Fire and Ice

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The summer court of the fae was still in the throws of the summer solstice feast, despite their queen having fallen ill only a few short days ago. The smell of fresh flowers and apple cider wafted through the air, it was a scent even a human nose would have followed to its blissful end. But not this fae. No, Demetria despised it. Her delicate nose was wrinkled slightly at the smell that assaulted it as the heels of her boots made a dull click against the warm wooden floors with each stride she took. The summer palace had never held any beauty for her. It was everything her own home in the winter court wasn’t, and was everything that humans loved about the spring and summer. The winter palace was forever scented with pine and had the same silence to it that came with a night of fresh snowfall. If not for Yule, she doubted the humans would ever have worshipped her own people at all. But here she was, approaching their banquet hall, silken hair as dark as the long winter nights swaying with each purposeful stride she took. The moment the doors opened, all the frivolity turned suddenly silent, fae grabbing hold of the ones next to them as though she were some kind of harbinger. 
“Oh please, don’t stop on my account.” Her velvety voice purred, lips pulled into a sardonic smile.

“I didn’t ask, because I already knew the answer. I couldn’t put you in danger because I have no self control.” Aster breathed, a rough thumb wiping away the tear as he took Autimn’s face between his hands and stole another kiss while her eyes were closed.

Autumn returned the kiss, unaware that the snowflakes were melting around them turning into the fall leaves she loved so much. Above them a crow took to the sky, planning on reporting to it's mistress just exactly what the winter prince was up to.

Demetria already knew. There was a warmth in her chest that was spreading, the same warmth that Aster had confessed to Autumn that he had been longing for since leaving his true home behind. However, unlike her twin, Demetria did not enjoy it. She was on her feet within the walls of the winter palace, pacing like a caged tiger as she tried to will this god awful feeling away. 

“Come home with me...” Aster whispered against Autumn’s lips, though he didn’t mean the veil.

Ash was feeling the opposite. Even as he sat on his human lover's bed. He tried to wake Lillian with purring kisses though his chest was heavy and filled with ice.

"I thought you'd never ask." Autumn breathed against his lips, her fingers sliding through his hair.

Lillian’s long lashes fluttered slightly as the fae prince brushed his warm lips against her own. Slowly she began to smile before looking up at her lover with sleepy eyes. “You’re early.” She breathed gently, reaching up and tucking some of Ash’s golden hair behind his ear. 

Aster had taken so many human women to his bed in an attempt to chase away the cold that he couldn’t even count them any more. But the feeling he got as he slid an arm around Autumn and guided her to his waiting motorcycle was different. This wasn’t replacing the cold with something else... this was simply filling the hole inside himself with the very thing that was missing.

"I couldn't wait any longer." Ash breathed, offering her a gentle smile. "Lil, there is something I need to tell you." He went on, resting his hand over hers. " Promise me you'll stay calm."

Autumn balked when she saw the motor cycle. She'd never seen anything like it before. She certainly wasn't about to touch it, let alone get on it.

Lillian was very much awake now and sat back on her elbows as she pulled her hands from Ash’s, alarm clear in her wide grey eyes as she looked up at him. “Ash... you’re scaring me.” She breathed, well aware that he rarely spoke so seriously to her. “Oh god... there’s someone else, isn’t there? You’re leaving me!” She wailed, though knew she had no right to, it wasn’t as though they had anything serious going on. Her only thoughts were of very human things he would need to talk to her about. 

Asher halted suddenly when he realised Autumn had dug her heels in and was no longer allowing him to lead her. “What’s the matter?” He asked in confusion, forgetting that what seemed mundane to him was entirely new to the fae princess.

In that moment, Ash was changing his mind. He was considering a rather dumpy looking fae to marry who didn't act so childish. But he couldnt picture her, she always looked like Demetria. He was tired. Perhaps that was all this amounted to.

Autumn yanked her arm free and picked up a rock. She threw it at the strange metal beast with one eye. "Go away!" She shouted at it. "There is nothing for you here!"

Lillian was quick to narrow her eyes now; something had changed. Ash was usually so care free with her, leaving all his responsibilities at her door to spend his nights in her bed. “Where have you been? I missed you.” She breathed a moment later, her keen gaze having spotted the ebony feather poking out of his shirt pocket. It was a little too close to his heart for her liking.

“Hey! Easy there!” Aster was quick to run to his previous ‘beast’ and use his sleeve to rub down the spot where the rock hat hit it.

Ash sighed softly. "Don't tell me you have been lonely." He muttered, his long fingers brushing through the sheets beside her.

Autmn had picked up another rock, prepared to throw it as Aster rubbed the beast down. He must have lost his mind.

Lillian sat all the way up now and deposited herself in Ash’s lap. She didn’t like the thought of him saving keepsakes from any other lovers he may have. “No more so than you, it would seem.” She breathed against his lips. 

Aster turned in time to see Autumn pick up the rock and gently slid his fingers around her wrist. “As much as I appreciate you... saving me, I don’t think that’s really needed.” He teased, kissing her temple gently.

"Lillian..." Ash chuckled, pulling away from the kiss. "I believe my little kitten is jealous."

"Aster!" The little red head cried out. "Have you lost your mind? I don't understand! "

Lillian pouted slightly, then grinned. “You’ve seen you, right? Can you blame me?” She asked, fingers again toying with his hair. “Who is she?” She asked a moment later, trying her very best to sound uninterested.

“Of course I have.” Aster teased, ruffling Autumn’s hair affectionately. “But in all seriousness, this is how I get around. Think of it as... my wings.” He added with a chuckle.

"She?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I know what you mean. You know that I am not one to keep a harem." His father had. He often found himself Wondering if that was why the ancient fae had been killed.

