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Monarch of the Glen | Paper Hearts (Author's Notes, Part 5)
Title: Paper Hearts
Fandom: Monarch of the Glen
Universe: Canon (Series 3)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: M
Rating: Language, innuendo
Word Count: 9,455
Summary: Series 3. They could never quite get their timing right…until they did. Four times when Archie shouldn’t have kissed Lexie (but did), and one time when he very definitely should have – and did.
Links: DW | AO3 | FF.net
And finally, we make it to the end ♥ So, do four wrongs really make a right?
These two have had timing issues for nearly 3 years, so they were bound to finally get it right sometime!
That magical moment happened, rather spontaneously, at the end of S3E9. Here are the key points:
---
The context: Glenbogle is hosting its first Midsummer Ball in nearly ten years, as a showpiece for the bank and their luxury property investments. Everyone is excited about it, albeit for different reasons. When Stella's manager arrives and announces that the bank chairman is planning to turn the reins of Glenbogle back over to Archie, Stella panics - she's in love with him and doesn't want to leave him until she can convince him that they're made for each other, so she sets about to sabotage the ball so that she's "forced" to stay on.
She takes great relish is her ~superior~ position, and in rubbing Lexie's nose in it. The two have declared war over Archie, but Lexie feels so beaten down that she doesn't really have much spark or fight left. It's interesting that everyone single rival for Archie's affections has gone out of her way to tell Lexie to not bother thinking of herself as serious competition for them - I think that shows their insecurity more than hers - but this time, it's different. Lexie's reached her breaking point.
The scene:
Lexie is the one who figures out that it's Stella who's messing everything up, and she even figures out why. She goes out of her way to make everything right, because she's as ready as any of them to be done with Stella. She really takes control of the situation and basically forces everyone's hand, and in the end, it all works out. Archie wins back the estate, and Stella is on her way to conquer South America.
Now all that's left is for him to finally acknowledge his feelings for Lexie, and he does it in the strongest possible terms. Of all the serious relationships he's had thus far, he's never once come close to marrying any of them - until now. That's pretty powerful.
Actually, the whole scene is powerful. It's definitely not your typical schmoopy proposal - which is only fitting for these two, I think. I actually do like this scene, and though I absolutely despise Lexie's ballgown, I do like the ending of this particular episode. It hits all of my romantic buttons in the very best way ♥
Why it's the right moment: Because it fits. It might not be the best time, but is there ever a best time for a confession of love? You can plan and plan and plan, but more often than not your plans will go awry. Archie makes a big deal about "taking their chance" in the original scene, and he of all people should know. Grab love with both hands when you find it, and stop giving yourself excuses for not doing that. For once, he follows his own advice =)
I just really wish there had been more kissing during the actual marriage proposal scene. It did seem rather awkward that they didn't touch, not even the slightest brush of hands, during the entire scene. Where is that physical connection that reflects their emotional bond? I need that, especially in a moment like this, so I decided to put it in.
I also thought that Lexie deserved a ring, LOL. No matter how spontaneous or impulsive this proposal might be, Archie was not without options here. He does have a ring that he could conceivably give her:
The laird's ring, which he won back from Kilwillie during the Flight of the Maiden Boat Race in S1E6. This is such a symbol of everything that he is, and has, and it's the perfect memento to give her to make her understand why it is that he wants to marry her, and elevate her to a position as his equal not only in life, but in the household. It's also way better than a friggin ring pull, with the bonus of not disturbing the whole exchanging-it-for-Molly-'s-diamond bit in S4 (another symbolic exchange of an heirloom piece). In fact, I think it parallels rather nicely with that.
As much as I enjoy the traditions, I wanted to keep this as a rather unconventional proposal - no need for the whole bended-knee business, or even really asking the question. I adored the dialogue from the canon, but wanted to enhance it not only with touch, but with meaning. Of all the kisses I wrote for this fic, the ones in this scene might be my favorite. I love the idea of him kissing her hand (how chivalrous!) as well as the more traditional kiss on the lips. My recent rewatch of Ever After is probably evident, but that was also intentional. The writers worked so hard to turn this into a Cinderella type fairy tale moment that I couldn't resist the more modern take on it :P Lexie is no Cinderella - but then, neither was Danielle, was she? =)
Canon references: For the first time since he’d returned to Glenbogle, he’d truly despaired over his ability to ever get the estate back on its feet and in working order again. = A great bit of one of the various subplots of this episode was Archie finally stepping up to take responsibility for the estate in every meaning of the word. He has a moment of despair when it all comes crumbling down around him, and he basically has to decide if he's willing to be Glenbogle's future.
