1 - 20 of 194 Works in Book 1: The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air)
Navigation
Listing Works
-
Tags
Summary
In the kingdom of Elfhame, where shadows whisper secrets and power is a deadly game, Lilia has always stood out for one thing: she is human. Raised among the Folk, she learned early that strength is not just a matter of swords and poison, but also of will and words. She seeks neither glory nor revenge, but just a place where she can exist without having to fight for every breath.
Beside her is Jude, her dearest friend, who always seems one step ahead in understanding the ruthless rules of the fairy court. But Jude has her secrets, like the way his gaze lingers too long on Nicasia, the proud princess of the sea.
And then there is Cardan, a prince with an indolent air and a poisonous smile. He is everything Lilia despises: effortlessly cruel, frivolous by nature, and, above all, a problem she does not want to face. And yet, by a twist of fate, their paths continue to intertwine.
Lilia knows that challenging the faeries is dangerous. But challenging Cardan? That could be an even bigger mistake.
*This story is inspired by and based on the book The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
-
The King of Elfhame's untold tales by Sunnysgarden
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
09 Jan 2026
Tags
Summary
Have you ever felt drawn to the lasting untold tales in the perspective of the High King? Well, congratulations, you have been wrapped into a journey where—if you beg adequately for it, you shall receive as Cardan Greenbriar is many things but not a fae to starve one's curiosity.
(In which I do my best to embody Cardan’s pov during the whole trilogy including offscreen moments i. e. TwK 6 months timeskip & QoN scenes with some non canon details or perceptions <3)
-
Why is this happening to me? by ivorystaples
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black, The Cruel Prince - Holly Black
17 Dec 2025
Tags
Summary
Jude and Cardan are the most powerful figures in all of Elfhame. Now many years into the future they have 5 healthy and beautiful children. Three boys, and two special girls. Their being parents has altered them but anything major, they are still your usually Jurdan but now with prince's and princess' to look after. One day, Jude decides to check up on her eldest daughter, Jezebel, but she isn't in her chambers, illicting Jude to snoop a bit. She finds an inked out diary. As she flips through the pages she is pained and surprised to see what her daughter as bled her heart into the pages.
also based on a fanart of Jurdan Family
-
Tags
Summary
What if they hadn't stopped that time Jude kissed him with a dagger to his neck?
...
“Was it something like this?”, I ask, glad my voice wasn’t shaking. I find myself digging my fingers into his raven hair. It was so silky smooth, just like I expected.Cardan lets out a loud breath, eyes fluttering close for just a moment too long to be a blink, before he forces them open again. As I look at them again, they have darkened. “Not quite,”, he breathes.
My breathing turns shallow and I know I have signed my fate as I say my next words. “Show me.”
-
Folk of Game Night by blinkingcursor, NatterSmew
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black, The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King - Fandom, The Queen of Nothing - Fandom, jurdan - Fandom
02 Dec 2025
Tags
Summary
Jude and Cardan head out for game night at Vivi's.
Two competitive idiots in denial, sounds like fun!Fear not...the tail will not be restrained for long.
This is part one of a fic myself and the gorgeous NatterSmew are working on together. We really hope you enjoy and welcome any feedback!
Series
- Part 1 of The Folk of Game Night
-
Tags
Summary
Oak is always smiling. Isn't that what everyone says? That he's never had a bad day, that he's the life of the party, the most fun, the most daring, and certainly the most handsome. They say it so much that he almost begins to believe it.
However, the truth is that he doesn't feel as though his smile has reached his eyes since he was sixteen, standing in the gardens of his parents house with that girl in his arms, before she left and took every ounce of happiness with her.
Suren.
So when she returns, no longer a girl with sad eyes but a woman, and into his house and college, he finds it hard to maintain the façade he's been crafting for years. Because she knows what it looks like when he really smiles, and she has a way of getting all of his secrets out of him. Because her smiles are fake, too.
(Sequel to Loss of my life)
Series
- Part 2 of Loss of my life (The Cruel Prince)
-
Tags
Summary
Where the residents of Elfhame share their perspectives during the events of Jude’s & Cardan’s uprising.
(Requests are open, don't be shy pls, it's free and fun to get them)
-
Roommates by ShelvesHalfEmpty
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black, The Cruel Prince
29 Oct 2025
Tags
Summary
When Taryn moves out, Jude can't afford the bills in her two bedroom apartment all on her own. Unable to move she thankfully manages to secure a new roommate in just enough time, however she's less than pleased with her new housemate.
Cardan Greenbriar is arrogant, he's beautiful, he has little respect for the house rules and worst of all, he will not stop flirting with her.
Cardan seems to think Jude needs to relax, and he knows exactly how to help her relieve some tension.
(Human AU)
-
Tags
Summary
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁
In the enchanting realm of Elfhame, Elowen is a skilled baker known for her exquisite pastries. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she collides with Cardan, the captivating Prince infamous for his charm and mischief, during a lavish ball. As their worlds collide, an undeniable connection forms, drawing them into a whirlwind of emotions and intrigue.
Amidst courtly politics and hidden dangers, Elowen and Cardan must navigate their growing feelings for each other while facing the challenges that come with their vastly different lives. With secrets waiting to be uncovered and their hearts on the line, can their budding romance withstand the trials of fate?
Join Elowen and Cardan in a tale of love, loyalty, and the magic that comes from unexpected encounters, where every moment holds the promise of a new beginning.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁
Series
- Part 1 of books
-
Tags
Summary
An alternative world where Taryn asks a merfolk (Nicasia) to help her kill her husband.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 2,766
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Kudos:
- 5
- Hits:
- 126
-
Tags
Summary
"And what do we have here?"
