7 Works by LaylaM20
Listing Works
-
Tags
Summary
What if magic exists in Carthya? Jaron finds a mirror in the treasure cave near Drylliad that transports him back to the past when he was seven years old. It lets him not only see his parents for another last time but he meets his younger mischievous self and help him while trying to not let anyone know he is the current Jaron is from the future. He even gets a chance to have one last talk with his father and tries to close the distance they always had between each other.
-
Tags
Summary
Roden’s Birthday fic.
I remained behind in the throne room, seated at the long table pretending to read a report I had already memorised. Across from me, Harlowe stayed seated, his gaze lingering somewhere beyond the high windows, where the light fell pale and winter-thin across the stone.
After a moment, he murmured, almost to himself, “The day is near.”
I glanced up. “What day?”
He smiled faintly, the sort of smile that carried memory rather than mirth. “Roden’s birthday. It’s next week.”
I stared at him. “Roden's birthday?” The words surprised me as much as the thought. “Roden never told me.”
Series
- Part 5 of The Ascendance Series Headcanons
-
Tags
Summary
(Posting it early for Darius’s birthday tomorrow.)
Jaron rises before dawn with a plan, determined to give his brother Darius a birthday unlike any he has ever known.
Before he could speak more, I crossed the room and took his hands in both of mine. They were warm, steady, familiar in a way that went deeper than memory. I squeezed them, then pulled him forward and wrapped my arms around him in a sudden embrace.
“Happy birthday Darius,” I said into his shoulder. I realized how long it had been since I’d done that without thinking twice.
He stiffened in surprise, then relaxed, returning the embrace after a heartbeat. “It’s been a long time since we celebrated it together,” he said quietly.
Series
- Part 4 of The Ascendance Series Headcanons
-
The Last Night of the Year by LaylaM20
Fandoms: The Ascendance Series - Jennifer A. Nielsen
31 Dec 2025
Tags
Summary
A new year fic where everyone in Carthya celebrates New year's eve. Mildly Canon. (Actually you can take it as mostly Canon.)
(Basically Jaron experiments with Gunpowder and accidentally discovers fireworks on New Year night. Also includes funny resolution scenes. Gunpowder was used too much for wars and battles. Carthyans deserve to know that they can make beautiful things too.)
In Carthya, the last day of the year had always been loud, crowded, and ceremonial to the point of exhaustion.
This year, just like the last year, had been impossibly long and different. But tonight, I wanted none of the old ceremonies. I had no desire to celebrate this the way we always had.
The idea came to me on an evening when Tobias and I were both too tired to have a single rational thought. I joked that I might start experimenting with gunpowder again for amusement. Tobias, equally exhausted, mentioned how different metals, when mixed properly, could change the color of an explosion. He said he had read about it in a book. Though he doubted anyone would be foolish enough to try it. Naturally, I decided that meant it was worth attempting.
Series
- Part 3 of The Ascendance Series Headcanons
-
Tags
Summary
Comprises of slice of life headcanons in a canon-divergent Ascendance Trilogy post-The Shattered Castle, where Jaron navigates kingship , joined by his friends and brother Darius( real- brother in this world), back to Carthya from Belland, in a slice-of-life tale of festival chaos and camaraderie. Buried in papers, Jaron trades quips with Roden, teases Tobias and shares nostalgic moments with Darius with their past antics echoing through Drylliad’s bustling preparations. The group tackles regents’ complaints and festival frenzy, blending loyalty, mischief, and the bittersweet weight of shared history in a mostly canonical Carthya.
These are mostly one-shot chapters and some chapters are having more than one one-shots. Mostly my headcanons of how Carthyans spend time after book 5.
(In this alternate universe, set post-The Shattered Castle, events, the story diverges with no marriage occurring for Jaron at the end of book 5, keeping Imogen absent from the narrative)
Series
- Part 2 of The Ascendance Series Headcanons
-
Tags
Summary
In this alternate version of 'Captive Kingdom', the royal family’s destiny shifts when Regent Conner and Captain Gregor conspire to wipe them out using the lethal Dervanis oil. Darius, the crown prince, is saved by his former nursemaid Trea, who administers a rare antidote and a sleeping draught before fleeing with him on a boat. Their escape is thwarted when Conner’s men pursue them, leading to their capture by the Prozarians in Belland. For two years, Darius negotiates with Captain Strick, unaware that his family’s death has been staged by Conner, who uses an orphan lookalike to maintain the ruse. Meanwhile, one and a half years after Jaron claims the throne, a Prozarian attack brings him to Belland, where he finds Darius alive. Initial tensions arise as Darius feigns loyalty to the Prozarians to protect Belland’s people, straining his bond with Jaron. Through reconciliation and unity, the brothers liberate Belland, and Darius rises as its king.
Series
- Part 1 of The Ascendance Series Headcanons
-
Tags
Summary
In the year following our wedding, Imogen and I found ourselves at odds, our love tested by the weight of crowns and choices. Her brilliance shone in decisions like reorganizing Drylliad’s grain stores or planning a festival to lift spirits, but others like a risky trade deal or reducing border patrols that faltered, leaving me to mend the fallout. She acted alone, hating to be guided, while I kept secrets, my reckless nature unchanged despite my efforts to explain myself. Arguments grew, sharp and frequent, over her choices and my silence. I covered her mistakes, she challenged my walls, and the space between us widened. Friends like Roden and Mott noticed, their concern heavy, as I wondered if we could keep standing together or if we were meant to stand apart.