It had all culminated with the ceremonial reunification of the Stone of the MacDonalds, in which the three pieces that had been torn asunder at Bannockburn 700 years before were brought back together to be made whole again. = The other major part of the Midsummer Ball was a MacDonald clan gathering, to see the reunification of a stone coat of arms that had been broken at Bannockburn and distributed among the branches. Stealing Hector's piece had been Stella's last, desperate act to stay on at the estate. The ceremony itself was a moment of pure magic ♥
“It’s you. It’s everything about you – your…‘Lexieness,’” he termed it with a smile = the delicious scene from S2E6, when they share their second kiss ♥
“Did you get to enjoy the ball at all, Lex?” = First she was stuck in the kitchen, then she was going to the ball...and then she was back in the kitchen again. She was present for the reunification ceremony, though, so she wasn't working during the entire ball :P This line was also my segue into a parallel of the final scene in the canon - their own private celebration of their engagement ♥ I had to give props to Lexie's excellent taste in music, as well as the song that ultimately underpins this story - and let's face it, EDM suits this wacky show way more than some schmoopy love song or staid piece of classical music :P
“Yes, we will,” he responded, adding pointedly, “I helped make this mess, didn’t I? And I don’t just mean by eating.” His heart warmed at the memory of that morning, of staring at her so lovingly while he peeled the potatoes. “The dishes can wait. C’mon.” = Lexie wasn't happy about being forced back into the kitchen at the last moment, but she put on her big girl panties and went with it. Archie ventured down to help her - insisted on helping her, in fact - which she reluctantly allowed him to do, and we were rewarded with more long, lingering looks of love, hehe :D
---
I think I accomplished my goal with this fic, in trying to bring in more romantic moments to make this tenuous courtship believable, and to not make the marriage proposal seem so abrupt or out of the blue. It was also fun to get inside Archie's head and follow him as he worked it out for himself. He needed her long before he realized it, and it was an interesting journey to help him discover that. Lexie is my favorite character in the whole bunch because she is the one unique factor that makes this romance seem fresh and new and different. As much as I hated the whole Cinderella tinge of the storyline, I suppose it was necessary as the final bit of transition from the wild-and-crazy Lexie of S1 to the Lexie who would ultimately become the laird's wife in S4.
The only other thing I would've changed at the end of Series 3 was Hector's death. It was sudden and shocking and completely unnecessary, and it cast an ugly pall over my newly engaged and flush-with-love pairing. They still had plenty of adversity to face without suddenly chucking in a bunch of grief and mourning, but hey - I'm not steering the canon ship. That's what fanfic is for, after all =)
If you read this story, I hope you enjoy it. It was a labor of love, but it was also a lot of fun ♥ I'm not done with these characters, but I am pretty satisfied that I laid out my headcanon in a way that others may find appealing.
Fandom: Monarch of the Glen
Universe: Canon (Series 3)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: M
Rating: Language, innuendo
Word Count: 9,455
Summary: Series 3. They could never quite get their timing right…until they did. Four times when Archie shouldn’t have kissed Lexie (but did), and one time when he very definitely should have – and did.
Links: DW | AO3 | FF.net
And finally, we make it to the end ♥ So, do four wrongs really make a right?
These two have had timing issues for nearly 3 years, so they were bound to finally get it right sometime!
That magical moment happened, rather spontaneously, at the end of S3E9. Here are the key points:
---
The context: Glenbogle is hosting its first Midsummer Ball in nearly ten years, as a showpiece for the bank and their luxury property investments. Everyone is excited about it, albeit for different reasons. When Stella's manager arrives and announces that the bank chairman is planning to turn the reins of Glenbogle back over to Archie, Stella panics - she's in love with him and doesn't want to leave him until she can convince him that they're made for each other, so she sets about to sabotage the ball so that she's "forced" to stay on.
She takes great relish is her ~superior~ position, and in rubbing Lexie's nose in it. The two have declared war over Archie, but Lexie feels so beaten down that she doesn't really have much spark or fight left. It's interesting that everyone single rival for Archie's affections has gone out of her way to tell Lexie to not bother thinking of herself as serious competition for them - I think that shows their insecurity more than hers - but this time, it's different. Lexie's reached her breaking point.
The scene:
Lexie is the one who figures out that it's Stella who's messing everything up, and she even figures out why. She goes out of her way to make everything right, because she's as ready as any of them to be done with Stella. She really takes control of the situation and basically forces everyone's hand, and in the end, it all works out. Archie wins back the estate, and Stella is on her way to conquer South America.
Now all that's left is for him to finally acknowledge his feelings for Lexie, and he does it in the strongest possible terms. Of all the serious relationships he's had thus far, he's never once come close to marrying any of them - until now. That's pretty powerful.
Actually, the whole scene is powerful. It's definitely not your typical schmoopy proposal - which is only fitting for these two, I think. I actually do like this scene, and though I absolutely despise Lexie's ballgown, I do like the ending of this particular episode. It hits all of my romantic buttons in the very best way ♥
Why it's the right moment: Because it fits. It might not be the best time, but is there ever a best time for a confession of love? You can plan and plan and plan, but more often than not your plans will go awry. Archie makes a big deal about "taking their chance" in the original scene, and he of all people should know. Grab love with both hands when you find it, and stop giving yourself excuses for not doing that. For once, he follows his own advice =)
I just really wish there had been more kissing during the actual marriage proposal scene. It did seem rather awkward that they didn't touch, not even the slightest brush of hands, during the entire scene. Where is that physical connection that reflects their emotional bond? I need that, especially in a moment like this, so I decided to put it in.
