𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕨𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕙 *

location: a balcony at the high court open to anyone

The descent of sword and head is not what haunts Lucius each time darkness falls or lids flutter shut, instead it’s the twist of features of those who were housed within the expanse of the throne room; he could recollect in detail how mouths fell agape in shock, how pupils dilated to the stretch of obsidian in fear, how fists curled in fury. It’s the uncertainty of those surrounding that stirs within the sinew of his skeletal: what is to say tomorrow they would not be paraded in while a figure of importance from winter loses a hand, or a man from the sea loses their head? 

The humming swarm of thoughts ricocheting within his skull come to an abrupt stall as pupils land on a silhouette folded to a nearby chair– habitual, he cannot miss how the sun’s rays coax them lustrous. Perhaps he should apologize for interrupting, but Lucius’ mouth simply tilts crooked, syllables unravelling from his tongue like silk on his approach, “penny for your thoughts?”

        𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.  aster had not felt so good in many years.   so much  bloodshed,   yet not a single drop belonging to her court.  they would not dare rebel without her instruction.   the fae world was in a state of unrest as the crack between the high  &  summer court continued to widen,  wide enough for her to slip through.   she had several hands she could play.   it felt so good.  she tilted her head up towards the sun, letting out a sigh.  who said the winter queen couldn’t enjoy a few solar rays?   she did whatever she pleased.

        ‘ 𝐢 𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.  ’  aster spoke,   approaching the winter child with something similar to concern in her eyes but not quite genuine enough to be so.    her eyes travelled down to safie’s chest where her heart continued to beat as she thought of all the times the others heart had cost her greatly.   ‘ ... as you continue to let your  HEART  win over your head. ’

       𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬.   aster’s lips twisted into a menacing smile,   head tilting towards her advisor.   she was challenging her,   testing castalia’s words to see how truthful they were.  one day soon,   aster would need as many people willing to kill for her on her side.  despite what aster often liked to pretend,   she knew  she couldn’t take on the humans alone.  ‘i expect  nothing  less from someone in my court. ’

it was just like aster to lose herself in some distraction or another especially in such tumultuous times but castalia had dared hope the winter queen would behave in a manner that befits her title for once. that she wouldn’t have to chase after her throughout the palace like a mother chasing after her child and yet here she was. she’d gone through nearly all the rooms before it dawned on her the queen was more than likely in her quarters, she’d also guessed aster might not be alone. she’d stood pacing in front of the closed doors for as long as she could stand it and she had begun to think whoever was warming aster’s bed tonight might never leave.

she unceremoniously opened the door, watching with amusement as the fae scattered, practically running for the door and as she passed castalia made a disapproving sound. “i have knocked, more than once. perhaps your majesty was simply too preoccupied to notice.” she replied than seizing a discarded garment she threw it in aster’s general direction, whirling around so as to give her some privacy. “i’m glad you’ve been able to find some way to occupy yourself but i do believe we have much to discuss now.” she said, her tone leaving no room for arguing.

          𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞,   so she couldn’t officially say castalia was like a nagging mother,   but she thought it . . . a lot.   often times she even wondered what she needed an advisor for,   especially considering aster did what she pleased anyway.   she supposed it was a formality though  & that she should be grateful someone was there to stop her making reckless decisions.    then again,  her old pal eliora had tried to do that  & she ended up at the bottom of the mountain.    whilst castalia was a little more bearable than her,   she did often fantasise about kicking her off a mountain as well.     one day. 

      𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬,   she chuckled.   for it was no secret to anyone that aster cared for one person  &  that was herself.   she was often branded self-involved,   a label she accepted graciously.   since when was looking out for yourself a bad thing?   

       ‘  how arrogant of you to assume that i care. ’   the venom dripped of her tongue,  tasting sweet as it hit her lips.    she flashed her teeth,   approaching the other slowly.  aster did not have feelings like that for people.   even without her frozen heart it would take something awfully tragic for aster to actually feel bad  or concerned for anyone.  no matter their issue,  aster could always top it with her own childhood --- not that it was a competition,   but if it was,  she’d win. 

