#iris vanserra

[animezinglife]

This playlist is made for @lucienarcheron as a tribute to her fic, Spirit Meets the Bones. Gigi, thank you for being such a sweet, uplifting spirit. I hope you always keep writing!

Find the full playlist on YouTube here.

Tracks:

"Autumn Waltz" - Infinite Stream

"Beginning to End" - Hendyamps Studios

"Melancholy" - Alexey Kosenko

"Giorni" - Ludovico Einaudi (Eris and Iris's song)

"Ripples in a Water Scene" - Lubomyr Melnyk

"Love Lost" - Mattia Cupelli

"Afterlight" - Eternal Eclipse

"When Love Falls" - YIRUMA

"Experience" - Ludovico Einaudi

"Last Moment" - Christophe Filippi

"Yearning Hearts" - Eternal Eclipse

"Middle of the Night" - Joel Sunny

"I Wanna Be Yours" - Joel Sunny

"War of Hearts" - Joel Sunny

"A Thousand Years" (Piano and Strings Cover) - John Rod Dondoyano

[animezinglife]

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Spirit Meets the Bones [ Art ]

everything has changed, now that I've found us ~

I commissioned this little treat from @majuandrad and she made my darlings look adorably perfect! Eris and his lovely wife, Iris in chibi form ♥️

You can find everything Spirit Meets the Bones here!

[positivewitch]

@erisweek2023 Day 6 - Arranged marriage | Modern Au

Spirit Meets the Bones

by talented brilliant @lucienarcheron

[moononastring]

Drawing Up the Plans - Eris x Iris [Modern AU]

Prompt: Modern AU Eris x Iris "celebrate" Valentine's Day. Inspired by this post. I have no other excuses. Rated: SFW. Brought to you by: Taylor Swift's - I Think He Knows & Gorgeous Author's Note: Happy Heart Day! Here are my morons doing their thing in modern au format. I had fun writing this so I hope you enjoy reading it :)

Find everything Eris x Iris here.

tagging: @thedeadromantics | @climb-the-mountian | @vanserrass | @ladystarrynight | @imma-too-many-fandoms | @carnythian | @thewilderheart | @lifeisbeautiful | @mali22 | @this-is-rochelle | @bowdawn | @positivewitch

Iris watched him with a look of slight disdain on her face as her...whatever he was, sat across from her at their local ice cream shop. Eris was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, an ice cream cone in one hand and his eyes locked on his phone in the other.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as he nonchalantly bought the cone closer to his mouth and licked the creamy sweetness. 

She clenched her fingers around her spoon and scowled. 

It was just ice cream. He was only eating ice cream and yet — Iris clenched her thighs together and her scowl deepened when his traitorous tongue darted out again to take more.

It was obscene. Slightly erotic. But mostly it was obscene and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. 

Iris didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing it was doing something to her. They’d only been orbiting around each other for a few weeks, and she was barely tolerating their interactions. He was so obnoxious and yet despite her many attempts to avoid him, they kept running into each other. The two of them ended up in the same space too often for it to be anything but fate.

She blamed it on how small this town seemed to be. And the fact that he was a rich, attractive man with too much confidence. Iris had moved into town a few months ago and during her first week, stumbled into him at the local bar where he spilled his drink on her. He insisted it was an accident but that hadn’t stopped her from throwing her drink at his face in return.

Needless to say, they treaded very aggressively around each other.

“Is there something wrong, Iris?” he asked and Eris met her gaze with a slight smirk, finally putting his phone away. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“Everything about you is wrong.” she mumbled and her gaze dropped to her own cup of ice cream. Iris had opted for a cup rather than a cone; She didn’t exactly trust what would come out of his mouth if she licked an ice cream cone in front of him. 

She twirled the spoon in the sweetness as Eris chuckled then made the mistake of looking up to watch him as he once more, slowly, took another lick of his ice cream with a raised brow. 

“You seem to have quite a problem with me and yet, here you are.”

“You asked me to meet you here, asshole.” she snapped and the corner of his wicked mouth lifted.

“Wound up a little tight today, are we?” he asked and had the audacity to smile as his tongue slowly lapped more ice cream.

Her lips curled in disdain once more as he smirked his way through another lick and Iris closed her eyes with a deep sigh. “What the hell do you want, Eris?”

“Are you not enjoying our date?”

Iris’s eyes shot open and both brows went up. “Date?”

“Yes.”

“You think this is a date?” she asked flatly.

“You think this isn’t?”

“When the hell did you ask me out on a date?” she asked with an incredulous laugh. “When did you dream that I said yes?”

Eris had the nerve to chuckle once more. “I asked you out to share some ice cream. On Valentine’s Day. Here we are. Date.”

Iris squinted then her gaze flickered around the shop and it hit her how blind she’d been; it was decorated with red and pink hearts everywhere. She’d been so annoyed when she walked in to meet him that Iris hadn’t even noticed. How the hell had she missed that it was Valentine’s Day? 

True, she hadn’t really celebrated it in years. But it wasn’t her fault that most of the men she’d tried dating sucked. 

Besides, it was the day after Valentine’s Day that was worth celebrating. All her favorite chocolates were on sale. 

Finally rolling her eyes at his smirk, she said, “Every time I think you’ve reached your limit of audacity, you surprise me by outrageously exceeding it.”

He smiled once more then took a deliberately slow lick of his ice cream. “I like to keep you on your toes. I think you rather enjoy it.”

“I don’t enjoy anything about you.” she snapped, stabbing at what was left of her ice cream. “I don’t even like you.” 

He snorted. “Sure. You definitely want to fuck me though. I bet you’ll like me a lot more then.” he said smoothly. 

Iris’s brows shot up and she let out a huff of laughter in disbelief, her grip tightening around her spoon. “You are one cocky motherfucker. Especially when this is your idea of a Valentine’s Day date,” she huffed. “A date I definitely did not agree to.”

“Don’t worry, I absolutely want to fuck you too,” he said, raising his ice cream to toast her. “In fact, I insist.”

Iris willed her face not to flush, for her body not to betray her by reacting to his words. In the midst of all their unfortunate meets and bickering, had she thought about what it would be like to fuck him? Sure. Would she ever admit it? Definitely not.  

“You’re unbelievable,” she said with a shake of her head. “How has no one in this town choked the life out of you yet?”

“It’s because I’m pretty.” he said with a smirk. “And very, very rich.”

“And so humble.”

“Exactly,” he said with a wink then straightened. “In all seriousness, when are we going to make this official between us?”

Iris rolled her eyes. “What, exactly, is there to make official?”

“You and me, little gazelle,” Eris replied with a knowing look. “Let’s not pretend this dance is anything but foreplay. Say yes and I’ll show you exactly the kind of dates I take a woman on.”

“Ah yes, the recycled list of dates you’ve used on all the women you go through?” she said with a snort. “Pass.”

“The kind of dates I only plan for one type of woman,” he said and the corner of his mouth ticked up in a way that made her toes curl. “And I’ve only ever met one of you.”

Iris watched him in silence, taking a moment to think of an appropriate response. He really was unbelievable. Obnoxious. Uppity. An ass most of the time. But…she had to admit, there was something that drew them to each other. Like an invisible string dragging them down the same path. 

She’d resisted at every corner. And yet…gym? Eris had been there. Cafe? He had been there. The park while on her morning walks? He’d somehow been there. If it weren’t for the look of genuine surprise on his face every time, she’d think he’d been stalking her. 

But then they also ended up at the same social events. Town meetings. Fundraisers. Parties. They’d had a…moment at the last gathering that replayed in Iris’s mind for longer than she would’ve liked. She’d deny it to her last breath but Lucien and Elain had witnessed it and though Iris loved having them as friends, she knew they were way too excited about whatever this was between her and Eris to let it go.

Iris placed her spoon in her ice cream cup and then leaned back in her chair, watching him curiously. 

“Eris.”

“Yes?” 

“What do you want from me?”

He gave her a small smile she hadn’t seen on his face before, one that softened his features and it made her instantly look away. “I simply want us to spend time together.” 

“Why?”

Eris shrugged. “You feel it. You know why,” he said. “I want to see where it goes.”

Irid did feel it. As much as she would’ve liked to deny the chemistry between them, it was hard to pretend nothing was there when seeing him automatically made her pulse start racing. She hated it. But she also wanted to see where it’ll go.

She pursed her lips and waited a heartbeat before answering, “Fine. On two conditions.”

He took another obscene lick of his ice cream and waved a hand for her to continue. She tried not to squirm.

“One, physical contact will be limited to what I am comfortable with and sex is completely off the table.” Iris said firmly. “My body isn’t a prize you earn. We will simply see if we have a good time.”

“Agreed,” he said graciously. “My body, however, is absolutely available should you feel the need to explore it. I will humbly oblige.”

Iris rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time. “I’m not interested in going on dates with an egotistical ass who just wants to show off his money.” she said with a pointed look. “Don’t waste my time if you aren’t actually serious about this.”

“I am very serious.” he said and frowned. “You think I enjoy feeling this way about anyone?”

Iris felt her heart flutter at the look he gave her. If she wasn’t mistaken, his ears had gotten a little red. “And what way is that?”

Eris took a bite from his cone and squinted at her for a moment before answering. “When we’re on our date, I’ll tell you.”

She hummed her agreement and tried not to fidget in her seat at the movement of his mouth. “Either way. If you’re trying to impress me just so I don’t pour more drinks over your head, know that I don’t want flashy, I want real.” she said firmly. “You need to earn my trust.” 

Eris watched her silently for a heartbeat then the corner of his mouth ticked up. “Okay.”

“And we tell no one.”

“Embarrassed to be seen with me?”

“Of course.” she said with a snort and Eris had the nerve to laugh softly. “Besides, I like privacy. People in this town are always in each other’s business. I know way too much about people’s bedroom habits.”

“Nesta and Cassian?” he asked with a snicker.

“Yes. Holy shit, do they have stamina.” Iris muttered, causing Eris to grin.

“They aren’t the only ones with stamina like that.” he said, nearly purring and Iris shot him a murderous look.

“Don’t.”

He held up a hand in mock surrender. “And your second condition?” he said then took another lick of his ice cream.

And this time Iris had finally had enough. She leaned over and yanked his cone from his hands, dropping it into her bowl. “You aren’t allowed to eat ice cream in front of me ever again.” 

Eris blinked then burst out laughing. “Why?” he said incredulously. “I thought the choice of strawberry ice cream suited our date theme.”

“We’re not on a date,” she said flatly. “And the way you eat ice cream is obscene and you should be fined for public indecency.”

Iris watched him laugh again and hated how it made her pulse race faster. Eris lit up when he laughed. It made him more youthful, and at ease, versus the usual expression that made a person want to punch him in the face.