Cardan's voice is sharp and disdainful as always, cutting through the heat coursing in Jude's veins. She is curled up in a small ball on the forest floor, holding her aching abdomen, sweat beading on her skin, basket of flowers and school books abandoned in the moss.
Forcing her head up to meet his cruel eyes is surprisingly difficult and her glare is weak.
"Well?" His tone is imperious, grating on her as he takes a few steps closer, almost towering over her. She hates how her eyes track his high cheekbones and sharp jaw, how her cheeks flush when she takes in his lean figure in that form-fitted tunic. "Did some faerie steal your tongue, mortal?"
----
Kinktober 2025 day 15: Sex pollen.
Series
- Part 2 of Kinktober fics
-
Tags
Summary
She won’t have to feel this. A heavy weight that’s not quite agony, but not light enough to be less than a burden. She won’t have to feel haunted, won’t have to feel the remnants of the events she’s endured.
Just a bite. Just a little while, in the safety of her orchard. Just a bite and she won’t have to be so scared.
OR
It’s a year after the Battle of the Serpent, and in the midst of dishing out punishment and learning how to rule, Jude Duarte has found her footing. The first mortal queen of Faerie, the first to ever be chosen by the king and the land. It’s a title she intends to hold onto for years to come, even if the blood running through her veins will expire long before Cardan reaches his middle age.
But despite being crowned with the power she had dreamed of her whole life, there are some parts of her that can’t seem to leave. She might be a queen, but she can still feel pain. There are days where power can’t chase it away.
OR OR
Jude never really talked about her trauma during the events of FotA, and she gets a horrible idea of how to deal with them
-
Tags
Summary
An AU where jude didn't go back to faery and got stuck in the mortal world
_____________
Whumptober 2025
Day 4
Prompt: still rememberSeries
- Part 1 of Whumptober 2025
-
The aftermath of a trip into the mortal world by Lanoxy
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
03 Oct 2025
Tags
Summary
Cardan gave a slow loud sigh as he took another ragwort
"dramatic much?" I smile
"only for you" he returns with a flirty smile.I shake my head as we climb into the sky, the mortal world fading as we get closer to fairy.
______________
Cardan and jude get back from the mortal world
(this happens sometime after book 3 but there are no spoilers you can read it)Series
- Part 1 of Flufftober 2025
-
yours beyond this night by ilspoopi (orphan_account)
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
27 Sep 2025
Tags
Summary
“Tell me, Jude,” Cardan purred, “when have you ever been able to leave me?”
A revel spirals into jealousy, sharp words, and glitter-stained kisses.
-
last verse of a murder ballad by unintelligiblescreaming
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
19 Sep 2025
Tags
Summary
All the children of the gentry are there to see it when Jude Duarte comes of age. As is customary for redcaps, she does so covered in blood. She’s not quite nineteen, a precocious age for one’s first kill, but no one is surprised. Everyone knows Jude is her father’s heir through and through. The elder of the twins by minutes, she might even be mistaken for human if it weren’t for the slitted eyes, cold and hard, that she inherited from the general.
—
AU where Cardan is a mortal desperate to earn a place in the court, even if it means blackmailing Jude, the redcap who's always had it out for him.
Series
- Part 1 of verses (roleswap AU)
-
Beyond the Forests and Beyond the Sea by Am_I_DoingThisRight
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
09 Sep 2025
Tags
Summary
An alternate universe of the Cruel Prince where Madoc had never found the girls, murdered their parents, and stole them away to Faerie. Here, Jude’s parents are still very much alive and well, and had told their girls so many fantastical fairytales over the years. And at seventeen, the summer before her senior year, Jude still has not given up on her dreams of being a knight. She might logically know knights are no longer a thing in the real world, but when she discovers that all those stories her parents used to tell actually happened, her childhood dream suddenly becomes a possibility.
After sneaking into Faerieland, Jude tricks a young prince to be under her command. Using him, she hopes to finally become a knight. However, like all things with the fae, things do not go according to plan and Jude finds herself participating in a series of quests that will determine who will become the next ruler of Elfhame.
-
Tags
Summary
At Locke's party, Jude finds Cardan in the hedge maze. A most secret relationship follows.
-
The Games We Play by KalliopesMusings
Fandoms: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black, The Modern Faerie Tales - Holly Black
16 Aug 2025
Tags
Summary
At his maze party, Locke’s petty attempt to provoke Cardan unfurls beyond his control, forcing Jude to reevaluate her loyalties and pulling her toward the enemy she despises most.
In the wake of a ruinous game of Dare or Drink, she uncovers the truth of Cardan’s feelings and resolves to forge that weakness into a weapon sharp enough to pierce his heart. Yet in trying to undo him, Jude learns he may be crucial to seizing the power she craves. And as the coronation draws near, the dance between desire and deceit builds toward its fateful crescendo.
“This game has grown insufferably dull,” Cardan says, sending the bottle into a furious spin. Just as it begins to slow, he stills it with a fingertip, its neck aimed at me like the point of a dagger. “You’re here to entertain your betters, aren’t you? And so far, you’ve been a dreadful disappointment.”
The promise I've made to myself surges back, burning like salt ground into an open wound: Whatever dare they throw at me, I will make sure it’s them who choke.
-
Tags
Summary
Blood has followed Madoc all his life. After his youngest daughter sent him into exile, he remembers the path that brought him here.
Old ghosts still haunt him, and a particular mortal still visits his thoughts often, never allowing him any peace. This is his punishment, he supposes.
or
Madoc's fatherhood, and his complicated but special relationships with his girls.