“Maybe they’re testing me.” The words tumbled haphazardly from her lips, Seladon surprised she said them, a sudden word vomit. Could that be it? Was it a test? a challenge? The anonymous note she was sent seemed to imply it. Seemed to imply that perhaps, something bigger was at work. She stepped forward, nodding, her mind suddenly spinning. Both curious about Aster and now about the mysterious archer– there was a good chance it could all be connected the high king’s death, in fact it almost didn’t make any sense otherwise. “Or maybe gunning me down isn’t their style- perhaps they have something more sinister in mind for me like the last king.”

At this point she was just throwing out ideas, anything was possible, there was so little clues, so little they knew, in fact, they knew almost nothing for certain about any of this. The High Council had no answers for her or for anyone else. They were stumbling forward into the dark; blind and confused. She led the winter fae towards one of the many intersecting paths, worn with age, the newfound silence pressing in on them. Aster’s words were enticing, though she wouldn’t dare admit it out loud, she was feeling lost, it wasn’t even being forced into a position you didn’t want- it wasn’t easy trying to be queen of a weakened and hated court. Her family. the High Fae, had charged her with a near impossible task. And deep down she knew, they were asking her to die and suffer for them. 

But she mustn’t make a mistake, must watch how easily she trusts, a fatal flaw of hers. Whatever Aster had to offer, Seladon knew would come with a price; as everything in Fae did, nothing here was ever truly free. “I’m eager to hear it then, though I must admit– I’m surprised the winter court hasn’t voiced any feelings of rebellion…” Was it okay to bring such a thing up so openly and freely? In truth Seladon didn’t mind giving the lesser courts more freedom, mending the bitterness between them all, listening to them, giving them more respect and equality; but she could not allow herself to be weak in outright treason and disrespect.  “It is okay to tell me you are unhappy with the High fae. I say so truly.” The soft edges of her voiced bounced off the moist and glistening cave walls, the path leading them down a much more narrow tunnel.

Seladon cupped her hands to her lips, murmuring a soft incantation; and her hands lit up with a bright off-white glow, emitting enough light for them to see.

        𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐲.  perhaps she was just used to expecting the worst of people because that was all she knew.   most people were bad,  some were VERY bad.    ‘ maybe they wanted to make a statement. ’  she pondered out loud,   deliberately trying to get under seladon’s skin in the way only aster could.   she’d had years to practice the art of mental manipulation,  ‘ killing you wouldn’t solve anything,   they’d only replace you with another. ’ there was a sinister glint in aster’s eyes now as she turned to the queen,   ‘ must be difficult  being so replaceable. ’   aster wouldn’t know nothing about that,   or so she’d led herself to believe.

         the fact that seladon was willingly venturing into the dark of the catacombs with aster was a good sign.   it’d be the perfect place for aster to stab her acquaintance in the back with an ice shard  &  have no one be any the wiser.   seladon must trust her,   either that or she was desperate.  desperate women made reckless decisions.   aster let the silence fall upon them as they navigated the catacombs.  she watched the high queen carefully as they walked,   trying to get inside her head.  aster knew what it was like to have people hate & doubt her.   the mysterious winter queen who came from no where.   however aster never asked people for their respect & admiration,   she took it.

          ‘ what is there to rebel against? ’   she raised her eyebrow,   almost asking for seladon to give her a reason.  aster didn’t like to get involved with the fae’s politics.   she found that politics was one of the few areas where the fae resembled humans.   it was all rather tedious.   ‘ i like the way things are for the moment,   i fear change will be  DANGEROUS  for all of us. ’   by that,  of course aster was talking about herself.  a rebellion in the high court would be contagious  &  soon every fae would be calling out for new leadership.   she would lose control of her court.    