“Ah.” he finally said with a smirk that Iris didn’t trust one bit. “I see you caught on to my tactic.”

Iris narrowed her eyes, willing herself not to flush. “And what tactic is that?” she asked, already regretting the question as his expression.

“I wanted to make sure you knew that ice cream wasn’t the only thing I could eat obscenely,” Eris said, his voice dropping low and Iris felt her body heating. “I hope my display was to your liking.”

This motherfucker. Iris took a breath and closed her eyes, slowly counting to ten before opening her eyes again to find Eris still smirking obnoxiously at her from across the table. Had she been paying extra attention to the way he ate his stupid ice cream? Yes. Would she ever admit it? No. 

Jerking her chin towards her bowl of ruined dessert. “Do you want me to dump it on your head or do you want to do it yourself?”

“I’d rather you watched me eat it again.” 

“I’d rather you choked.”

Eris chuckled and the sound made goosebumps erupt on her flesh as he stood. She watched him wipe his hands with a napkin on the table and then adjust his dress shirt, his eyes never leaving her face. Tossing the napkin into her melting bowl of dessert, Eris placed a hand on the back of her chair, his other balanced on the table, and leaned in close. 

“I’d be more inclined to believe you if you weren’t devouring me with your eyes, sweetheart.” he whispered and Iris scowled with a flush. Eris paused for a breath as she turned her head to look at him and the two watched each other silently, the world suddenly silent around them.

She wondered if his heart was beating as wildly as hers. If he could see her pulse racing.

Almost as if in a trance, Eris couldn’t help but lean in to gently kiss her cheek, before meeting her gaze again. “I had fun on our date.” he murmured.

“Not a date.” she whispered but Eris only hummed.

“Agree to disagree,” he said with a slight smile. “I knew you’d be my Valentine the moment you poured that drink on me months ago.”

Her face heated. She would not think about what that meant. “I doubt you expected your Valentine to want to choke you out.”

“Oh, I absolutely would want my valentine to choke me out. You can choke me all you want on our next date.” Eris said and finally pulled back with a wink, sliding a small gift bag she hadn’t even noticed across the table to her. “This was bought prior to your conditions so our agreement still stands.”

Iris blinked and gazed up at him. “You…bought me a gift?”

“Of course. I’m not one to show up to a date empty-handed.” Eris said with a pointed look.

“It’s not a date.” she repeated but knew, this time, her refusal sounded weak enough that Eris chuckled.

“You look adorable when you’re in denial.” he cooed and couldn’t help his grin as Iris scowled up at him, running a finger down her cheek before stepping back. “I’ll pick you up at 6, Friday evening. Wear something that’ll rip my poor heart out, little valentine.” 

Iris sat in the silence that followed his smug exit, stunned at the turn of events and how fast her heart was beating. She wasn’t sure what exactly she had agreed to with Eris but felt dazed. Excited. Turned on. Slightly annoyed.

Most importantly, she needed to go shopping. 

Iris would not think about the kiss on her cheek. Or about his promises. She certainly would not think about his tongue and what that stupid mouth of his could do. 

She would only think about finding a dress that would give him the bluest of balls possible. 

Her eyes fell on the gift bag again and Iris slowly pulled it closer to peek in. A note sat atop the tissue paper, hiding whatever it was that he’d gotten her. Biting the inside of her cheek, Iris pulled out the note, trying not to think about her mixed emotions having Eris of all people getting her a Valentine’s Day gift. She opened it and read,

Happy Valentine’s Day, little gazelle. Use it and think of me. Know I could do it better.

But here’s my number so you can tell me all about how you like it. 

Iris flushed deeply and immediately eyed the bag again. “Oh god.” she whispered. Those words could mean anything but knowing Eris – knowing the way he thinks…He wouldn’t. Would he?

She could practically see his stupid face and stupid smirk in front of her and with a scowl, Iris reached for the bag again, slowly removing the gift tissue to peek beneath it at the gift. A small groan slipped from her mouth and she immediately covered it again. 

Of course, he would. 

Of course, Eris Vanserra would think a vibrator would be an appropriate gift for someone he had barely been on a date with. An expensive one at that. 

He was outrageous. Outrageous. She didn’t know whether to be flattered or freaked out that he was thinking about her pleasure. How many guys thought about a gift like this? How many guys were this fucken bold? 

Then again, every interaction with this man only proved him persistent. 

“I knew you’d be my Valentine the moment you poured that drink on me months ago.”

The words replayed in her mind and Iris pursed her lips, glancing down at the bag once more, amusement seeping through the disbelief. Eris hadn’t hesitated from the moment he met her and Iris had to admit, though his methods weren’t great — it, unfortunately, made him come off as very attractive. 

Groaning quietly to herself, Iris shoved the note back into the bag and then sighed, knowing whatever resistance she had been building against him would disappear as soon as she tested out this gift of his. The asshole knew exactly what he was doing. 

And Iris had to give credit where credit was due — she always did like a man with a plan.

[runningwiththeoceans]

THE BLOG WITH MY FAVORITE FIC IS GONE WHAT DO I DO

update: lmao i found her! all is well :)

[artethyst]

~ Leaves In A Sky Full Of Stars ~

Eris Vanserra x Rhysand’s Sister! OC/Reader

Little Silas Vanserra had Eris vowing to never have anymore children.

He thanked the Mother that his daughter was a little angel- still at the age where she wanted to be carried everywhere, snuggled peacefully in an adult’s arms.

Her pale hair and violet ringed autumnal eyes reminding him so much of the woman he loved.

Her older brother was the complete opposite.

He wondered if this was his punishment, a cruel joke played upon him by the Gods for having such a carefree life since his father died and reminding him that he needed to keep his faltered guard up.

And that’s how he felt in the early hours of the morning, with little hands patting at his face and excited little feet hopping on the oak floors of his bedroom.

Tired.

He cracked one amber eye open- unceremoniously meeting a matching golden flecked iris, one full of wonder and guiltlessness, as he supposed his own once were.

He closed it as quickly as it had opened, letting a wry smirk take over his ostensibly lazed features.

“Daddyyyy I know you’re awake-“ the little boy began incredulously before shrieking in glee as Eris swooped him onto his chest with ease, tickling his son mercilessly as his Mate softly slept beside him.

After the boy had relented, his rounded cheek flushed with the childish mirth of giggles, Eris couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at the boy’s wild red locks.

As expected the boy’s mother was still soundly asleep, Eris had always been a light sleeper, in fact having his Mate beside him and children down the hall only worsened the fact, even though his father was no longer a threat- to him or his loved ones, simply having them in such a place always had him on high alert.

Even though he had done his very best to rid the Autumn Court of longtime Advisors, the types of men that would love nothing more than to see the Night Court Princess with a Fae bane arrow through her much too large heart, he knew there was no good in him-undeserved of him in ever feeling content.

It had the opposite effect on his wife, who admittedly had never slept better than when she was in the comforting arms of her husband- the natural warmth emanating from him lulling her into such ecstasy she wished she never had to be cruelly ripped away from by the chill of the Autumn morning.

She had never really slept well in the Night Court, the pain of living there without her mother sister always too much to bear.

Eris was her new home.

Since having children- her body still not quite having recovered from their second and Eris insisting she get as much rest at she could, even the joyous squeals of her firstborn still wouldn’t- couldn’t make her budge.

“Daddy Uncle Lulu said you p-pwomised-“

“Promised,”

“Promised to show me m-my fire againnn!”

The boy was practically trembling with excitement, his father’s hands coming to steady him as his little body wriggled with joy, perched on his father’s raised knees who raised a slim digit to his smaller lips, reminding him to remain quiet as possible.

Not that it would have made a difference to the blissfully knocked out woman beside them.

“Did he now?” Eris withered, the thought of his brother- knowing just how much he treasured the few late mornings a High Lord might have, had told his son- who’s adorable little face noone could deny, that those small, valuable hours were reserved for “magic time”.

It took only a brief moment, a fleeting fall of Silas’ dimpled grin- his mother’s grin, to have the High Lord swinging his legs from the refuge of his silken sheets, his boy held firmly in his strong hands.

“Then I think it is best we get dressed appropriately, what do you say Little Flame?”

The boy simply cheered in response and Eris couldn’t help the grin on his own face at the feel of chubby hands around his neck in a makeshift embrace, carrying him down the hall as his son rattled on in half nonsensical toddler speak about how he was going to ‘beat his Uncle Lulu in a duel’.

~

The Maids cooed as the little Prince raced down the hall in his teeny tiny Autumnal uniform- gifted to him by his Aunty Elain who thought they were the cutest thing ever.

The boy stopped when he reached the top of the grand staircase, skidding to a halt with a nervous expression on his little face.

The same staircase his Mummy always carried him down, the same staircase he had been told to scoot down on his bottom in case he tripped, the same staircase she had been slowly helping him descend himself (holding his hand tightly and giving up halfway as he took nearly a whole minute per ten steps)

Eris watched him amusedly- a miserable jutted lip and a coy flush on his baby cheeks.

“Umm Daddy, M-Mummy said I am not s’pose to go down m-myself in case of ouchies…”

That was not what she had said.

“I thought you were a big boy now, hmm?” Eris teased as his son pouted, just as his mother would have.

“I-I am…” Silas’ point was refuted with the small grabby motions his little arms made to his father who looked down at him with a smirk.

“Do big boys get carried down the stairs?”

“Ummm…Yes?” The boy widened his glimmering autumnal eyes, “pleasies?”

And so with a roll of his eyes, all in good humour, Eris fastened his excitable son against his chest as they began to exit the grand estate, heading into the vast, luscious gardens where they would begin their training.

~

Lucien could only laugh when found his brother- sincere and unbridled joy dancing in his otherwise piercing gaze, watching his son chase after the little flames he made for him.

“Uncle Lulu!” The boy squealed, barrelling into the male who swung him atop his shoulders with ease.

“I’d be careful if I were you,” Eris warned, “he has quickly figured out how to control his magic, you might end up with that treasured hair of your singed at the root.”

Silas nodded furiously, his little feet hitting the floor as he flexed his small palm as proof, and to his pure wonder, delicate embers- faint as they were, twinkled at his will.

“Look Daddy! I did it! I did it!” Eris couldn’t help but chuckle softly as his son danced with not only with the little flicker he had mustered with his father’s help, but larger wistful wisps that flowed around him with delicate care.

Eris couldn’t help but feel his heart constrict, wishing nothing more than to give his children the childhood he had wanted- deserved.

He took one look at his son and wondered how anyone could ever hurt him, let alone do it himself.

He wondered what he had done to make his own father hate him so, vowing to never once make his own offspring feel even a fraction of the way he had.

For what seemed like hours Lucien and Eris entertained the little boy, sometimes engaging in a silent battle between one another who could impress the young heir the most.

