#only mentioned

"Yes!" He turned with a smile. "That's me, I-" He opened his eyes and his speech came to a stuttering halt.

This was no fan.

First off, the woman was beautiful, in a way where several people were tripping to look at her as they walked past. Second, she was dressed beautifully, in a silver dress, lined with darkness and red that matched her wings, that resembled the petals of a moon-flower. An elegant crown completed the look, sitting elegantly on her white curls, framed by antlers lined with silver. Her eyes were cold, however, and he suddenly wondered if this was how the collections of bugs he had in his home felt before he pinned them down.

This was no fan. This was no ordinary woman.

"Queen Dark Lily, I assume," he said. Manners overtook him, and he gave her a polite bow. Not only was she royalty, but Shield Salt served her as a knight and a diplomat between the Faerie Kingdom and the Salt Lands. Actually, based off the letters he sent, his best friend was smitten with her. "My friend, Shield Salt, serves in your court."

"Yes, he does," For a moment, her cold expression shifted, revealing a soft smile. Ah, so the smitten nature was both ways. "He has spoken often of your knowledge, so I feel confident in requesting your services."

"Ah? What may I do for the Faerie Kingdom?" He tried to pull on the act, grinning and summoning his staff with sparkles. Her expression never changed. Usually, that got people to swoon.

"A friend of mine was poisoned." Immediately, his mind scrambled to various poisons and their antidotes. "With love potion."

That…was different. "Do you not have an antidote of your own?" he asked. "Shield Salt says that love potion is a common prank in your kingdom."

Dark Lily began to walk. Sage followed, noting the way her jaw twitched and the way her wings fluttered. Oh, she was pissed. "Normally, yes," she said. "However, this was no prank. This was a deliberate attempt to create a wedge between Shield Salt and I."

Ah. "For what reasons?" There were so many. People who hated Dark Lily for her fearsome reputation, people who hated Shield Salt because of how he promoted peace with the souljam of solidarity, the list was endless. Ah, the world of politics. "And why your friend?"

"My friend had a crush on me for a very long time," she admitted, noticeably skipping the question for the reason. "It faded long ago, but the person who poisoned him saw it as an opportunity to disrupt my relationship. They used an altered form of the love potion," She pulled out a small vial full of a glittering purple mixture. She held it out. "Traditionally, even without an antidote, the potion would fade at dawn. However, my friend has been poisoned for a week and there are no signs of it stopping."

"How do you know he was even poisoned?" Sage took the vial and considered it. It was faintly warm and the color was interesting. According to Shield Salt, the traditional love potion was pink, mimicking the primrose petals that went in. "How do you know he's still poisoned?"

"If consumed through food, there's a distinctive taste and it takes time to take effect. That's why traditionally we pour it in the eyes." This was all very good information. Sage nodded. "And there are outside symptoms. I will provide you with a list."

Sage nodded again. "So, you wish for me to analyze your love potion?"

"And find a cure, if possible. Any attempts faeries have made so far have proved useless." Dark Lily paused, as if not believing what she was about to say next. "I am also going to trust you with my friend. The poisoner escaped and I wish to keep him out of the way before they think of doing something…deadly. "

Normally, Sage would protest. He wasn't a healer. He wasn't even a people person, despite what his reputation would claim. However, her dark and cold expression had faltered.

She was trusting him with her friend. She trusted him because his friend trusted him.

"I will do my best to protect him, your Majesty." He paused here. "However, I am going to have to take off the blindfold, just to monitor his eyes." It would be awkward, especially if the full potion hadn't taken effect yet, but he needed it. The eyes were one of the ways to see if a subject was under the spell of a love potion.

Dark Lily nodded. "If you are a gentleman, I will have no issue."

"Then, shall we meet at my home?"

"Yes. I will order my carriage to meet us there."

The two walked in silence after that. The queen didn't seem to be in the mood for conversation. Meanwhile, Sage was thinking over what he knew about the Faerie Kingdom. What plants could make a love potion worse? The primrose for the original potion had to be specially grown.

Soon, they arrived at the Spire. A carriage of silver, decorated with floral patterns, waited outside. A few guards stood around it, guarding. When Sage opened the door, the carriage door opened. Dark Lily held out her hand to the dark-cloaked figure, helping him out.

"Don't worry," she cooed softly, ignoring Sage's gaze as she guided her friend in. "You'll be safe here. I trust Shield Salt's judgment."

"Thank you, my lily." The friend's voice was soft. "Please, don't worry yourself sick."

"I have no choice."

Sage opened the door to his lab. "In here," he said. "I'll have a room made available."

"Thank you," the friend said.

Something about his voice made heat prickle in his face. "You're welcome," he said, turning to his desk. He set the vial of love potion down. When he turned, Dark Lily had set her friend down in a chair and approached. She held another vial and a scroll. "Here is the untainted love potion and the symptoms of both the common and the tainted potions."

"My queen," He couldn't help the coo as he took the gifts. "You are certainly through."

Dark Lily simply nodded. "Send me updates," she said. She turned to her friend. Her smile was bright, but her eyes threatened violence. "Pure Vanilla, I promise. I will find who did this."

Without another word, she marched out.

"She certainly has a way with words," Sage mused.

"She wouldn't have become queen without it," the friend mused.

"Yes." The Sage bowed again. "But, introductions. I am the Sage of Truth. And what may I call you?"

He reached up and lowered his hood, dropping the cloak to the ground.

The heat in Sage's face grew worse. The man was beautiful, even more than Dark Lily. He wore dark clothes, lined with gold, with a dark gem at his throat. Soft white wings beat against his back, matching the winged crown tucked in his hair. His hair was long and golden, a portion braided back to reveal tanned skin and freckles. It also revealed the blindfold stretched over his eyes.

"I am Pure Vanilla, although most call me the Truthless Recluse."

My, how interesting. The Sage had heard of the Truthless Recluse, who guarded the Peak of Truth. He had assumed he was a myth. "I've heard stories of you!"

"And I, you." The softness was gone. "You have a reputation."

"Yes, yes," Sage scoffed. "However, we should put those aside and focus on the mission. This is going to be awkward, but I need to see your eyes to help monitor your condition."

There was a sigh. "Alright," The man reached up and began to fiddle.

Slowly, the fabric came away, and Sage forgot how to breathe.

The man's eyes were the cherry on top. One was a soft powder blue while the other was dandelion gold, much like the Sage's own eyes. There were heavy bags under them, but that didn't distract from their beauty.

It also didn't distract from the heart shapes that formed inside, nor the slight lavender tinge that came over them. Truthless Recluse's face darkened, and a slight smile formed across his handsome face.

It should've been illegal to be that pretty, even with a love potion.

Sage tensed as he stood and slowly began to approach. He knew what to expect from Shield Salt's letters. The subject would go into a frenzy originally, just wanting to be close to their new "love", traditionally smothering them with hugs and kisses. He wasn't the biggest fan of touch, but if they just got the frenzy over with, it shouldn't be that bad.

He wasn't expecting the callused hands wrapping around his own.

"My muse…" Truthless sighed, as if he had found something precious. "My truth…" He leaned down and kissed his hands, as if they were something holy. "You're so beautiful."

…shit.

Shit.