
Karkat glared at his liege. "So that's it? You'll just let a cheat run rampant?""
Chp 8
""You okay?" Karkat asked.
Dave shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be. Wait. Shit. That's not what you asked. Sorry Kat I'm wigging out a little bit T B H."
"You've got this, Dave. You gotta meet me in the finals."
Dave snickered. "Feeling cocky, are we?"
"Not even a little.""
""You okay?" Karkat asked.
Dave shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be. Wait. Shit. That's not what you asked. Sorry Kat I'm wigging out a little bit T B H."
"You've got this, Dave. You gotta meet me in the finals."
Dave snickered. "Feeling cocky, are we?"
"Not even a little.""
Chp 9
"Dirk grabbed for his dagger, but a large strong hand grabbed his wrist and a smooth, deep voice said, "No need for that."
Dirk looked at the man towering over him (had he always been so tall? Or so strong?). "Jake."
"Hal," Jake replied, smiling. "You've been avoiding me.""
"Dirk grabbed for his dagger, but a large strong hand grabbed his wrist and a smooth, deep voice said, "No need for that."
Dirk looked at the man towering over him (had he always been so tall? Or so strong?). "Jake."
"Hal," Jake replied, smiling. "You've been avoiding me.""
Chp 10
"“Well that was quite an opening act!” said a squeaky voice.
Karkat turned and saw it was one of the masked women--Leijon?
“Afraid you can’t top it?” the wolf fey asked, grinning.
“I’m afraid I might trounce you too quickly, if that’s what you mean.” Leijon grinned back"
"“Well that was quite an opening act!” said a squeaky voice.
Karkat turned and saw it was one of the masked women--Leijon?
“Afraid you can’t top it?” the wolf fey asked, grinning.
“I’m afraid I might trounce you too quickly, if that’s what you mean.” Leijon grinned back"
Chp 11
"The next fist was coming, Karkat knew that deep in his pain filled brain. One, two, and you were down.
His brain whirled.
Where would it come from?
He needed to move.
Shit.
He tested his limbs. What still could be used?
Fuck it. Dave always said he had a thick skull."
"The next fist was coming, Karkat knew that deep in his pain filled brain. One, two, and you were down.
His brain whirled.
Where would it come from?
He needed to move.
Shit.
He tested his limbs. What still could be used?
Fuck it. Dave always said he had a thick skull."
Chp 12
""What was I supposed to do?" he asked for the dozenth time. "Just lost like I'd planned?"
Dave hummed in approval.
"Fuck off. You told me not to!"
"I said you wouldn't, and I was right, even risking--" he gestured to the physician.
"Permanent brain damage."
"Exactly!""
""What was I supposed to do?" he asked for the dozenth time. "Just lost like I'd planned?"
Dave hummed in approval.
"Fuck off. You told me not to!"
"I said you wouldn't, and I was right, even risking--" he gestured to the physician.
"Permanent brain damage."
"Exactly!""
Chp 13
""Catch?" the water fey asked, her smile almost dangerous. She leaned in, her face inches from his own. "Do you think I'm trying to trick you, little one? Do you think I'm going to take your name or your voice or your beating heart?""
""Catch?" the water fey asked, her smile almost dangerous. She leaned in, her face inches from his own. "Do you think I'm trying to trick you, little one? Do you think I'm going to take your name or your voice or your beating heart?""
Chp 14
"Sir Strider, Sir Vantas. You seem to be doing better," the prince said.
Dave froze.
"I am, majesty," Karkat said warily.
"Will I see you in the semifinals?"
"Yes, majesty."
Dave gaped at him.
"Good. I'm looking forward to it. Until then, Sir Vantas. Sir Strider.""
"Sir Strider, Sir Vantas. You seem to be doing better," the prince said.
Dave froze.
"I am, majesty," Karkat said warily.
"Will I see you in the semifinals?"
"Yes, majesty."
Dave gaped at him.
"Good. I'm looking forward to it. Until then, Sir Vantas. Sir Strider.""
Chp 15
"“Things are going missing. You think I wouldn’t notice? Maybe it wasn’t you but you brought your band of thieves here, and I don’t trust them half as much as I trust you,” Dirk said.
“We’re not thieves, we’re outlaws,” Roxy corrected.
“Because that’s better.”"
"“Things are going missing. You think I wouldn’t notice? Maybe it wasn’t you but you brought your band of thieves here, and I don’t trust them half as much as I trust you,” Dirk said.
“We’re not thieves, we’re outlaws,” Roxy corrected.
“Because that’s better.”"
Chp 16
Karkat's match against Roxy was going to start any minute and she had done nothing but smile and wave at him every time she caught him looking at her.
“Should I commission a self portrait for you? I’ll be able to afford one after I win this thing,” she said, laughing.
Karkat's match against Roxy was going to start any minute and she had done nothing but smile and wave at him every time she caught him looking at her.
“Should I commission a self portrait for you? I’ll be able to afford one after I win this thing,” she said, laughing.
Chp 17
"“Withdraw from our fight,” Dave said.
“What?”
“Withdraw from our fight or I will.”"
"“Withdraw from our fight,” Dave said.
“What?”
“Withdraw from our fight or I will.”"
Chp 18
"Karkat’s eyes were drawn to movement in the prince’s booth. It was just him coming forward to the edge of the balcony. For a second, he thought he saw a flicker of something else, but he was brought back to the fight with a blow to his elbow.
Shake it off, Karkat."
"Karkat’s eyes were drawn to movement in the prince’s booth. It was just him coming forward to the edge of the balcony. For a second, he thought he saw a flicker of something else, but he was brought back to the fight with a blow to his elbow.
Shake it off, Karkat."
Chp 19
"“Be wary following hearts. That way lies your destiny, the one you didn’t want. You’re running straight into it.” The seer laughed.
“I don’t know what you're talking about,” Karkat hissed.
“Lying to a blind girl? That's not proper behavior for a knight," she snickered."
"“Be wary following hearts. That way lies your destiny, the one you didn’t want. You’re running straight into it.” The seer laughed.
“I don’t know what you're talking about,” Karkat hissed.
“Lying to a blind girl? That's not proper behavior for a knight," she snickered."
Chp 20
"If Karkat thought he'd have time to relax after the tournament, he thought wrong.
His days were booked.
Extra training from his captain, pushing where she saw weaknesses during his matches (“Teaching you not to get hit,” as Dave said)."
"If Karkat thought he'd have time to relax after the tournament, he thought wrong.
His days were booked.
Extra training from his captain, pushing where she saw weaknesses during his matches (“Teaching you not to get hit,” as Dave said)."