Lucien eventually was called away and Eris wondered if his years were finally catching up to him, small burn marks littering his clothes from his son’s inexperienced hands and an ache in his legs from chasing after him.

After Silas’ giggles had dissipated along with his energy, Eris suggested they head back, the boy agreed sleepily, the thrum of magic still alive in his little body as Eris made a mental note to keep an eye on his budding powers.

“T-Thank you for giving me my fire,” Silas mumbled, stumbling over to his father “love you Daddy…”And as a pair of all too familiar amber eyes met the High Lord’s blurring own, he bent down and received his greatest gift in his trembling arms.

A reminder he would never be the man who had damned him, a reminder that he was a good man- a good man that was loved.

[daycourtofficial]

The uncertainty of Spring

Pairing: Eris x OC | WC: 1.7k | Warnings: Eris is a bit bitchy

Summary: a son of Autumn makes a deal with the daughter of Spring in hopes for a watchful eye over Lucien

Author’s note: happy Eris week @erisweekofficial 🥳🥳 this is for the ‘bargains’ prompt of day one. Wanted to try something a bit different and use an OC for the first time.

The stars shown above Iris, the air unseasonably warm around her. She held the piece of wood in her hand as she scraped her knife against the bark, letting the shavings fall at her feet.

Iris’s eyes scanned the area every few minutes, searching the darkness for signs of life, returning to her whittling when her eyes came up empty.

“Is that not blasphemy? A child of spring hurting a precious plant?”

Iris couldn’t control the scowl she sent in the direction of the voice, the sound grating on her nerves. She searched the woods for signs of him, not seeing him anywhere in the moonlight.

“What do you want, Eris? If you linger too long surely Tamlin will catch your scent on the wind and come to dispose of you like he did with Asher.”

He waved a hand as if the thought of his brother’s death was nothing more than the wrong shade of fabric, the action the only way she could make out where he was. “Any fate my brothers find themselves beholden to is none of my concern.”

She arched a brow, her movements against the wood halting. “And does that attitude extend to baby Lucien?”

Eris looked at her, a darkness to his gaze she had never seen before. He straightened his jacket, the brown coloring much less ornate than the greens and reds she was accustomed to seeing him in, but the neutral color suited him quite well.

He truly resembled an oak tree in the middle of losing its leaves.

Iris smiled, “so this is about Lucien.”

He breathed deeply, a slow exhale from his nose. “And if it were?”

“I would consider listening.”

He stepped closer to her, and she could feel the heat radiating from his body from several feet away. His eyes raked over her, taking in her appearance. ‘The seed of Spring’ they had called her, long blonde waves trailing down to her hips, flowers entwined with small intermittent brands. A long, pale green dress reached to mid-calf, allowing brown boats slightly caked in mud to be seen.

Her green eyes glowed unnaturally in the moonlight, resembling the way morning dew clings to grass and gives it a glassy appearance.

“I can’t linger here long. I do not have time to repeat myself.”

Iris nodded, Eris’s cryptic way of speaking leaving her uneasy.

She had known Eris for a long time, running into him mostly at High Lord meetings, or whenever the families of their respective courts would visit each other. Centuries of knowing him in the peripheral and she hardly knew anything about him. No one had a read on him or knew anything about him.

The juiciest piece of information was his failed engagement to Morrigan, Night Court nobility who slept with a lesser fae during her engagement, either in a bid to end it or because she couldn’t help herself, no one knew.

Rumor was neither her father nor Beron responded well to her actions. Rumors swirled of the failed engagement’s end - Morrigan was shipped to the continent until the war when she would be useful, Eris stabbed her out of jealousy,

Most rumors held some version of truth to them, but any and all gossip around the Vanserras felt too exaggerated to be real. Iris’s favorite rumor was that the manor they resided in had a secret tunnel system connecting to the far reaches of Autumn, so Beron could pop up anywhere in the Court with no one knowing.

The rumors were either grandiose ideas (that Eris was a shapeshifter and frequently shifted to run around the land with his hounds) or unsurprising tidbits about a family of seven sons (a Vanserra sleeping around, each of them supposedly incredible lovers).

Then again, rumors only grow.

“I need a bargain.”

That she was not expecting.

“My mother needs assurance that Lucien will be taken care of here.”

Iris stalked around him, her skirts moving in the darkness, the green chiffon swishing with each step.

“And how is your grieving mother? Three sons in one day, that’s half the family.”

“You’d be wise to bite your tongue, flowers are easily crumpled, as Rhysand knows first hand.”

Iris put her hands up in mock surrender, wondering just how much Eris truly cared for his fallen brothers.

Wondered if his feelings mimicked the ones inside her chest about the demise of her own brothers.

“Pray tell, Eris, why would I tether my soul to yours?”

Surely Eris had lost his wits to visit her about this.

“I know you wish to leave Spring.”

She halted, breath catching in her throat, eyes assessing him as he continued. “I know you have been sniffing about the Autumn borders for some time. I know you spend considerable time in my court. No one in Spring able to catch your eye?”

She scoffed, the male before her unseeing of the real truth to her visits.

“I don’t think safe passage in Autumn is good enough. If I’m going to be sticking my neck out for little Lu, I need something to sweeten the deal.”

His gaze felt burning as his attention focused on her, the longest time she had spent conversing with him prior to this was filled with insults and barbed snipes. This conversation had almost an air of vulnerability to it, something she didn’t know Eris could be.

“When I am High Lord, I will ensure you will live a comfortable life in Autumn, if you wish to leave the neverending life of Spring.”

Iris looked at him, an amusing grin on her face.

“And when do you plan on being High Lord? What if the magic skips you?”

He didn’t bother answering either of her questions, they already both knew the answer to the second one: it wouldn’t. His gaze was penetrating as he looked at her, his features sharp in what little light they had.

She stretched out her fingers, looking at her nails to get away from his gaze. “I want something else.”

“I’m not in the interest of ruining other males for you. I won’t be warming your bed as part of the deal.”

Iris gritted her teeth at the smugness in his tone.

“I want a secret from you. Not now, but whenever I call on you. I want you to tell me a delicious secret that no one else knows.”

“You always were nothing more than a bored gossip.”

Her smile was lupine, “and your family has always been a most interesting topic. Seven sons all interested more in getting their dicks wet than being competent rulers. There must be an overabundance of bastards in Autumn.”

The smell of blood was in the air, a slight tang as her words hit their mark. His demeanor doesn’t falter, though.

“I will agree, if this bargain remains between the two of us.”

He stretched his arm out, long fingers adorned with rings presented to her.

She had an out.

She could say no.

But having Eris Vanserra indebted to her was worth the risk.

She slid her hand into his, taking in the freckles dotting the outside of his hand, the gold ring on his middle finger with a bright orange gemstone set in it.

“Fine, I will see that your precious Lucien is attended to. However I cannot protect him from any trouble he goes out searching for on his own.”

“And I will take over Autumn, making it a better court for you to live in, should you wish.”

Her brow rose before he added, “and a secret for you to collect, however anything I tell you is not to be spoken of to another soul.”

Their hands glowed slightly, and she could feel the magic spreading up her arms and through her body. It felt like a wave in the ocean - strong but quick, gone before she could do anything. The ground in between both of them shook just before a young tree sprouted from the ground, the two of them stepping back and away from it. Pink petals exploded from the tree, bursting over the pair, several getting caught in her hair as they fell to the ground.

Eris looked at the plant, dusting the petals from his jacket. “Flowers, for spring. How original.”

He held up a petal, watching it catch in the moonlight. The action drew her attention to his hands, deep brown gloves adorning his fingers.

She wasn’t sure she had ever seen him wear gloves before, keeping his hands bare even at the most formal of gatherings.

“Does Autumn have any traditions around bonds?”

He shot her a look of exasperation before answering. “You get a burn mark. Its size is relative to the severity of the bargain.” He continued twisting the petal between his fingers, bored of the conversation already.

At his words, she began rotating her arms, searching for any new scarring. “Should I be concerned?”

“Shouldn’t you have asked questions beforehand?”

She tucked her hair behind her ear, not wanting to admit that he had a valid point with that.

“No matter. It will ache on occasion if you go too long without thinking of it.”

The Autumn Court truly was a whole new style of warfare. Iris looked at him, uncertain of what kind of creature could survive in such conditions for so long, wondering how long looking into the darkness it took to have the darkness etch itself into your bones.

“What should I tell Tamlin about this scar? Surely he’ll see it?”

Iris looked back, a sharp pain now shooting from her right wrist. She looked down, watching as a burn mark etched itself into her skin.

Eris shrugged, gazing at the tree between the two of them before he turned, long legs carrying him into the trees. The wind blew around him, as if they too tried to get answers from him. “It is no matter to me what the beast thinks. Perhaps you could convince him the monsters of the night dared to be near his darling sister.”

She looked at the burn mark on her skin, the texture catching the light. The scar was roughly the size of a gold mark, and she wondered if this was meant to be a small bargain. As she rotated her wrist, the scar seemed to disappear in the light. Iris looked back up to where Eris had last stood to find him gone, her wrist aching in remembrance.

Permanent taglist: @vanilla-seabass @cyrygher @lees-chaotic-brain @topaz125 @chessebookgirl @fides25 @lady-of-tearshed @ashbatz @fxckmiup @lilah-asteria @justvibbinghere @daughterofthemoons-stuff @mybestfriendmademe @heartless-tate @tsunami-of-tears @idrkwhatthisisimsorry @olive-main @azrielsmate3 @pit-and-the-pen @durgenyx @dee-writes-smut @chairofchaos @thelov3lybookworm @berryzxx @throneofsmut @kennedy-brooke @prythianpages @itsswritten @acotarxreader @milswrites @the-golden-jhope @hannzoaks @secretlyhers @tothestarsandwhateverend @sarawritestories @chxosangxl

Eris taglist: @magicstrengthandcourage @panther-girl-124

[erisweekofficial]

Fanfic

One Year Later by @afandomangel 👑

Until I see you again by @mika-no-sekai-blog

Hold Me While You Wait by @fieldofdaisiies

Pull Me in Deeper Ch 17 by @zenkindoflove 👑

A Bond of Song & Flames (7 parts) by @sadiegirl2021

The Uncertainty of Spring by @daycourtofficial

Roots In My Dreamland by @lucienarcheron

Always An Angel, Never A God by @chairofchaos 👑

Lady Luck by @ginandtobacco 👑

Burning Red by @separatist-apologist

Love in the kennels by @readychilledwine

Fini by @/tessabeth 👑 (on ao3; post is from @pippsmcgee)

