#brokenwinged

keep it together, keep it together clarion ⸻ you must keep it together. it was an internal mantra that played over and over and over again in the young queen's mind as the day went on in nothing but a blur to her crystalline eyes. she could hardly believe it; elvira was gone. not just gone for the day, but gone forever. returned to the stars as if she were never here to begin with. clarion had been so confident at her coronation, elvira looked so proud of her and they had finally bridged the chasm that had once always divided them as queen and soon-to-be-queen. 

now, that confidence was wavering. she wasn't just pixie hollow's queen ⸻ she was pixie hollow's only queen. clarion had received all the wisdom elvira could ever bestow upon her. no more would come. this was it. was she truly ready for this? had she ever been ready to lose her mentor, the only one who could truly guide her through this role she was born to be?

finally, the long day was over. elvira's memorial was planned for the following day thanks to help from her ministers and the sun had begun to set behind those winter mountains that clarion avoided looking at ⸻ except tonight. tonight, clarion looked out from her balcony at those familiar peaks and she felt her resolve begin to utterly shatter. trembling, the queen could only keep her feet on the ground for mere seconds before she took off; wings glimmering behind her as with a neck-break speed, she headed for the border of spring and winter. to the root of the pixie dust tree that connected her world and his.

she had told him ⸻ milori, do not haunt this border like a ghost; she didn't say anything about herself. clarion's landing was anything but graceful as she hit the warm dirt of the spring side, pausing for only a moment before she approached the bridge and from there; the queen of pixie hollow crumbled.

clarion fell to her knees, sobs shaking her shoulders as she could feel the cool air of winter hitting her arms with it's frosty kiss. how welcomed that was, how it painfully reminded her of him so much. he would be deep into the winter woods, likely still planning winter's own memorial for their former queen ⸻ how cruel was she, to deny them all the chance to mourn together? how cruel, to deny herself the support and care of the one she ached for most?

— Ah. Herr Fairchild. Do come in, you arrived just in time. — Morgana replied as she saw the older man walk into Wild Thorn's. She crouched down to get something under the counter, as if searching for something. After a moment she appeared again, placing a vial on the counter in front of him.

she dips into a curtsy, hands clasped in front of her and a polite smile upon her lips. it wasn’t often she encountered any type of kindred spirit, but the cold seemed to cling to them both in a way that felt familiar.

she should be further into the core of the pixie dust tree, staying warm and keeping safe ⸻ but clarion can't bring herself to do so. she stands at the edge of the opening, turned to the side, towards the inside of the tree where her warm faeries huddled; terrified.

the library felt like one of the few places corrine found peace, even if only for a little while. it was early, the library had a sleepy air to it as the sun's rays peered in through the large windows. it was perfect — and she sat, curled in the corner in one of the large, old armchairs they had set up for those who rather hang around and read then take their books home. home was too quiet. too still. too lonely. the book in her hands, was one she found kinship in — that made her feel like, perhaps, someone out there could understand how she felt. someone other then him. it was a tragic lovestory, one of hope and anguish, of despair and misunderstandings. unlike her own tale, though, the books always seemed to have a happily ever after. 

the last several sentences, she had gone back and read again and again and again — too distracted for her mind to register the words. she could feel a gaze upon her, and though her eyes had only glanced up for a mere moment; the seconds were enough to know who it was and for her to realize she was cornered in this chair. no alleyway to duck into, no store to hide inside until he walked by.