When Arthur bedded the man in the peacock mask at the Hearts masque in a fit of daring, he did not plan on waking up to find it had been the King of Diamonds. Nor did he plan on meeting the man again. But Arthur was never very good at planning his life and his need for Francis spiraled out of his control long before he realized it. The question is: How far will Francis go to protect their affair? And how far would Alfred go for revenge?
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Heavy is the Crown, written by 0Rocky41_7 on archiveofourown.org, is a Hetalia: Axis Powers Fanfiction that takes place in the popular Cardverse Alternate Universe. It is a relatively short fanfiction, with only nine chapters, but is brilliantly written, with a story that never disappoints, whether reading for the first time or the fiftieth. You can read the fanfiction here... be warned, however, as there are explicit NSFW chapters. (These chapters will not be in the reading.)
I have recently gotten permission from Rocky to create an audiobook reading of this fic, and I intend to do it justice! Please read the information below for the rules and requirements.
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Information:
1) The NSFW segments will NOT be included in the reading. No questions asked.
2) We ask that you have a decent quality microphone with little-to-no background noise, pops, clicks, etc.
3) In order to participate, you must have a Discord. This is how we will organize and communicate... the server link is below.
4) If possible, I will pay you! I want to make this a very high-quality project.
5) Keep an eye on the project! If we don't have enough male auditioners, some characters may be changed to female.
6) I highly recommend auditioners read through the story to learn about their characters!
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Please contact me on Discord at LeaIsConfused#4841 for more information, or with questions!
https://discord.gg/CkEdZ8q
I need someone to help me put the files of everyone together... show me examples of your previous work!
Say something you think would fit
Someone to make some background tracks for the reading to provide atmosphere.
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If at all possible, I'd like to get some custom artwork done for the thumbnails and videos! It'll just be one image. If you're interested, please link a portfolio or art page below!
Say something you think would fit
The Narrator is a crucial role in this production, as the story takes place in third person. Be prepared for lots of lines!
Masquerades were always a chance to show off the wealth and opulence of a kingdom, and the Kingdom of Hearts was no exception. While they tended to be a more private kingdom, when they did host an event, they spared no more expense than the rest of the Four Kingdoms. King Ludwig, who disliked such social events, was seated at the end of the main room, watching but not engaging. The room was a perfect square, with a fine reed mat framing the floor. Three doors opened to the gardens on either side, allowing for excellent flow of the guests, and servants passed between the dancers and revelers with trays of food and drink. Long garlands of flowers hung from the rafters, draping down to bring the wonderful smell of the garden inside and blur the line between indoors and out.
Bristling at the age remark, but mollified by his success, Francis led the prickly fellow out onto the dance floor and then took up the position of the current dance. It was a relatively quick-stepping dance that kept their hands pressed together as they turned circles around each other, occasionally changing partners but always returning back to their original. At one point, the cat-masked man got caught up with an overly-enthusiastic woman from Hearts who was much too rough and kept shouting incoherently at him; he was contemplating revealing his status just to get away when a warm gloved hand slipped into his and pulled him away.
Damn it all! Damn his luck, and damn it again, and damn it a third time! Of course, of course the one time he decided to let loose, it backfired on him. He never could have predicted it, and yet it was utterly unsurprising, insofar as Arthur seemed to be doomed to self-destruction. The curses flying through his head as he hurried down the hall to his and King Alfred’s room were nothing shy of heart-stopping.
Arthur Kirkland is one of the story's two protagonists, and the Queen of Spades. He is 24 years old at the beginning of the story.
A British accent is preferred, but not required.
“Just because I have no desire to go talk to people does not mean I cannot have fun—! But one of us has to be diplomatic and I surely do not see it being you!”
“I like cats. They’re independent, self-sufficient…rulers of their own castles, if you will.”
I realize I gave you a distinctly incorrect impression when you last visited. This was a most grievous error on my part and I apologize for any confusion it may have caused. I want to be quite clear that under no circumstances do I ever plan to replicate the events previous, nor should you attempt to do so. There will be no more correspondence between us outside what is required of diplomacy. Please be advised I find your company strongly objectionable at best and most tolerable when you are not speaking. Therefore, it would be unwise to bother making any attempt to change my mind, which is utterly set. Cordially, Arthur."
Francis Bonnefoy is the second protagonist in our story, and the King of Diamonds. He is 26 at the beginning of the story.
A French accent is preferred, but not required.
“All things in perspective, my dear queen. But admit it…you enjoy having passion. Your life has been too barren without it; you’re bored, you crave excitement. In the darkness of your room at night, you lie awake and dream of wild, thrilling sex with a beautiful stranger and a romantic, classical affair. You’re so repressed you wake every morning with wet sheets.”
"Perhaps.... but at least I would die for love."
"My dear Queen,
Rest assured, I didn’t misconstrue the meaning of your first letter in the slightest. It serves, I assume, the same purpose as your scathing speech to me on the night of the New Years’ gala: To convince yourself that you are uninterested in knowing me and that our prior trysts have had no effect on you whatsoever. It was much more convincing the first time, not to mention more dignified. As it rests, if you wish to lie better, you ought to take lessons from me."
Alfred F. Jones is a supporting character, and the King of Spades. He is 17 at the beginning of the story.
“Come on, don’t be such a stick in the mud—ow! Have a drink, you might actually have fun!”
“I wondered if you might be interested in a game of chess. It’s been a long time since we played.”
“Arrest the queen. He stands guilty of treason against the Kingdom of Spades."
Lili Bonnefoy is a supporting character, and the Queen of Spades. She is 18 at the beginning of the story.
Due to the magic in this story, Lili has visions of bad things to come for both the Kingdom of Diamonds, and the Kingdom of Spades.
“I…I’m just getting a bad feeling. I’m sure it isn’t anything to worry about. There are so many people about, someone is sure to have misfortune coming.”
“We have gotten so in the habit of putting it off, I haven’t really thought about it in years. But having a baby wouldn’t be so bad, would it? It might be nice to have a child in the palace.”
“Oh Francis, you could have anyone in the kingdom! Why would you go after someone from another one? And a queen! How could you be so foolish?”
Read lines for any minor character in the story. You may audition for more than one... it's encouraged!
State your name and who you are auditioning for in the story, then read off the lines you've chosen.