Cures by @littlest-w01f

Hold Me Tight by @mika-no-sekai-blog

Caress Me Down by @zenkindoflove

His Father's Son by @the-darkestminds

Burning Red Ch 2 by @separatist-apologist

Healing | Betrayal by @afandomangel

A Bond of Song & Flames by @sadiegirl2021

This ain't no love that's guiding me by @lovely-vanserra-sunshine

Carry You Home by @zenkindoflove

In the Shadows of War by @lucienarcheron

The Jewel of The Forest House by @zenkindoflove

Hold me While You Wait | Prologue by @fieldofdaisiies

Weak spot by @lady-of-tearshed

Burning Red by @separatist-apologist

a bond of song and flames by @sadiegirl2021

Smokehounds & Surprises by @lucienarcheron

Caught by @afandomangel

Birthday by @littlest-w01f

Moth to a Flame by @lucienarcheron

First Words by @afandomangel

Dawn Breaks Early by @avabrynne

A Court of Scales and Fire V by @azrielsshadows

Light the Fire Bright Chapter 7 by @clockwork-ashes

Tear the World Apart by @cressidagrey

Hold Me While You Wait Part 1 by @fieldofdaisiies

Hold by @littlest-w01f

Fanart

Eris x Alexius by @zenkindoflove

Eris and his mate by @/artbyellat (on instagram)

Eris Week OC Project: Estella by @queercontrarian

Eris Week OC Project: Iris by queercontrarian

Eris Week OC Project: Ada by queercontrarian

Eris Week OC Project: Alexius by queercontrarian

Eris Week OC Project: Ashley by queercontrarian

Eris Week OC Project: Tilly by queercontrarian

Eris Week OC Project: Arina by queercontrarian

Eris Week OC Project: Lyra Castellan by queercontrarian

Eris x OC Project: Gianna by queercontrarian

Eris x OC Project: Aisling by queercontrarian

Erixius by @thrumugnyr

[loneliestluvr]

Hi! I just had an idea about how Lucien and Reader would go out on their first date since their baby's birth, and like they hire a babysitter for the evening. And like Lucien and Reader (mostly Lucien tough) would be soooo anxious and missing their child. Like it would take everything in them to control themselves and just enjoy their date. I would love it if you could make a fic about that 🥲💕 If not, thanks anyway for just taking the time to read it. (Oh! And maybe their child could be a girl? I totally imagine Lucien as a girl dad.)

Hope you have a great day!

the hardest thing.

pairing: lucien vanserra x reader

synopsis: after letting feyre and rhys convince you to go out with them for the first time since your daughters birth, lucien is feeling a bit anxious about having to leave her.

warnings: birth-ish, breastfeeding(brief mention), leaving your newborn for the first time, anxiety, a bit of angst and fluff.

word count: 1.5k

taryn thinks: this request was honestly so cute to write and i so see lucien acting like this. sigh, girl dad lucien. and i know you said ‘go on a date’, so i’m leaving it if people want to see that. i would gladly figure out a part 2 of this with the actual date i just had this part of the idea in my head immediately and needed to write it out as soon as i got your request. that’s it. much love, t 🥹💕

“Do you think she’ll be scared?”

You and Lucien had not left your daughter in nearly three months. You didn’t want to. Didn’t have a need to. The little spitfire who’d inherited her fathers coppery tuft of hair claimed all of your attention at all hours of day and neither you nor Lucien minded one bit. It was you three against the world it felt like.

After having a baby, the bond had only grown between you and Lucien. You only really ever needed each other, and your daughter of course. Your Lucelia, named after her father as a token of love for your mate. He’d wanted you to pick the name since it was a female and he’d been convinced she would look exactly like you.

How wrong he was. You took one glance at that screaming babe, tears welled in your eyes, her eyes, and Lucien’s— you just knew. That curly red hair, her golden eyes like his with a ring of green around the iris like yours and the tanner skin— she was undeniably his. The indications only grew with time.

Lucien had said ‘Thank you’ and kissed your sweat slick forehead, stroking your hair while you both cried as they placed your daughter onto your bare chest. He’d said it what felt like over a thousand times that day, and continues to do so.

Looking at your mate, the love of your life, your eyes softened. He was standing in your daughter's nursery, holding her tiny body in his arms. Shirtless, pressing his skin to hers, tracing the side of her face with his nose, etching it into memory. His hair tied back and out of the way as if he hadn’t wanted it to tickle her. You could tell he was worried just by the soft clicking that filled the room as his eye whirred.

He must have heard you coming, having woken in the midst of the night to come feed Lucelia and realized your husband was not in his rightful place next to you in bed. The mattress cold.

“Love,” You say quietly, almost a whisper on the wind that flows through the cracked window of the room. “—what has you so worried?”

“Everything.” His word is simple, but it’s his tone that tells you everything you need to know about the meticulous list going in his head. And the continuous mechanical ticking your daughter had grown accustomed to, of course. You step into the room, careful not to creak the door too loudly even though you were here to wake her anyway.

“Tell me.” You say softly, reaching your hands out to take her from him. His reluctance to let her go is endearing as he looks to you pleadingly. You only smile, tire laced in your own face and you can see as his eye dilates in the soft light of the moon before handing her over and kissing your forehead.

Cradling your daughter in one arm, you tickle her belly softly with the other, slowly swaying about the room to rock her awake. You hear his deep sigh before you turn to look up at him, his arms crossed and mouth pressed against his closed fist. The muscles in his arm straining as he watches you and you know he doesn’t want to say anything just by that look he’s giving you.

“Lucien Vanserra,” You start, sternly. Or as stern as you can manage this late in the night and as tired as you were. “—we don’t keep secrets. Talk to me, my sun.” Your voice only grows softer as you speak. Sitting in the rocking chair, shrugging off the shoulder of your robe, your babe stirs in your arms. Lucien tenses, immediately moving to try and comfort her as she starts to cry but with a soft,

“It’s alright sweetheart, mommy’s with you.” You say soothingly, her cries die out and she latches, starting to feed. “Daddy’s here too, my flower.” Smiling down at her before flicking your eyes up to meet his. “I know you know that. He’s a worrier, huh?” You whisper, but the only answer is Lucien’s scoff.

“I’m worried she’ll hate us for leaving her.”

“Lucien, we are not leaving her.” You try not to laugh, really. Seeing him so torn up honestly makes you regret letting Feyre and Rhys convince you to go on a double date. A parent double date, as Feyre had said. She, who did most of the convincing, had said it could be good to get out of the house. That if you just push through the first time, everything after will come easier. To give yourself a break.

“She’s wrong.” He says, pulling out the foot stool in front of you to sit. “I don’t need a break, nor do I want one.” His brows are furrowed as you look at him and you only hold your hand out to him. He takes it immediately.

“I know, love.”

“She’s known only us for the past three months, Y/n.” He’s pulling your hand to his mouth, peppering your knuckles with kisses to soothe himself. “And I’m sorry to say it, truly, but leaving her with your sister does not give me much faith.”

“My sister is my best friend, Lucien. I promise I wouldn’t let just anyone take care of her.” You sigh before smiling humorously at yourself, your own thoughts. “Would you rather Eris?”

He glares up at you as he presses your palm to his cheek.

“My brother wouldn’t know what to do with a babe.” He mumbles.

“She will be okay,” You cup his cheek yourself and when his eyes move to the floor you force him to look at you. “—she will.”

You both are quiet for a long time, just sitting together as a little family. He eventually pulls one of your legs up and into his lap to slowly start working the muscles. You don’t mind, you know touch is one of the ways he comforts himself. The way he cares for others, too. And you certainly don’t hide the fact that you’re watching the way the muscles of his arms and chest move.

You were so going to be having another babe soon.

Lucien catches you mid thought, your scent dragging over to him and he looks up at you. Your raised brow, bottom lip tugged between your teeth as you watch him. Lucelia had finished feeding a few minutes ago, but you didn’t say anything when you fixed yourself and adjusted her over your shoulder to burp her.

No, he had been so lost in thought that he didn’t see or hear you moving. So worried about how his heart would feel when he was apart from your daughter. Anticipating the panic that would be coursing through him, how close he would need to be to you when the two of you went out, just so he could keep her scent—your scent—in every breath. Maybe he could psych himself out of it, trick his brain into thinking that because your scents were near identical, you were both there.

A small smile tugs at his lips and he rolls his eyes, gently releasing your leg back to the floor. A blush staining his cheeks as he stood and moved the stool silently, brushing a hand down his face before reaching out for your daughter.

You let him take her, his large hands immediately cradling her against his chest and something in his face calms as he murmurs ‘my beautiful flower’.

He was weak when it came to her, weaker than you’d ever thought he’d be. You thought that it was you who would be worse, giving into her every cry and sniffle. The one sneaking off to hold her and kiss her cheeks, staying up just watching her. Maybe it was the exhaustion your body had been in constantly, but it was him who did all those things. You wouldn’t have it any other way.

He still hadn’t let any male’s hold her until she was a month old, and it was Eris then. He had still watched like a hawk and you were certain that the reason his brother had only lasted a few minutes with her in his arms was because of the way Lucien was damn near growling.

But he had still let him, and you said that even that was a big step. Leaving her, even for a little bit, was monumental.

“It’s only one or two hours, right?” Lucien asks in the dead of quiet, his gaze sliding to you.

“Mhm.” You smile, finally standing as you walk over to him with a yawn and wrap your arms halfheartedly around him. Cradling her with one arm, he rests his free hand on the small of your back. “She’ll be okay.” You nod, his thumb stroking your skin through your robe as he kisses your temple. “We’ll all be okay.”

[tsunami-of-tears]

ACOTAR Masterlist

☼ Angst ☁︎ Fluff ☾ Smut ✧ Suggestive (not quite smut) ✦ Dark themes

Series

Shadows and Sunshine ☁︎ ☾ ☼ Azriel x OC (completed)

Angel ☁︎ ☾ ☼ Cazriel x Healer Reader (for poly+ ACOTAR Week 2024) (WIP)

Haunted ☼ ✦ Elain x Medium Reader (sapphic), Rhys x Medium Reader (platonic) (WIP)

Oneshots

Azriel

No Control ☾ Azriel x Reader

Iris ✦ ☼ Azriel x Rhys’s Sister Reader

Someplace better ✦ ☼ Azriel x Reader

Cassian

Sunny ☁︎ Cassian x Reader

Switch ☾ Part II ☾ Cassian x Reader

Peace ✦ ☼ Cassian x Reader

Eris

Missing him drabble ☁︎ Eris x Reader

Feyre

Draw me like one of your fae girls ☾ ☁︎ Feyre x Reader

Lucien

Quality Control ☾ Lucien x Reader

Morrigan

Red ☁︎ ✧ Mor x Reader

But Daddy I Love Her ☼ Mor x Vanserra Reader

Rhysand

Cake ☁︎ ✧ Rhys x Reader

Taboo ☾ Rhys x Reader

Other Ships

The Wolf and the Fox ☾ Tamcien (A/B/O)

Just one? drabble ✧ Elucien

Poly+

Three Wishes ☾ Batboys x Reader

Foxtrot ☼ Nerissian

Subtle ☁︎ ✧ Azriel x Reader, Nesta x Reader, Nessian

Other

Size Queen hc ✧ Rhys, Azriel, Cassian, Lucien & Nesta

Reacting to Reader’s piercings hc ✧ Rhys, Azriel, Cassian, Lucien & Eris

So High School hc ✧ Rhys, Azriel, Cassian, Lucien, Eris & Tamlin

ACOTAR characters as dog breeds hc

ACOTAR ships as Taylor Swift songs hc

ACOTAR x Stardew Valley hc

Rhys teaching Nyx to read incorrect quote

Cassian cooking Nesta breakfast incorrect quote

Dividers are by me ♡

[acourtofkindness]

Thank you for sending in all the stories, here you can find the collection! Some of these are one-shots, some are longer stories, just click your way through them and also check out their other fics!

