#Ꮺ 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 : alaric r.

[fairiewines]

୧੭ closed starter for @prythiaens

as snow tapped against the windows alaric finished the rather uninspired wrapping of aeryn's first present, a bulky square that was now resembling a melted rectangle the more he looks upon it. "cauldron bless me", shaking his head in dismay the high lord lifts the gift from the kitchen table, crackling embers from the fire punctuating his movement into the living room of his second home. their first solstice together, their first holiday as mates. he simultaneously could and could not believe it. "i .... i come bearing gifts", attempts to make it seem much more graceful than it looks, handing it toward his mate with a bashful smile. it had been difficult to find, or part of it had been — there were countless talented artists in velaris, yet only a select few were capable of painting what he had required, her human home. alaric was still unsure if aeryn would actually like the gift, but at the very least he consoled himself with the knowledge this was only the beginning of his gift giving.

[fairiewines]

"such a small thing like you having no issues with my very high windows? doubtful", he should have been enraged that they had entered his home in such a manner and yet alaric found himself only amused. "did you really miss me that much? i feel like doing all of this is rather ... dramatic." if she was in search of something valuable alaric would gladly point her in the right direction, some of the objects in his home were ghastly. yet the air in the now shared room said otherwise, actually, it screamed otherwise. nissa was here for different reasons and alaric was suddenly desperate to know them. "i believe you would smash a window to make an impression", the high lord is quick to comment, a brief lifting of his brows. a rather loud snort escaped him, taking a slow and measured step toward them, "and what judgements have i made about you, nissa?"

"it was no hassle at all, actually, your windows were quite welcoming," they brushed the air of surprise from their shoulders, typical demeanor settling back upon them as they straightened their cloak out. it would be remiss to admit that he'd taken their breath away, but the high lord somehow filled the empty room with a larger presence than nissa had anticipated or remembered. perhaps the crowd had stolen some of his stature from him before — whatever the reason may be, she desperately wanted to unravel him and put her finger on it. thoughts she'd need to dispel quickly if she were to maneuver this interaction with ease. "you should have more faith in me than that, high lord," their smirk took it's familiar place, "surely an inability to move with stealth and grace would greatly negate the judgments i've seen your eyes place upon me."

[fairiewines]

the customs of humans had never quite caught on for alaric, there were so many seemingly nonsensical holidays that they only managed to confuse him — but winter solstice was something he assumed the humans partook in also. the painting was not by his own hand, considering how the high lord was no artist and would shame himself and his ancestors for even trying. "ah, but technically you can call this a present, not a gift", the man remarks playfully, handing over his terribly wrapped offering to them. the painting was a beautiful piece, alaric had sought out the most capable and talented artist to bring the vision inside his head to life. visiting her human home had been a rather challenging experience, stepping across the border and hiding his identity the entire time — but it had been worth it to see aeryn's face as they gazed upon it. "i would love to claim credit but i fear you would be terrified if i had painted it instead", the high lord laughs, relief rushing through him. "me? i thought we weren't doing gifts this year", parrots their words in amusement, brows curiously rising.

winter solstice had long been forgotten over the wall. perhaps forgotten wasn't the right word﹔merely under - celebrated. she'd been far too poor to partake in solstice beyond the sorry excuse for a festival her town put together. this had been the first holiday aeryn did not have to worry about hunger or staying warm. finds herself mesmerized by the fire in their cozy second home, soft tug of the bond alerting them that alaric had entered the room. "you promised," they remind with a wry grin, already gravitating towards his presence, "no gifts." still, fingers gratefully extend out to accept the gift. the wrapping causes aeryn's smile to widen﹔fingers carefully opening the paper to reveal a painting of her childhood home. nobody resided there anymore ⸺ aeryn had been the only one left. orphaned and forced out onto the streets at fifteen. "it's beautiful," they muse with misty eyes, "thank you." she pads over the painting, fingers trailing along the front door before hues lift to meet his gaze. "i have something for you as well."

[fairiewines]

highly unusual to the point of discomfort, alaric had found himself reminiscing about that fateful night. he didn't dwell on the pompous guests who practically drooled across his finely tailored clothing as they spoke to him, nor the overly friendly companions of said men. it was them. a conversation that had lasted for less than it should had been stuck inside his mind with seemingly a magic he had never encountered before -- in the midst of a sleepless night he had wondered if nissa had actually performed some taboo spell upon their meeting. the fact of the matter was, they were alike. if he was experiencing such mental roadblocks and distracting thoughts then she had to be familiar with them also. it was merely a matter of time before one acted upon it.

when one is accustomed to sleepless nights it doesn't seem like such a high price to pay, remaining awake until the wax on the candles beside him melt to cover the fine table beneath it. spotting their shadow was akin to a bolt of lightening racing up his spine, a reward for countless nights of patience. politely the high lord waited for the grand entrance -- or the sneaky nissa version of one. "perhaps you should have entered through the front doors, save yourself the hassle?", announced in the silence between them, thick with something he refused to acknowledge. "and i hope you didn't break that window you slid through, sneaky little thing."

closed starter for @fairiewines !

there hadn't been a moment or a motive that passed that wasn't consumed by thoughts of him, the high lord who's forbidden desire trickled into their every move since they'd parted. thoughts which were only diabolically pushed by her family back home as they questioned the progress she'd made to infiltrate his court, and the endless planning regarding their next play. if only they knew she was already one step ahead of them, thankful for effortless shields lest they discover not all of her opinions were shared any longer. a full moon cycle had passed before nissa dared make a move, though, or their eagerness might outweigh their secrets. it was easier than she'd predicted, the trek to his estate, almost too easy. or perhaps she simply knew how to evade his precautions better than most. a cocky smirk dusted across their face, not wiping it clean as they snuck through a loose window, knowing that despite their similar minds, it was much too preemptive to even feel an ounce of success. for, as soon as nissa has made it inside and rounded a few, memorized corners, a curse fell from their lips as they came face to face with the fae she had been hoping to avoid.