// continued from here. @iceheartcd

“It seems whoever doomed Cedric might be intent on doing the same to me.” She said breathlessly, a sharp pang of frustration stabbing into her heart, tearing at her insides like a jagged piece of glass, catching on her soft flesh and cutting it to ribbons. Seladon glanced again at the winter fae that had stepped up by her side, icy touch pulling away, the warmth flooding back to the High Queen’s shoulder. Being queen is about more than a crown. Those words echoed in her head, golden-lavender eyes looking out into the darkness, barely illuminated by glowing whisps that often rested on the ceilings of the catacombs. They were guides, or had been in the past; will-o-the-wisps (aka ghost lights) is what the humans called them in their world, glowing dazzling creatures, like living stars you can keep in your back pocket. But now they just clustered together on the ceilings, blinking and twinkling at the pair of fae below . The Catacombs were a maze of caves and tunnels, and for now the two of them stood near one of the many entrances into the cavernous space.

“Opportunity?” Seladon’s gaze snapped back to Aster, black brow raised curiously. What could the Winter Queen possibly be talking about? She didn’t know much of the Winter Court and their politics, she had only met Aster once or twice when she was still a lowly scholar trying to get onto the High Council— but; she had to remind herself— I’m the High Queen, so of course it makes sense she would want to see me.

“Well, I am open to listening to whatever you have to say, your highness, and probably against my better judgement I’m here alone with you; so you’re right— of course you should use this to your advantage.” Her lips curved into a somewhat teasing smile, only a whisper of mirth in her eyes, still unsure of how much friendliness was or wasn’t appropriate for her new station— she new for one she probably shouldn’t be alone with anyone not of the High Court right now. But Seladon was confident that this wasn’t an encounter she needed to worry about.

“Would you like to walk with me? I know some cool things in The Catacombs I can show you as we talk.”

          𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟.  she tilted her head,  processing the queen’s words.  why hadn’t they killed her?   it was a thought she should’ve had earlier but in the chaos,   it had slipped her mind.   the mysterious archer seemed to have such an astute aim,   so why not aim for the queen herself if that’s what their end goal was;   to kill the newfound leader, just as aster assumed they had the previous one.   it didn’t make sense,   unless they were trying to destroy the crown  &  NOT the queen.    the summer court elder had proved there  was motive to do so.   that was the only explanation aster could think of  & whilst she wasn’t entirely confident in it,   it was all she had,  so she rolled with it.  ‘then why wouldn’t they just kill you . . . why waste the arrow on your guard? ’  she posed, her eyes turning towards seladon.   ‘ they obviously had the perfect shot to kill you but they didn’t.  why do you think that is? ’    she asked,  genuinely seeking the answer.

           aster couldn’t help but smirk at the high queen’s raised brow.   she was new at this,   hence her openness to whatever aster was proposing.   most monarch’s did not care for what aster had to say due to her self serving reputation.  she never did things for anyone’s gain other than her own.    that wasn’t true.  she was trying to reset the natural order of things,   where fae would reign supreme over humans.   the way it should be.

           ‘ what would your advisors say? ’   she chuckled,  knowing that this may be the only chance she would get to say her piece.   advisors were only there to make suggestions,    they didn’t have to listen to them --- hence why aster rarely listened to her own.    ‘ i assure you,   what i am offering will benefit you  GREATLY,  so you should take advantage of the situation also. ’   she spoke in riddles,  not wanting to reveal all her plan all in one go.   where was the fun in that?  

safie stilled the moment she heard the queen crack her knuckles, fear lancing through her. regret began to replace the adrenaline coursing through her, the winter child had stormed in without much thought and now in the wake of aster’s wrath, she knew she had acted rashly. the string tying her to the courts was flimsy, a delicate strand easily snapped and her queen held it betwixt her fingers, it was not wise to test that bond. so what had moved her to such an extreme, when she had never easily done so before? when safie knew not to?  

safie grit her teeth at the word inferior and held her regent’s gaze, an ember igniting in the light cast from the torches around them. She did not dare run from it. they were sure to find out whether this attack was purely aimed at the crown of the high court. if this extended to the other courts then which would be the first to fall… 

she held her tongue as aster spoke, silently urging her regent to impart what might be in store for them. instead of speaking, the winter fae moved rigidly towards a table with a carafe of wine, pouring it out in two separate goblets. she held one out for aster.

        𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫.  she too had been reckless when she was younger,   nothing more than a petulant child with a raging fire in her eyes.  despite her many years in this world,   aster still felt like that angry child sometimes.  perhaps she would always be angry.  still,  no matter how much she recognised the fire in safie,   that didn’t mean she’d allow her to speak to her in such a manner.   sometimes lines had to be drawn.

           the queen watched her child intently as she poured them both a goblet of one,  a tremble in her steps.    aster still had it,   the ability to make people quiver.  she smiled to herself  & joined her companion by the table.  aster accepted the goblet but did not drink,   instead she held it in the air for a moment.  ‘ a toast . . . to our future &  all the excitement it holds. ’

two hundred years together and safie still could never safely determine what would finally push the vindictive to get rid of her. the winter child tensed as her regent stepped towards, felt every bit like the hunted, feral beast and with aster’s gaze honed as it was upon her, she knew it would not be long till she struck true. she did not move a single muscle as aster adjusted the necklace, but the pulse at her throat still jumped, the fae blood flowing through her veins giving her terror away. “ th- ” her words clamped off as aster’s ice cold fingers wrapped around her throat. she forgot, how the true cold could feel like burning. 

she was merely a vessel for the cold, aster was of it.  all safie could see was the winter queen, frost building around them, snow falling to gather at their feet. aster’s breath barely misted in the air, but with the quiet stillness around them, safie heard her perfectly. the tears at the corner of safie’s eyes turned crystalline, rolling down her cheeks and clinking onto the floor. she dug her fingernails into the queen’s hands, trying to pry them off to no avail and as her grip tightened, she stilled, frozen in place. every word the winter queen spoke, safie believed and not for the first time she saw the hopelessness of her position, how she could not do a single thing to stop aster from taking that which she coveted. she grit her teeth, vision blurring. that didn’t mean she wouldn’t keep fighting. once out of that wretched grasp, safie’s hands flew to her throat, fingers prodding at the bruises forming on her skin. 

she coughed out and the pain of it shattered through her body, splintering down her throat. despite this, she remained standing, squaring off to the winter queen as her vision began to clear. slowly it became easier to speak, and after a moment she rasped, “if they attacked the high court, will they not aim for the others?” 

           𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐜𝐞  𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬,  𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞.   a rage that had been building since she was an abandoned child, a rage that had festered into something that even she didn’t know the true capabilities of.  one day,   she would summon that rage to exact her revenge on the human world.  one day.   for now,  it remained dormant,   occasionally rearing it’s ugly head whenever aster felt control slipping through her fingers.  

              she watched as safie coughed  & spluttered.   aster sighed,    she hated having to do things like that.  though her frozen heart prevented feelings of remorse,   she knew that it was not the correct way to deal with things.  a truly powerful queen should not have to resort to violence to keep her people in line.   aster just needed to show safie that she was the one with the power, the one who could squeeze the life out of her with a single hand.  she only hoped the message had been received.   aster slowly moved away from safie,  a spring in her step.   ‘ i’m sorry i had to do that,  but i fear you often   forget your place   in my court . . . ’  she turned, a sinister look on her face,    ‘ had your fate been reversed when you picked up my staff,  you would have sat beside the summer king as his equal ---  but next to me you are INFERIOR. ’

           𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰.   following the crowning all the chaos seemed to settle down  &  aster was left to find another means to occupy her time.   she did not like to be bored.  often times she found that whenever she was bored,  her mind began to second guess itself about things.   sometimes she wished that the ice in her heart could freeze her mind as well to prevent the kind of thoughts that kept aster awake at night.   you’re losing control,   your own body is turning against you,   could you too end up like the previous high king !  that was becoming evermore a possibility  &  recent events didn’t do much to ease those thoughts. so she decided to seek out a distraction.

Seladon had had a hell of a time tricking and losing her guards; she needed just five seconds alone before she had to continue being high queen. Her moment alone was short-lived however, at the sound of approaching footsteps, and then a somewhat familiar voice. Aster, The Winter Queen. The fae queen turned slightly, so that her golden eyes could get a better look at the winter fae. Her words almost made her laugh— the absurdity of the situation really setting in.