I also thought that Lexie deserved a ring, LOL. No matter how spontaneous or impulsive this proposal might be, Archie was not without options here. He does have a ring that he could conceivably give her:
The laird's ring, which he won back from Kilwillie during the Flight of the Maiden Boat Race in S1E6. This is such a symbol of everything that he is, and has, and it's the perfect memento to give her to make her understand why it is that he wants to marry her, and elevate her to a position as his equal not only in life, but in the household. It's also way better than a friggin ring pull, with the bonus of not disturbing the whole exchanging-it-for-Molly-'s-diamond bit in S4 (another symbolic exchange of an heirloom piece). In fact, I think it parallels rather nicely with that.
As much as I enjoy the traditions, I wanted to keep this as a rather unconventional proposal - no need for the whole bended-knee business, or even really asking the question. I adored the dialogue from the canon, but wanted to enhance it not only with touch, but with meaning. Of all the kisses I wrote for this fic, the ones in this scene might be my favorite. I love the idea of him kissing her hand (how chivalrous!) as well as the more traditional kiss on the lips. My recent rewatch of Ever After is probably evident, but that was also intentional. The writers worked so hard to turn this into a Cinderella type fairy tale moment that I couldn't resist the more modern take on it :P Lexie is no Cinderella - but then, neither was Danielle, was she? =)
Canon references: For the first time since he’d returned to Glenbogle, he’d truly despaired over his ability to ever get the estate back on its feet and in working order again. = A great bit of one of the various subplots of this episode was Archie finally stepping up to take responsibility for the estate in every meaning of the word. He has a moment of despair when it all comes crumbling down around him, and he basically has to decide if he's willing to be Glenbogle's future.
It had all culminated with the ceremonial reunification of the Stone of the MacDonalds, in which the three pieces that had been torn asunder at Bannockburn 700 years before were brought back together to be made whole again. = The other major part of the Midsummer Ball was a MacDonald clan gathering, to see the reunification of a stone coat of arms that had been broken at Bannockburn and distributed among the branches. Stealing Hector's piece had been Stella's last, desperate act to stay on at the estate. The ceremony itself was a moment of pure magic ♥
“It’s you. It’s everything about you – your…‘Lexieness,’” he termed it with a smile = the delicious scene from S2E6, when they share their second kiss ♥
“Did you get to enjoy the ball at all, Lex?” = First she was stuck in the kitchen, then she was going to the ball...and then she was back in the kitchen again. She was present for the reunification ceremony, though, so she wasn't working during the entire ball :P This line was also my segue into a parallel of the final scene in the canon - their own private celebration of their engagement ♥ I had to give props to Lexie's excellent taste in music, as well as the song that ultimately underpins this story - and let's face it, EDM suits this wacky show way more than some schmoopy love song or staid piece of classical music :P
“Yes, we will,” he responded, adding pointedly, “I helped make this mess, didn’t I? And I don’t just mean by eating.” His heart warmed at the memory of that morning, of staring at her so lovingly while he peeled the potatoes. “The dishes can wait. C’mon.” = Lexie wasn't happy about being forced back into the kitchen at the last moment, but she put on her big girl panties and went with it. Archie ventured down to help her - insisted on helping her, in fact - which she reluctantly allowed him to do, and we were rewarded with more long, lingering looks of love, hehe :D
---
I think I accomplished my goal with this fic, in trying to bring in more romantic moments to make this tenuous courtship believable, and to not make the marriage proposal seem so abrupt or out of the blue. It was also fun to get inside Archie's head and follow him as he worked it out for himself. He needed her long before he realized it, and it was an interesting journey to help him discover that. Lexie is my favorite character in the whole bunch because she is the one unique factor that makes this romance seem fresh and new and different. As much as I hated the whole Cinderella tinge of the storyline, I suppose it was necessary as the final bit of transition from the wild-and-crazy Lexie of S1 to the Lexie who would ultimately become the laird's wife in S4.
The only other thing I would've changed at the end of Series 3 was Hector's death. It was sudden and shocking and completely unnecessary, and it cast an ugly pall over my newly engaged and flush-with-love pairing. They still had plenty of adversity to face without suddenly chucking in a bunch of grief and mourning, but hey - I'm not steering the canon ship. That's what fanfic is for, after all =)
If you read this story, I hope you enjoy it. It was a labor of love, but it was also a lot of fun ♥ I'm not done with these characters, but I am pretty satisfied that I laid out my headcanon in a way that others may find appealing.
Really enjoyed this
(Anonymous) 2022-01-02 12:46 pm (UTC)(link)I’m a bit late to the monarch of the glen but really enjoyed reading your story. You are a great writer. I can imagine these scenes happening and wish some of them had been in the series as I agree there is a lack of romance. You are very talented. Thanks again for these. What a lovely start to 2022 finding these stories
Re: Really enjoyed this