A Ballad of Thorns & Roses: How the High Lord of Spring told his Tale (Feylin/Tamcien)

by @positivelyruined When Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court of Prythian, finds the clock counting down to his final battle with Amarantha — two things push him into action: the sudden death and bloody sacrifice of his friend Andras and the fierce vexation of his close friend Lucien. With no more time to waste, he offers shelter to the one person that he should despise the most — the girl who murdered Andras. His heart has been bleeding for a decade. Will their connection be enough to break the bond that holds the Spring Court captive, or will this burning love only spurn Tamlin’s heart? In this tale as old as time, only time will tell.

Spirit Meets the Bones (Eris x OC)

by @lucienarcheron Eris and Iris. Son of a high lord. Daughter of a fiend. An arranged marriage brought them together and beneath all the hate, the two are more alike than they’d like to be.

To Dust Or To Gold (Neris)

by @queercontrarian Eris calls in his bargain with Rhysand: he wants Nesta to join him in the Autumn Court to help him in his scheme to bring down his father.

Flame of Autumn (Eris x OC)

by @climbthemountain2020 "He quashed his hope like a bug beneath his heel. They would meet, marry, and produce a child. How hard could it possibly be to copulate and wash his hands of it? It’s not like he hadn’t regularly found release in the hundreds of years of living. This one would just be attached to him a bit more legally." Eris Vanserra is forced into a marriage with a magic-less daughter of Autumn from a strong bloodline. Despite his best efforts to remain apathetic, the universe has other plans.

A Court of Threads & Daises (Lucien x Tamlin)

by @shi-daisy Tragedy almost struck the Spring Court when Tamlin Evergreen tried to take his own life. Lucien Vanserra manages to save his former Lord, but not his power. Now that the Spring Court has a new High Lord and the horrors of war are behind them, both Tamlin and Lucien agree to help the new heir navigate court life and attempt to rebuild the broken Spring Court, along with healing themselves. They weren't expecting to fall back in love in the process.

A Court of Song and Desolation (Tamlin x Lucien)

by @achaotichuman With his Court in ruins and everyone gone, Tamlin lives amongst the broken pieces of his Court and has no intentions of changing that. Lucien, however, will not stand to leave his oldest friend alone. When Lucien takes Tamlin back to the human lands, they discover a darkness coming for Prythian. If something does not stop it, it will completely rewrite the way Faeries and humans alike live as they know it.

Of Hearts and Swords (Feysand, Nessian, Manorian, Quinlar, etc.)

by @QueenofNightmares (on ao3) 5 years have passed since Bryce Quinlan fought the Asteri—and lost. 5 years since the Horn in her back was then used to permanently open the gates between worlds. Midgard, Erilea, and Prythian are now in open war--the reunited Fae of each world working together to fight the Asteri. But much has changed in the war-ravaged years that have passed. The Crochan Witchclan fights alongside the Valkyries. Hunt Athalar has sought day and night for a way to bring Bryce back from the dead and end this war. And the beloved High Lady of the Night Court--Feyre Archeron-- left Prythian for Erilea, just after their Inner Circle was cleaved apart forever by a newcomer. As war rages on, the Asteri have found an unlikely ally in Prythian--one that might turn the fortunes of battle against the Fae. This is an alternate ending to CC3 (HOFAS) where the Asteri win. Bryce was killed in the conflict that followed and the Horn in her back was then used to permanently open the gates. It will follow each of the main character ships (Feysand, Nessian, Rowaelin, Lysaedion, Manorian, Quinlar, etc.) as well as introduce some new ones for some other beloved characters (Azriel, Fenrys). Lots of relationship angst with a happy ending.

Flame of Autumn (Eris x OC)

by @climbthemountain2020 Eris Vanserra is forced into a marriage with a magic-less daughter of Autumn from a strong bloodline. Despite his best efforts to remain apathetic, the universe has other plans.

Beyond (Helion x LoA)

by @areyoudreaminof The Lady of Autumn has agreed to come live at the Day Court, though she seems hesitant. Can Helion convince her that she belongs at his side?

[animezinglife]

"Every part of me made of stone suddenly became covered in you. Like ivy, wrapping its way around me whether I liked it or not. It was something I had never thought would be mine or something I deserved and yet somehow, this is happening. This is real." - Spirit Meets the Bones by @lucienarcheron

[animezinglife]

I love the way you write the Lady of Autumn. She's such a beautiful presence, and Eris is so freaking cute!

Spirit Meets the Bones XXVI

Genre: Angst/Romance/Drama Warnings: Mentions of physical abuse. Author's Note: check out this lovely new art of my babies ;;

shoutout to @abruisedmuse for being part of this journey with me!!

tagging: @climb-the-mountian / @vanserrass / @zenkindoflove / @animezinglife / @readthelastpaage / @teddyhoneybear / @positivewitch / @krem-does-stuff / @clockwork-ashes / @carolynmezzosoprano / @carnythian / @runningwiththeoceans / @secret-third-thing / @readychilledwine / @goldenmagnolias / @thedarkinmansfield / @mali22 / @maidr-00 / @electromagnetic-waves / @eastofatlanta / @moobell55 / @bibliophiliaxvignette / @devilsfoodcake22 / @moonfawnx / @weesablackbeak / @ladywhilemia / @alohaangels / @eachies / @feysandfeels / @thelovelymadone / @corcracrow / @dawneternal / @sinnerrsworld / @gracie-rosee / @mage-neve / @queenoftheworld1998 / @wolvesnravens / @illyrianvalkyrie / @that-golden-lyre / @ladystarrynight / @rityrooroo / @thewilderheart / @rainbowsnowflake

Find it all here.

His mother wouldn’t see him that day. Or the day after. And Eris knew better than to push. He knew she was waiting for her bruises to heal before she’d allow him to see.

Now, he stood before her private gardens spelled to keep out anyone who wasn’t desired and swallowed hard. 

He let himself take a few moments. Let the both of them have the space. 

He didn’t know why this incident hit him harder than the others. It was terrible each time his father decided to lay his hands on him and his mother but this time…Eris had felt it so much worse. This incident felt different. Like for once, it could be the turning point for them. 

This was where the tide could shift. 

The only bright light was the presence of his wife next to him. The delicate hand that had come to rest on his own. Eris glanced down at the soft touch.

“Are you sure it’s alright for me to be here?” Iris asked gently. “I know this is her private garden and not anyone is allowed in.”

Eris glanced at her lovely face and wondered how lately, she always seemed to know what to say to him. He glanced down, focusing on Lyra and Atlas, his hounds who had joined them today. 

He never liked to need anything or anyone. It was a weakness that could be exploited.

But his wife…Once the aftermath of his father’s gifts wore off, Eris wondered if he’d feel less inclined to let himself want her – if he’d let some walls come back up. It had only taken Iris smiling at him as they went about their day together to know the answer would be no. His walls had crumbled to pieces as easily as his resolve did when it came to her.

He needed her by his side more than he had ever needed anything else.

“She welcomes you at all times.” he finally said quietly and looked up to offer her a small smile. “She granted me permission for you to be here. I’d like you by my side.” 

And he watched her expression soften. She had been going soft around him so much lately. 

He had spent the last few days only wrapped up in his wife, kissing, touching, and what shocked him the most, talking. 

Eris didn’t think he’d spoken to anyone as much as he’d spoken with her the last few days alone. 

But it was the intimacy that was between them now that was building. The routine of waking and sleeping together. Of slowly, less hesitantly, being comfortable with the lingering touches.  Being a safe space together. 

Iris felt Eris take a small breath and then squared his shoulder before moving. They walked through the opening of the garden and she felt the buzz of magic as the shield allowed them through. 

As Eris and Iris entered the private garden, the atmosphere immediately shifted. It was as if they had stepped into a world entirely separate from the harsh reality outside. The garden was a hidden sanctuary, lush and tranquil, a stark contrast to the turmoil that typically plagued their day-to-day life. 

Eris led Iris along a cobblestone path that wound its way through a colorful array of flowers, carefully manicured hedges, and a small, serene pond. The sweet scent of flowers hung in the air, mingling with the distant sound of a babbling brook and the autumn air crisp around them. It was a testament to the magic that protected this place – a refuge within their world. 

They walked in silence, their canine companions moving around them, their steps quiet as Iris drank in the beauty of the sanctuary. She could easily see why Lady Enya spent so much time here and peeked a glance at Eris. She didn’t miss the tension in his shoulders.

Eris’s thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions. He was grateful for Iris’s support, her presence like a lifeline amidst the chaos. He knew that he'd never truly opened up to anyone like he had to her in the past few days and having her here of all places, made their progress even more significant. The bond…though they hadn’t gone farther with it, it was there, growing stronger, evolving into something he couldn't bring himself to name but cherished in a way that would always scare him.

Eventually, they reached a secluded alcove at the heart of the garden. A white marble bench invited them to sit, and maybe another day, Eris could bring Iris here to enjoy the peace this place offered. They could sit together and absorb the serenity of the place while sneaking a kiss or two. For now, he could ground himself in her presence as he spotted his mother in the distance. 

She was seated on a wrought-iron bench beneath a canopy of wisteria, her eyes distant as she stared at the pond's still waters. Eris felt his chest tighten as he neared and couldn’t imagine how bad it had gotten between the High Lord and his wife for her injuries to be still evident. They were faded – healing, and yet, as always, his mother had a grace and strength about her that no pain could ever take away.

Eris gave Iris a small, grateful smile before gently squeezing her hand. "Thank you — for being here with me," he whispered.

Iris turned to him, her eyes filled with warmth and an understanding that always knocked the wind out of him. “Thank you for letting me be here,” she replied softly, her fingers entwining with his. “I’ll wait here with the puppies as you two talk. You can let me know when you’re ready.”