"That doesn't look like wings." Autmn said, wrinkling her nose. " It looks like a horse with no head. ..Or feet. "

Lillian tutted, playfully chastising Ash for lying to her. “Then what is this?” She asked, pulling the ebony feather from where the prince had stowed it in his shirt pocket. She slid her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up to remain out of Ash’s reach.

“Oh sweet pea, it’s faster than any horse.” Aster breathed, scooping Autumn up and depositing her on the motorcycle before she could protest further. A moment later he was seated behind her and the metal beast was roaring to life.

Ash tried to reach her but his fingers just missed her slender legs. "Oh you know...I picked it up in your yard." He purred, grinning at the human woman. She was so lovely. And yet...she held nothing compared to Demetria. "Marry me." He blurted out. His stomach lurched as he realized the demand was not for her. It never truly would be.

Autumn loved the icy wind that touched her cheeks and sent her hair flying. She tipped her head back against Aster's chest and closed her eyes. "You're right! It's like flying!" She shouted to the wind.

Lillian stared at Ash in disbelief, the ebony feather falling from her grasp and fluttering to the ground before it was trampled under the other woman’s bare foot as she launched herself into Ash’s arms. The flame haired woman had wiled away many an hour dreaming of what her wedding to a man like Ash would be like, she had simply never believed he would ever ask. “You really mean it?” She squealed with delight. It was extremely unfortunate for Lillian that Ash had kept that feather. It had allowed a sleek looking bird to track him to this location, which now sat in the tree outside the window watching everything.

“I could show you so many different ways to feel this way.” Asher breathed, bringing his lips close to Autumn’s ear as he guided the bike off the road and along a barely used path into the woods.

Ash swept the tiny woman into his arms and danced around the room with her. For the moment he too forgot the feather. "Of course." He breathed. "But there are things you need to understand first. 

Autumn's heart lept into her throat. She'd often dreamed of these heated promises. She had missed him so very much.

“Let me guess, you have some weird family tradition that means I have to dance naked in front of the entire wedding party?” Lillian teased as she rubbed the tip of her pert nose against Ash’s. “Or a psycho ex girlfriend you need to warn me about?”

Aster didn’t say much more until they stopped at a secluded house in the middle of all the trees. Had anyone stumbled across it, it would instantly draw attention for being out of place. What should have been a rustic wooden home all the way out here, was in fact a sleek structure of glass and steel.

"Not so mundane." Ash breathed, moving his fingers in the air. All at once flower petals began to fall from the ceiling as if from nowhere at all.

"Aster..." Autmn breathed. "This reminds me of the winter lands. I miss it there." She admitted, too engrossed in the house to notice she had not gotten off the motorcycle until it was too late.

Lillian tilted her head back when she felt a petal land in her hair. A moment later she had peeled herself away from Ash to hold her hands out and catch several petals. “When did you have time to set this up?!” She gasped, assuming the petals had been rigged from something hidden on the ceiling. 

Asher chuckled, catching Autumn in his arms before she could fall from the motorcycle. “What can I say... you can take the boy out of winter...” He breathed. Staring down intently at the summer fae in his arms. “Without you every season was winter.”

"Lillian, this is not a setup." Ash held out his hand to her. It was glowing and warm. "I am not human like you." 

Autumn laughed softly. "You are so full of it." She said, shaking her head.

Lillian laughed. It was the kind of nervous sound she made when not quite understanding what someone was saying. “Of course you’re human...” She breathed, her throat suddenly impossibly dry. “What else would you be?”

“Nah, you just bring out the cheesy teenager in me.” Aster teased as he took Autumn indoors.

His usually bland blue eyes were suddenly alive with color. "I am a fae, my love." He told her gently, glancing toward the feather.

"You can hide that?" Autumn teased him, her warm eyes glittering with mischief.

“No... no no no! The fae are just a bedtime story!” Lillian insisted, though her voice drifted off somewhat when she saw the suddenly brilliant colour of Ashes eyes.

“You have a wicked tongue, princess.” Aster replied with a grin of his own. “Such harsh words for this humble fae.” He teased.

"I'm afraid we are not. " Ash said gently. He reached out and ran his fingers through her silken hair. "Marry me. I'll make you a queen."

"Humble was never your strong suit. " Autumn snorted, waving a hand at him.

For what would probably be the first time since he had known her, Lillian was speechless. She was a loud mouthed nobody, not a future queen. “Oh wow...” it was all she could manage for a moment. “Queen? Me?”

“No... but that’s what you liked, right?” Aster replied with a devil may care grin, just as overly confident as his sister.

Ash nodded, ashamed that his heart wasn't in it. "You will never have to do anything again." He promised her. "Everything your heart desires will be yours. All you have to do is say yes. "

Autumn didn't answer, she was busy staring at the living room. "It's all so soft. It looks warm... "

“All I have to do to call you my own, is be your Queen?” Lillian asked, her lips quacking into a teasing smile. “I feel like there’s a catch... or I’m dreaming.” She added, surprised at how well she had accepted this. It was like some part of her had always know there was something different about Ash.

Aster’s smile turned sad when Autumn noticed this. “It has to be.” He told her softly. “I’ve been on this side of the veil for so long... the cold eats away at me.” He confessed. Their side of the veil was governed by much stricter natural laws. Here... he was cut off from much of his magick, leaving him vulnerable to the human seasons.

"Just a small catch. You have to move to the summer lands and leave everything and everyone you know behind. " Ash told her, his brilliant eyes now as sad as the thoughts he was hiding from her.

"Have you been banished here? Or are you staying away from your sister?" Autmn asked, worried that the first of her questions was true.