“Though I’m to be a queen without a crown— have you ever heard of such a thing? I never imagined today would end up like this.” The words fell from her leaps easily, like droplets of smooth honey; the cold touch a shock to her senses, but she made no movement to remove the icy digits. “I’m surprised you were able to find me down here— impressive luck.” Seladon offered her a curious smile, she had only ever heard terrifying things about the Winter Queen — but personally she couldn’t remember a time Aster had ever done anything unnecessarily cruel to her.

A pang of guilt stabbed her stomach as she looked away, turning her irises to the ceiling of the catacomb caves, watching the strange swirling lights suspended far above their heads, their forms imprisoned in almost darkness. The Winter Court were sort of enemies, or rivals to The Summer Court; how would they take it if they saw this seemingly private and intimate meeting?

       ' 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞  𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧. ’   that is a philosophy aster stood by.  whilst she did have her own crown it was mostly kept beside her throne.    what made her truly royal was the way she carried herself,   the way she wasn’t afraid to do the things that needed to be done,   no matter the blood spilled when it was all over.    aster gently removed her hand from seladon’s shoulder  &  stepped forward to stand beside her.   ‘ besides,  that crown did little to aid your previous king in his  DOOMED  pursuit of acceptance. ’    she spoke bitterly,   doing nothing to hide her distaste for the former monarch.  

        for a few brief moments  aster did not say anything else,   not wanting to divulge that her happening upon the queen was nothing more than simple luck.   not that she was knocking it... maybe lady luck was making up for her first few years of misfortune by throwing her an opportunity.    an opportunity she wasn’t going to let slip through her fingers.    ‘ perhaps it is luck.   i like to think of it more as fate. ’    though aster had no faith at all,   she was happy to pretend if it would serve her purpose.    ‘ why would fate place us both here in this exact moment,   not another soul in sight? ’    aster tapped a finger to her lips before looking around to ensure that they really were alone.   she let out an overly dramatic sigh.

             𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝,   likely a deliberate attempt to shield her from a second assassination attempt.   she’d searched  some of her people had searched to all ends of the high court for her as aster opted to wander the grounds idly.  it was by chance that she came across her in the catacombs.  though now she was here she was started to realise that she should’ve checked here to begin with.   it was a surprisingly calming place . . . all the lights.   she shook her head,   she wasn’t there to be wowed by some pretty lights.    seladon was stood a few metres away,   who knew what she was doing.   maybe she was taking a break from the chaos.   whatever it was,   her guard seemed down,   there was no advisor by her side  &  aster saw her opportunity.

event one | part two who: @iceheartcd​ where: winter queen’s quarters

She had parted from the Winter Queen’s retinue during their arrival, an action that would not be without its consequence but Safie now wondered if that was all part of her regent’s plan. The better half of the coronation, found Safie as far away from any regent as she could and, as such, the furthest from the source of chaos when it erupted. She tried to get towards the High Queen, but it all happened so fast, Seladon whisked away before Safie looked away from where the arrow had flown. After that it was a blur.

When the safety of the acting High Queen was ensured, only then did Safie turn her suspicions towards her own court. She thought of all she knew of the politics of the courts and found herself lacking in information. The Winter Child had never come too close to delving into the entanglements between the courts, already tied up in enough web to last many fae life times, but now she wished she had listened more intently, paid any attention at all to what went on before. Perhaps then, she wouldn’t be so lost in helping someone dear to her. She was quick to check the ice gardens, a favored destination for fae of her kind, but there was no sign of the Winter Queen. Anger fueling her steps, she cared not for the melted icicles at her throat as a few left unbroken scraped at her throat in her reckless movements. She had seen the benevolent moments before she entered the quarters of the Winter Queen, a gust of chilled air billowing forth as she opened the double doors without announcement or manner. 

“Did you know? Was this part of your plan?” The heavy doors thudded behind her and she stood before the Winter Regent. She had meant for the words to be yelled, to be an accusation that struck to the heart of the Queen, but Safie’s words were a mere rasp, all her movement of before catching up to her. 

             𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧.   things were bound to change.   following the dramatic turn of events aster had quickly headed off to her quarters,   not out of fear;  she had needed to think about her next few moves.  the winter queen  THRIVED  when she was two steps ahead of everyone else.   now the question that lingered was,   what was the next best move to reach her final cause ? . . .  there were cracks in the foundation of faerie,   if she were to get in through the cracks,  perhaps she could control things from the inside.   she let her mind wander for a moment until --- a loud slam!  as the winter child entered her quarters. 

            whilst safie rambled,  aster simply listened. her words were weak,   which was one thing anyone who possessed the mantle of the winter child shouldn’t be.  still,  she stood back,  letting her acquaintance speak before taking one sharp breath  &  raising her brow.  ‘ did i know what exactly? ’   she began to pace around her quarters,  lips pursed.  ‘ such a vague insinuation . . . did i know  that the crown would be broken,  that this whole event would end in DISASTER. . .  that my court would desert me? ’   

The sound of another’s voice so suddenly spooked the Undersea fae ever so, but she only showed as much in the fraction of a moment her shoulders hitched and her eyes widened to a size that rivaled a round, full moon. The surprise, however, was short-lived as an emotion more akin to insult flashed over her. “Ghastly?” She echoed, disbelief in her voice. A scoff followed it, and Yuliya watched as the Winter queen dropped the fur cover at her feet. “I may not be a fae of winter, but I can hold myself just fine in the cold.” Despite her words, she leaned forward to grab the other’s coat, if only to not face scorn from not taking the other’s form of generosity when she saw it.

Even though she wouldn’t admit it, the cold was a bit more bearable with the fur coat placed neatly on her lap. Yuliya hummed her agreement softly, the noise almost lost to the all-absorbing quietness of the winter around them. “It’s impressive in its own right. While it doesn’t give the satisfaction of being in the ocean… water is water.” She ran a finger over the fur, collecting the space droplets of melting snow and rubbing it between her fingers. Before continuing, she shrugged, turning to look at the fae as she sat down. “Besides the visual appeal, it’s quiet. The events at the coronation left me with a headache. I was thinking that no one else would have desired to sit in an icebox after all that happened… but it seems that I forgot about a certain type of fae, hm?”

           𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬.   of course,   the dropping of her coat was mostly done in an effort to show off her indifference to the cold.   but she didn’t care if the fae wanted to use it.   she had dozens of fur coats back at the winter court that had been gifted to her over the years.  what should we gift the winter queen?  a fur coat.   how ORIGINAL.  aster was taken away from her thoughts as the other spoke.  ‘  good for you.  though i would not suggest staying out here.  it won’t take long for the frostbite to set in. ’

when: after the coronation where: the ice gardens who: open to all 

Madness. Absolute madness was what all that was. Yuliya supposed she finally understood what elders in the Undersea court meant when they gossiped about how High court events never ended as planned. Seladon, both crowned and crownless at once, had more important things to fret over with the sudden intrusion in the night’s affair, so the young designer had taken the opportunity to leave the center of commotion when it presented itself. Yuliya wanted no part in having to deal with the messy period of time that was sure to follow. But the High court was her place of residence now. She imagined the desire for peace and quiet would soon be something one could only dream of as all courts had to manage the fallout of such an event.

In looking for a place of solitude, the Ice Gardens felt as though it would be a safe choice. With a warmer shawl thrown over her shoulders and bunched up close to her neck, Yuliya sat, a purple smear against the otherwise perfectly white landscape, on one of the few benches that had been placed relatively close to the entrance. The cold bit bitterly at her nose and ears, but the sensation was welcomed- if only for the time being. A deep exhale left her, eyes following the fog of her breath up into the air.

             𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲.   for the cold  &  ice was something always associated with bitterness.  as opposed to the joy people derived from summer,  winter was a bitter fate that loomed over all.  except for her   & the select few she’d accepted into her court over the years.   it seemed that only they say the  BEAUTY  in the cold.   it’s crystal white glistening with the hint of --- purple?   she blinked.   this was not a delusion.  there was someone sat in the ice gardens.   her ice gardens.   she was in good mind to be her usual self  & tell the fae to vacate this place.   but  instead,  aster approached.