Eris nodded, squeezing her hand before letting go, his heart swelling with emotion and it was moments like these that made him grateful for this one decision his father had made for him. In a twist of faith, his father had given him what he’d never offered his own son – support. She was slowly becoming his anchor. His… solace. 

As he neared, Lady Enya turned her gaze towards him with a faint smile that slowly fell at the sight of him. 

He knew what she saw when she looked at him with this hair. He saw it too. 

And Eris’s heart ached as he saw the love and sorrow in his mother's eyes. At the lines of silver she blinked back furiously, her mouth set in a thin line. She had been through so much, and gods, he wished he could have shielded her from it all. He had tried. Gods knew he had tried. 

And now she had to look at him and see more of the man she hated. 

“Mother.” Eris greeted gently, standing across from her. He could almost see her pulse thumping wildly as she took a deep breath, then another. 

“My son.” she replied and immediately held out her hand towards him. Eris swallowed and with a small smile, let her guide him to sit next to her. 

He let his mother take her time as she tenderly touched his face and then his hair, her expression shifting between emotions he didn’t want to think too long about. 

And Eris knew the exact moment when it dawned on his mother why he looked this way, who had done this to him. 

A heartbeat of silence then another before he could get his mouth to work again. 

“Do you like my new look?” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

A muscle in Lady Enya’s jaw twitched before she leaned forward and held his face gently between her hands. “You still look just like me. Everything about you is all mine.” she said softly. “And you are handsome in every light.”

Eris scoffed, a small smile finding its way to his face despite the shattering of whatever was left of his heart at her words. “As my mother, you are obligated to believe that. You think that of all your sons.”

The corner of his mother’s mouth lifted a fraction. “That’s because all my boys are handsome.” 

“Your other sons are baboons. I am the only handsome one.” he immediately objected and a small jolt of joy burst through all the hurt at his mother’s chuckle. He couldn’t help that he would always be a boy who wanted to make his mother laugh. A boy who wanted his mother to be happy.

Lady Enya tapped his cheek gently once then sat back. “Despite what you think you see, you will always look like your mother. The look suits you.” she said then added firmly, “Do not think otherwise.”

Eris nodded but didn’t say a word, afraid his relief at her words would be too obvious if he opened his mouth. His mother had waited two days to see him and though it had worried him, Eris was suddenly glad she had waited; he wasn’t sure his new look would’ve been easier to digest had she seen him earlier. 

“Will Iris not join us?” 

The question made him blink, and Eris followed his mother’s gaze back to his wife, admiring the flowers where he left her. 

“She will.” he said with a small smile. “But I thought it was best for us to check in first.”

His mother seemed to understand as she nodded, her hands folding in her lap and Eris couldn’t help his worry – his anxiousness and need to ensure she was alright. He knew Iris of all people understood but…shaking his head, he met his mother’s gaze. “How are you feeling?” he asked quietly and didn’t miss his mother’s jaw clench at the question. 

A beat of silence passed before a quiet sigh slipped through her lips. 

“I’d rather ask you that question.” Lady Enya said, glancing at Eris. “I wanted to see you sooner but I…could not.”

Eris’s fist clenched at his sides. He knew exactly why and yet…

“I would’ve wanted to see you regardless, Mother.” he replied quietly then ran his tongue over his teeth before adding, “I’m alright. I managed.”

Lady Enya’s expression shifted slightly – with guilt and something more. “I am… alright as well. I managed.” 

Frustration clogged his throat at her response even though it mirrored his own. He knew their Head Healer was the best at her job and she had discreetly worked with him and his mother too many times to count but it had been three days and he could still see the outline of her bruises. “You say that and yet what he has done has still not healed.”

His mother’s shoulders straightened, her hands clenched into fists in her lap. “Nothing he has done will heal while he’s still infesting our lives.” she said bitterly. “I will not glamour myself in my gardens. It’s enough I have to do it everywhere else.”

Guilt immediately clogged Eris’s throat and he forced himself to swallow before sighing. “That’s not how I meant it, Mother.”

A tense silence fell between them and Eris couldn’t help but scan her all over despite his own scars still healing, he could sense some lingering discomfort in his mother as she sat next to him. He clenched his fists, trying not to picture what his father might’ve done.

“Do you need anything else at the moment?” he asked her gently. “Is there anything else that is bothering you?” 

His mother gave him a small smile and reached for his hand, squeezing it. “I am fine. I’ll need a few days of easy movement but I am fine.”

A beat of silence followed her confession and Eris had to choke down the anger that surged through him. He tried to control his response but couldn’t help the hiss, “Days. It’ll take days for you to fully heal?”

Lady Enya’s gaze sharped. “Eris. What’s done is done. This isn’t new. This isn’t any different.” 

But those words did nothing to soothe his anger and gods, his temper was on a very thin leash. Eris forced himself to swallow, tasting ash in his throat as he stood. He forced himself to move, to pace, running a hand through his hair as the rage of everything coursed through him the way it always did every time this happened. His father taking it out on his mother wasn’t new, true, but it was the fact that this thought was always a reality to them that made him want to scream. It may have been a few days but his rage never really left him. 

He should’ve been there to take the brunt of it all. It should’ve been him.

Eris didn’t stop his pacing but forced himself to glance again at his wife who was now watching him, looking at him with that concern of hers. Gods, they had even dragged her into all this and Eris didn’t even want to consider what his father would do if their bond was scented. If they took that step and his Father became aware –

“Your flames –” his mother managed to say and Eris realized a beat too late that he’d erupted again. He glanced at his hands, engulfed in his fire, steam licking his footsteps, and forced himself to take several deep breaths. He couldn’t afford to let himself go like this and yet…he knew he could do it here – with the two people he could trust. 

“It’s getting harder for you to control it, isn’t it?” his mother asked and Eris managed to glance at her as his body calmed. 

“The last few days have been more stressful than usual.” he answered tightly and Lady Enya closed her eyes, her hand coming to gently rub at her temple. 

Silence surrounded them once more and Eris couldn’t help but think about how hard they were both trying to manage their emotions. Because control was always needed in this place. If you lost control, you lost so much more than that. 

Lady Enya swallowed, then took a breath and said, “I’m sorry.” 

“Mother. Don’t –”

“But I am. And I always will be.” she said firmly, her hand dropping back to her lap as she looked up at him. “I cannot go back and change time. I cannot control what is out of my hands and neither can you. I will be alright. I will be fine.” Lady Enya gripped his wrist, “We will be fine, Eris. As we always are.” The smile she gave him didn’t reach her eyes. 

“Fine.” Eris spat the word then shook his head with a weak scoff. “I hate that word,” he said. “Things have been far from fine for years.” He shrugged, helpless and frustrated all at once. “Am I supposed to wait for him to get worse with you? With me? With my brothers? With my wife? Am I supposed to wait until he finally snaps one of your necks and I watch you all die? Will we be fine then?”  

He watched as his mother glanced down at her hands and Eris hated himself for speaking to her that way, for unleashing his fears on her. But he couldn’t help it. Things were getting worse and he was getting desperate and she was his mother. His mother. 

“We will be fine.” Lady Enya repeated more firmly and met his gaze. “We will be fine and ready for what is to come.” 

A beat of silence passed once more and Eris felt his chest tighten. 

“And what is to come, Mother?” he asked, careful with this expression but deep down, Eris was begging his mother to say the word. They’d all be waiting for so long but he would never push, never rush a moment like this. He just didn’t know how much of this he could take. He didn’t —

“Sit. Take a breath.”

Eris shared a glance with Iris, who was still standing as she watched him from afar, her fingers curled in the folds of her dress. She gave him a small smile and it embarrassed him to admit how that small smile seemed to ease the tightness in his chest. 

Forcing himself to calm down, Eris flexed his hands and then slowly sat beside his mother as her expression sobered.

In the peacefulness of the garden, surrounded by the beauty of nature, time seemed to slow as Lady Enya swallowed once more and took a breath.

It took a moment before she finally spoke but when she did her voice was filled with quiet determination. "The Autumn Equinox is coming.” she said, her gaze fixed on the rippling pond and Eris’s brows furrowed.

“Yes, it is.” Eris confirmed with a blink. “In three weeks time.”

“Yes.” Lady Enya replied and she met her son’s gaze. “It is a time where we put away the old and bring out the new. Where change is expected and…welcome.”

Eris felt his pulse quicken, the beat of his heart thundering in his ears and he clenched his fists, waiting for his mother to say more.

“Indeed,” he agreed quietly. “Change is in the air.” 

“Change…is coming.” Lady Enya said slowly. “And I think it’s time that I – that I am ready for it." 

Eris froze as the gravity of her words hit him. He blinked. Then blinked again, his eyes glued to his mother’s face as his heart raced at the implication of what was said. On what his mother was finally requesting. 

The weight of years of suffering seemed to hang in the air, and he couldn’t help but think back to Elain’s vision.

“Every caged bird finds a way to flee. Some are stained red while some shed their cloaks and reign free.”

Elain had also seen fire and blood but Eris didn’t have any doubts that the eagle flying free was the one caged in front of him. 

His mother sat rigidly in place as they glanced at each other. As though weighing her decision between them and yet…he sensed something else as he gazed into her russet eyes. A flicker of relief. A glimmer of hope. Hope that could bloom as the seconds ticked by. 

Hope that they had been living for. 

“Your fire?” he asked carefully.

“Burning bright.” she said, her eyes filled with a glow of pride he would never get tired of seeing. “And he’s none the wiser.” 

He swallowed hard. They had worked so long on getting over the fear of her magic his father had instilled. After everything his father had done, poisoning the love for the fire in her, Eris hoped his pride showed on his face. His mother was a phoenix. It was time she rose from the ashes.

“The Autumn Equinox.” Eris breathed. 

“The Autumn Equinox.” Lady Enya confirmed and he couldn’t help but notice the slight trembling in her hands as she said it. “The invitations went out last week.”

Eris reached out and held both of her hands in his and lord, did Eris want to find his father and break his face into pieces at the tremble in his mother’s lips. “Are you sure? Do you feel prepared enough?”

Lady Enya took a shaky breath and nodded sharply before saying the words she’d held on to her heart for so long, “I’m – I’m ready to leave.” she breathed. “It’s time to get out. I need to get out.”

A heartbeat of silence passed then another as the weight of the words sank into the air around them, as mother and son shared a look of understanding. 

Eris finally took a breath, steeling himself as he nodded. “Yes. Good.” he said and gently kissed his mother’s hand. “It will be done. I will make sure of it.”

“Eris.” she whispered and her voice had a warning in it. “You have to be careful. He will not take it well.”

