The wedding party was in full throng all around Louisa. The dawn fae was stuffed from the Night Court’s divine feast of suckeling pig, rich hors d’oeuvres, and her favorite champagne. The Night Court made the best barrel of champagne that Louisa ever tasted; complex and elegant, it poured like warm honey and it tasted like heaven. If she wasn’t careful, little Louisa would drink nothing else but the saucers of sparkling gold that balanced on the bright silver trays that danced around the wedding party on the hands of the court servants. 

Her senses were filled with decadence and her body swayed to the mystical musings of the minstrels. She was incandescently happy. Whilst this soirée was more formal than the parties she, Lorelei, and Lysander would throw in the dawn’s glow of the Glass Palace, it made her feel the most at home than she'd been in months. 

High Lord Lysander tasked Dawn’s Royal Duchess with a Royal Tour of Astralis: stopping at the many courts before making her final voyage to the Night High Lord’s wedding. Her last court visit, to the grim Autumn Court, was so dreadful that it made her shiver at the mere  memory. Thankfully, her dearest friend, Lady River of the Day Court was here to keep her company. However, Louisa ran off to chase after a tower of croquembouche—her only weakness, pastry—leaving her to find Captain Laszlo Sigurdson, her last dance partner. 

Avoidance was futile, she had made eye contact with the surprisingly handsome Winter Captain. She panicked and spoke first. “Sir Laszlo,” her gaze wandered his stature up and down, what she saw was very pleasing. “You clean up nicely for such a raw stone.”

He had a buzz going, finally. Cian wasn’t sure if it was the bubbly champagne or the amount he drank since the feast ended, but it was catching up to him. He placed his empty saucer on an empty silver tray the palace servants balanced on their palms, before he staggered off in search of one of his mates.

Before he could drink another drop of the tart champagne, he man handled a few tiny hors d'oeuvre that moved under his nose that were also on a dancing silver tray. He popped two into his cheeks and chomped before he grabbed three more. The face on the Night Court servant was frightfully appalled at the brutish manner from the Autumn fae. Cian grumbled something in the crude native French tongue before the sacred servant backed away quickly. Cian grinned with a mouthful of expensive appetizers.

“Oi!” He hollard across the crowded room to his mate, Laszlo. “Las, ol’ chap.” Cian stopped over to Laszlo; he accidentally bumped into a few stuffy courtiers along his path. He grunted a quick apology and ignored the sour faces at the Autumn beast. “Where have you been? Let’s find a real drink, shall we?”

Laszlo x Louisa / a winter’s dawn / @damagcs

Every little thing she does is magic Everything she does just turns me on Even though my life before was tragic Now I know my love for her goes on

She was glad to be home. Back in the seaside estate she claimed as her sanctuary away from court. Caerwyn Môr, an ancient faerie fortress, lorded over the little sea port town in the Dawn Court lands. It was the mecca for art, literature, and salon conversation among the enlightened fae. Louisa felt more relaxed here than anywhere else in Astralis. 

She spent the dawn walking along the golden sea shore with a happy Aether, soaking up the briney sea wind. Her inherited elemental powers recharged with brisk wind like a rose to sunlight. The city was waking up for the day’s work. The pale fishing boats were passing by in the harbor and out to sea for the daily catch; the nightly partiers were staggering home stopping at the opening businesses for a quick breakfast pastry or the signature smoked mackerel sandwiches that the harbor chandlery made fresh to order. The sounds of the city were welcoming white noise as Louisa faded in with the natives. 

Louisa spent the day wandering with no agenda, just her, Aether, and home. By the time night fell across the seaside city, Louisa felt at ease. Just after a day, she could feel her power settling back down under her skin, and her mind was able to rest. And for the first time since she left Lysander’s Court, she drifted into a peaceful sleep—but it was not a dreamless sleep. 

Her breath steadied as she opened her eyes to see a golden corridor from which all dreamwalking starts. The astral corridors of the Glass Palace. She looked up to see snowflakes falling all around her from open air ceiling.  Her gaze adjusted to the darkness that was in front of her into the dreamer’s dream. His phantom touch warmed her bare arms and his name touched her lips—Laszlo. She walked into his dreams. Before her feat laid a snowladen path and, for a spell, she wondered if she should wake herself up, but she took that step and opened the doors into his dreams.