His lips curled in anger. “He doesn’t take anything well but we’re done caring,” Eris said. “Your word was the only thing we were waiting for.”

“I’m sorry it took so long,” she said and blew out another shaky breath. “I’m sorry you and your brothers have had to bear the consequences of my decisions.”

Whatever anger Eris had felt disappeared at the guilt weighing his mother’s words. He didn’t know what to do with himself as he watched her lips tremble and blink back tears.

“Mother, please don’t — don’t say that,” he said gently. “You don’t have to apologize to me when I know better than anyone else what it’s been like. We know. We understand.”

“It doesn’t excuse it. Having to wait so long,” she whispered then her expression soured. “And now I’m running. Like a coward and leaving you boys to clean up my mess. I wanted to make him pay. I wanted to make him hurt.”

“The only thing inexcusable was anything he’s done,” Eris said firmly. “We have been bearing the consequences of his actions. Do not bear more than you should. More than you have.” His expression hardened as he said, “You are one of the bravest people I know. Do not minimize how hard it was for you to stay and how brave it is for you to finally leave and get away from it all. While I would never deny you the killing blow you deserve to give, I’d rather you be as far away from him as soon as possible instead. We will deal with him.”   

A tense silence filled the space between them, the only sound a small sniffle from his mother that broke his broken heart even further. A part of him died when she wiped a few stray tears.

“How do you give me so much grace?” she asked softly. “How do you not resent me when I resent myself so much? I can’t imagine Lucien and — and him do not feel that way.”

Eris felt his shoulders drop as he gazed at his mother’s face, her expression stricken. “There is only so much we have control over, Mother. You did what you could.” he said quietly and waited a breath before adding, “And sometimes I — I do get resentful. I am always angry about the way our lives have to be. But my anger is never about you and more that we are in the situation to begin with. I know the burden you bear and I know how tired you are. How can I give you anything but grace?”

Lady Enya’s lips trembled again as she hastily wiped away her tears. “And I know the burden you bear, Eris. I know how exhausted you must be. Don’t think I’m not aware of how often you step in. Of all that you do in the shadows. I know. We all know.”

Eris felt his face and the tip of his ears heat. He wasn’t above admitting to himself how much those words meant something to him. To know, everything he had been slaving over these many years wasn’t in vain. That despite the way his relationship with his mother and siblings had to be, his care for them was seen. Acknowledged. 

“Then we only have a little more to bear.” he said and squeezed her hands. “We will get it done.”

His mother took a deep breath and then nodded. Eris let her have a moment, his hands sliding to his knees and squeezing as his mind wandered to the many things he would need to start buckling up for if he only had three weeks to prepare for his mother’s departure. 

Two things complicated matters. His brothers and his wife. Eris ran his tongue over his teeth, his hands tightening on his knees again before relaxing them and turning to his mother. 

“In the meantime,” he began and licked his lips. “I have two pieces of news to share with you that I hope will bring you a little bit of joy until it’s time.” 

Lady Enya’s brow furrowed. “I could use a little joy.”

Eris gave his mother a knowing look and then took a deep breath. “Your son has complicated matters for himself.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific.” Lady Enya said, straightening. “I have more than one menace I call a son.”

Eris snorted, then sighed and quietly stated, “Izak.”

Lady Enya froze, tension lining her shoulders. “What about him?”

Eris worked his jaw and then spoke. “You are aware of his attraction to his commander’s daughter, yes?”

“Of course.” 

“Well. He has…eloped with Helene. They are now married and living together.” 

His mother blinked rapidly, her mouth opening then closing then opening once more to say, “He did what?”

Eris nodded and rubbed at his temple gently before adding in an even quieter tone, “That is not all.” he said then cleared his throat. “Congratulations. You’re going to be a grandmother.”

Lady Enya’s hands flew to her mouth with a gasp. “She’s with child?” 

“Yes.”

“They eloped and are now expecting a child together?”

“I’d say unfortunately but that feels a little rude.”

His mother fell silent and Eris watched as different emotions flickered across her face until she settled a hand over her heart, her mouth curling into a soft yet sad smile. “I can’t believe he actually did it.”

“You knew about his intent to marry Helene?” Eris asked curiously. 

“I’m his mother. You’re not my only son who tells me about his love life,” she replied and Eris rolled his eyes. “He told me years ago…he knew she was the one. He hasn’t wavered from her since.”

Eris couldn’t help but sneak a glance at his wife, who was still exploring the garden, his hounds keeping her busy. He wondered if Izak had felt Helene sneak up on him or had he been hit over the head like a boulder with his feelings for her. He wondered if his brother felt like he’d ever be worthy of his wife. If tying her to this family would ever be worth it.

“I’d say I’m happy for him but we both know this makes things more difficult.” he replied and hated that the smile slowly faded from his mother’s face.

“Oh gods,” she muttered, her hands falling back on her lap. “Your father is going to ruin everything for him.”

“Not if I can help it,” Eris promised darkly, rolling his shoulders back. “I’m going to go see him today. Finn and Emil will likely join me. We will figure it out.” 

Lady Enya nodded, her expression hardening. “What would you like me to do?”

Eris pursed his lips. “I don’t know that I want you in the forefront of anything.”

“Eris.” his mother chided. “I already am. You cannot shield me forever.”

“You say that but I will shield you till my dying breath if I could,” he said simply. “You’re my mother.”

“As your mother, I should be shielding you.” she retorted, her hands fisting in her lap. “That is my job. I should be shielding my children. Do not deny me anything in my power.”

Eris softened. “I would never deny you anything.”

“Then how can I help?”

He scowled. “Do what we always do. Redirect the attention to something else,” he said. “After I meet with all the involved parties to discuss the ball, I’ll let you know how we can proceed.”

Lady Enya’s mouth went into a thin line and it fell silent between them for a few moments until she said, “I will try to plan on my end. My sources can help.”

Eris nodded tightly. “Keep it as limited as possible. The less people who know, the better.”

His mother nodded then sighed, straightening once more. “I could use your other news of joy now.”

He clenched his fists. Eris’s gaze shifted to his wife then back to his mother and he rubbed the tip of his ear, feeling his face slowly heat. Why did it embarrass him this much to share his own news with his mother? His life had literally turned on its head since he found out and she was the first person he had wanted to tell. His mother’s words had guided his approach with Iris and in a way he would never admit to anyone, Eris had wanted his mother to see that she had raised a son who would do right by his wife even with the terrible example of his father. 

His mother had been one of the only people who knew how much he wanted his own person and Eris had found that in the most unexpected way. His wife was now closer to him than before, in a way no one else would ever be. 

In his most private thoughts, when he wasn’t battling his self-loathing and embarrassment, Eris had yearned for a partner. He never considered he’d be telling his mother he had a mate. A wife, yes. A mate? Never. He didn’t deserve that and yet…here he was. He wasn’t sure how to casually drop this news. He pursed his lips and glanced at his mother who watched him in amusement. 

“This definitely has to do with your wife, doesn’t it?”

Eris scowled at his mother. “If you start making fun of me, I will not share anything.”

His mother had the nerve to chuckle. “Alright. I won’t make fun.”

He narrowed his eyes at his mother who smiled gently at him, making his ears heat again. Eris rolled his eyes and crossed his arms to battle his self-consciousness then cleared his throat. “Iris and I,” he began slowly then licked his lips. “Well. We found out about something important. Significant. To us both.”

Lady Enya fell silent and blinked. “If this is you trying to tell me the two of you are also expecting a child, I don’t think my heart will handle it.” 

Eris’s expression flattened. “Mother. I work quickly but surely not that quickly.” he said with a snort. “She barely tolerated standing next to me not too long ago.”

His mother took a breath, a hand over her heart. “I would’ve been happy for you regardless but I do think it’s wise to wait a little longer.”

He frowned, glancing down at his hands. “I don’t know if I ever want children,” he said quietly and met his mother’s gaze. “Especially if he’s still around.”

Lady Enya reached out to squeeze his hand. “I understand,” she said. “Does Iris know you feel that way?”

“We haven’t discussed it yet but I have a feeling we’ll reach an understanding given the circumstances between us.” he said and licked his lips once more, glancing at his wife. 

Lady Enya glanced curiously at Eris, following his gaze to his wife and then back to her son. “Circumstances?”

Eris met his mother’s gaze. “Do you remember when I described to you how I felt around Iris? Since the beginning? That there was this…pull I couldn’t explain.” he said and his mother nodded. “Well. It all makes sense now.”

He watched his mother’s face processing his words and a strange tightness filled his chest as her eyes widened in delight.

“Eris.”

His face heated as he nodded quickly, his heart beating furiously as if he were finding out the news himself all over again. Swallowing and trying to maintain a sense of underwhelming calm so he didn’t throw up, Eris murmured the words with an embarrassed frown, “She’s — we’re mates.” 

“Oh, Eris!”  his mother engulfed him into a hug that he wasn’t prepared for and Eris awkwardly patted her back, his face flushed. “This is wonderful news. I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you, Mother. I’m – we’re still coming to terms with what it all means but we’re on the same page of where we stand on the matter.”

Lady Enya pulled back and held his face in his hands, beaming at him. “You’ve wanted this for so long and Iris is so wonderful.” she gushed and quickly wiped at her eyes. “I knew she would be good for you from that first night.”

“Mother.” Eris chided, wanting to die at the way his emotions were starting to indeed overwhelm him. “She threw a chair at me. You should’ve been worried.” 

“I raised you. I guarantee that chair was a kindness.” she said with a snort and Eris scoffed in disbelief at his mother.

“Don’t let her hear you. She doesn’t need the encouragement for violence.” 

His mother chuckled and the sound lightened a little of the darkness in his chest. “No, I don’t think she does.” she agreed. “Is she alright with me knowing?”

“Of course,” he said. “Lucien knows as well. I…I wanted to make sure she had somewhere to go should she need to.”

“Oh, Eris.” his mother gently touched his cheek and his heart hurt at the too-knowing look she gave him. 

He patted her hand with a thin smile then nodded towards Iris and the hounds. “Let’s hope I don’t make her miserable enough that she does need to go there.”

Lady Enya shook her head with a small smile. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” she reassured him. “I see the way she looks at you.”

Eris watched Iris toss a stick for the hounds to chase after and felt a tingling sensation in his spine when she laughed at their antics. “You think so?”

“Oh yes.” his mother replied. “And more importantly, I see the way you look at her. You won’t give her a reason to want to go anyway.” 

Eris took a breath and slowly released it. “I hope so.”

“A mating bond…” his mother started and Eris shifted at her wistful tone. “You decide what it means to you but should you decide that it’s worth it…” The Lady of Autumn fell silent as she swallowed, fighting back emotions she couldn’t put into words and Eris took his mother’s hand and squeezed. It took a moment before she added in a whisper, “What a gift it is to have your soul tied to someone who was made specifically for you.” 

“It’s terrifying to think about.” he said, his eyes following his wife and he felt his mother chuckle next to him. 

“I know it must be so overwhelming for you,” she replied then patted his hand. “But I also know you will cherish it like nothing else.”

“I will try my best,” he said softly.

And Iris must’ve felt his eyes on her because she turned and met his gaze with a smile, waving at them.

His hand lifted on its own accord and Eris waved in return, the corner of his mouth curling up. 

And gods, he could watch her for hours. Is this what it felt like to let himself feel things? He wasn’t sure he liked it but then his wretched heart skipped a beat as Iris began to walk over to them, the hounds trailing her. Despite everything that was happening in their lives, being able to share this news with his mother made him feel somewhat lighter. 

He felt…happy? 

Happy enough that Eris had almost forgotten his mother sitting next to him had she not shifted and given him an amused look that made him scowl immediately.

“Mother.”

“I didn’t say a word!” she said with a laugh then leaned in to gently squeeze his arm. “Watching you fall in love has been one of the highlights of my life, Eris.” 

He nearly choked at the words, feeling the air cut off from his windpipe.

Eris met his wife’s gaze as she neared, stepping into their space and it stumped him every time he looked at her – how beautiful she was. She stood in a garden of endless beauty and yet, she was easily the most stunning thing there.

Love. 

He was certainly not ready to call whatever these intense feelings were…that. 

The thought alone made him want to hurl. He should probably consider getting that checked. 

“Good morning, Mother,” Iris said and flushed gently as Lady Enya stood and enveloped her in a hug with a small noise of joy and her eyes widened, meeting Eris’s gaze.

“Eris shared your exciting news with me. I’m so happy for you both.” Lady Enya said and Iris pulled back from the hug with a bashful smile. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Of course.” Iris said, shyly shifting. “It was… a surprise.”

“That’s an understatement,” Eris muttered with a frown, running his hand through his hair. “Forced her way into my life and then ruined all my plans.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “I forced my way into your life?” she scoffed. “Do you hear your delusional son, my lady?”

“Delusional? I’m the one who woke up one morning and found himself bound to a stabbing maniac.” 

“Oh my gods, it was one time.”

“You have threatened to stab me many times, sometimes multiple times a day. My sentries are all aware that should I die in a stabbing incident, you would be the first to blame.” 

“You are so lucky you didn’t have to try and seduce me into marrying you. You’d be terrible at courting me with the kind of nonsense that goes through your head.” 

“Are you saying you’d reject me if I had proposed to you?” 

“Of course. You wouldn’t have won me over.” 

Eris finally made a noise of protest. “I absolutely would have. You wouldn’t have been able to resist my charm.”

“Big words for a male who has yet to propose to me.”

“You’re already my wife. Why would I waste my time with such frivolous things.”

“And yet you think you’d be able to win me over. Ha!”

Eris fought back a smile, narrowing his eyes at her pretty face and coy little smile.

Somehow and without realizing it, the two had drifted closer, now inches away from each other and if Eris didn’t think he’d likely go too far and rip her dress off to take her right here in the gardens, he would’ve kissed her as desperately as he wanted to. 

He couldn’t take his eyes off her, smiling at him in a way that made him want to never leave this spot. She made him feel better. Just by being around her, he felt the heaviness of his conversation with his mother drift away. 

He had to bring her back to this garden at some point. Eris was sure his mother wouldn’t — and he froze, blinking himself back to reality.

Judging by Iris’s flushed face, she had come to the same realization that he had and cleared her throat, his head snapping to his mother who was standing a few steps back, watching them with a mix of delight and amusement. 

“Don’t mind me.” Lady Enya said casually. “By all means, you two keep talking.” 

Eris straightened immediately, stepping back from the magnetic force that was his wife and Iris sheepishly turned away from him to face his mother. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “We…are still figuring out how to manage ourselves in front of others.”

“I see.” Lady Enya replied and seemed to be fighting back a laugh.

“Elain and Lucien were very entertained, for sure.” Iris added and laughed softly at Eris’s eye roll. 

He sighed. “I think it’s about time I went to see your other sons,” he said to his mother then turned to his wife. “Will you be alright until I return?”

“Of course.” she said with a nod. “I’ll spend some time here then see to the puppies later.”

“Not puppies,” he muttered with another eye roll. “I’ll find you when I return.” 

He reached out to touch a strand of her hair and was grateful when his mother suddenly became interested in the flowers and turned away from them. Eris licked his lips, hesitating for a moment until she smiled shyly at him. And nothing could stop him from leaning in and kissing his wife. 

Iris melted into him like she always did, easily – comfortable in his arms and she would always be in awe of the way the red string of fate linked them together. Her hand gently brushed against his chin and it delighted her when he shuddered beneath her touch as he kissed her, his mouth caressing hers. 

In the last two nights they’d spent together, becoming more and more comfortable with their hands touching skin, Iris had found just how much a tender touch meant to her husband. He needed it the way she did, just like she understood him in ways no one else seemed to.

He pulled away a moment later, reluctantly, and licked his lips again. “Be careful while I’m away. Keep the hounds on you at all times.” he murmured against her mouth and Iris nodded.

“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself,” she replied softly and gave him a small smile. “My husband taught me well.”

“Indeed I did,” he said with a smirk. “I look forward to all the other things I can teach you.” 

And Iris couldn’t resist kissing him again at the way his smirk had heat pooling in her stomach before pulling away. “Be careful,” she said. “Be nice to your brothers. Don’t be too hard on Helene.”

Eris rolled his eyes but nodded all the same and straightened his tunic. “Mother, you’ll be alright?”

“Always.” Lady Enya said and reached out for his hand.

Eris squeezed his mother’s hand and spared his wife a wink before finally departing. 

Iris watched him go and hated the feeling of longing already blooming in her chest. After the last few days, it couldn’t be helped. Intensity was at the forefront of everything they did and after living half a life for so long, it felt good.

“I saw this coming, you know.” 

Lady Enya’s voice broke through her thoughts and Iris turned to her mother-in-law with a curious look.

“What do you mean?”

“You and Eris.” her mother-in-law said with a knowing smile. “A mother can sense these kinds of things.”

Iris flushed. She wondered just how much Eris had told his mother. She knew the two of them had needed to speak privately before Iris could join them and absolutely understood why; she’d been around them enough to understand how these moments of emotion were precious to them and how difficult these private conversations could be. And though Iris knew she didn’t have a reason to feel nervous, she couldn’t help but fidget slightly as she stood here. To be allowed in this sacred space, she was humbled. 

“I can’t say I wasn’t a little surprised. It’s…been a rollercoaster of emotions the last few days.” 

Lady Enya chuckled, reaching out to hold Iris’s hands in hers, smiling softly at her. “I know you two have come a long way. I know it must seem overwhelming but you were meant to find each other,” she said gently. “And to think…neither of you had wanted anything to do with the other.”

Iris flushed again and met her mother-in-law’s gaze. “Fate works in mysterious ways, I suppose.” 

“Indeed.” Lady Enya said and squeezed her hands. “Now, come sit with me. I want you to tell me everything.” 

[positivewitch]

@erisweek2023 Day 6 - Arranged marriage | Modern Au

By @lucienarcheron (love ya <33)

[moononastring]

Eris: *opens his mouth*

Iris: shut the fuck up

Eris: ...that one... I want that one...

Yea, that is exactly it. He would have it no other way 😌

[hollowember]

Shadows and flame// Azriel x female Vanserra OC

Fluff, Vanserra OC and Azriel stuck in an enemies to lovers cycle.

This is a prelude to an idea that's been kicking abt in my head for a while...

--

She was worn out, the shadow singer usually put her through her paces but... it had been a while.

His scarred hands brushed over her hair as they both panted for breath. She let herself enjoy the warmth of his bare chest beneath her cheek. Many a time, had they tried to kill one another, the irony lay in how safe she felt against him, cocooned in his arms that cradled her to his chest, his pale, muscle-padded skin.

She peered up at him through hazy eyes. His lips quirked at the corners, but he pushed her head gently back to his chest. "You're so good for me." He whispered.

It was so fucked up. He was insane. She loved him.

She had a duty to her house and court, he was the enemy, his court power-hungry and dangerous.

He scooped her up softly, shadows or wings or some other darkness shielded her from the lights as he carried her through hallways that twisted like a labyrinth. She should count the turns, memorise the path make sure he couldn't trap her here but then shadows whispered around them and a cold breeze pinched her skin and they appeared somewhere new entirely. She didn't have much time to take it in but she knew there was a bed, a soft wide bed that swallowed her whole pulling her into the depths of sleep as the Shadowsinger pressed his body against her back, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

---

Briar woke with a jolt and a gasp. Leaves crunched beneath her yellow, gold, orange and red filled her vision. Not soft, dark bedsheets. Leaves. Rotting leaves. She was back in Autumn.

Her tunic and pants that she had worn before seeing the shadow singer were back on her body, and her heavy deep red velvet cloak was wrapped around her. Briar pushed herself up to sit, leaves crumpled beneath her, and something in her palm crumpled, too.

She unfolded the note left in her hand, it read: Better luck next time, A

Heat filled her cheeks and her chest went tight as she stared at the handwriting. She burnt the note right there in her palm, the ash staining her hand.

She inspected the pack he'd left by her side, some food, water, her dagger, and a change of clothes. She took her dagger and burnt the rest of the pack, kicking the ashes and covering them with dead leaves before stalking into the forest.

She knew this forest, despite how the trees and shrubs would move to create a labyrinth of trickery. She knew the paths to take, knew that while the forest moved with the winds, the streams, rivers, and lakes remained the same.

She found a stream she'd always been fond of and striped down, submerging herself in an icy blue pool that had been created by a short waterfall. 

Briar washed the Shadowsinger off of her. She stole days like these every decade or so, but the last time had been much longer, over half a century had passed from the last time she had seen the Spymaster to now. They had been far too close and with that, too close to being caught. She hadn't risked it since. Her father had only just allowed her on hunts alone again, his suspicions and grudges had held firm for decades, and she'd played the game for long enough in order to get out of the court for a night.

If she'd played well enough, she wouldn't be interrogated, if not...

Briar sighed, rinsing her hair through. Along with being the only female, she was the only sibling who didn't have her mothers fire red hair. No, her hair was dark like her fathers and eyes green like her mothers.

Azriel's hazel eyes were etched into her memory, the ring of pale brown/green closest to his iris was nearly impossible to see last night. She doesn't know how he returned her so soundlessly to Autumn, but she remembered every moment up until sleep took her.

She didn't particularly like the Shadowsinger, but their paths had crossed enough times for them to come to this unspoken arrangement.