Embers and Ashes

Chapter 28

Melona

   My father and brother had to leave with Tyren rather quickly. They didn’t even stay for dinner before heading back to the Dawn Court. Promising me that they would write on Tyren’s condition, even if I probably would not get a chance to read them. They also promised to come a few days before the wedding so we could spend time as a family one last time before I was officially an Autumn Court member.

   Also, much to my relief, Beron has not yet exacted any sort of revenge upon me or Eris. He simply had his hand reset, and the matter has not been brought up again. Which has kept Eris nervous and extremely alert in keeping me as close as possible, I am still free to do as I like, just as long as either he, his mother, or Pomona are with me. At least only two guards are required. I thought for a while Eris was going to have an entire army following me around.

   I convinced his other wise, and I get to have Benthen and Claude monitoring me from a considerable distance. Over these months these two have been the closest to me. They were often called upon by Eris to watch over us. I think he trusts them the most.

   Each male seemed nice enough. Only Claude was every a bit stale at times. Ben being the younger out of the two, and it showed.

    The two had kindly brought me to the front gate of this colossal palace of stone and wood. Where Eris stood waiting to take me out into the city for the day.  He promised me a day to ourselves, and one far away from the prying eyes of his family.

   “There you are”, Eris purrs as he pushes himself off the brick of the stone walls encircling the palace.

   “Here I am”, I beam cheekily as I wrap my arms around his waist. His hands running over the thick cotton of my vibrant orange top. Down the scarlet silk over dress decked in glittering gold beads. My hair pulled back in a thick twisted braid.

   “My Vixen”, he smirks and kisses my cheeks.

   “I thought I was your plum?”, I question.

   He pulls back to watch me. His warm amber eyes searching over my own hazel. Almost glinting gold in the afternoon light.

   “As bitter sweet as you are my dear, you have more of Autumn’s fire then you think. You are much cleverer then you give yourself credit for. And some day you will be Lady of the Court of Foxes. I think it suits you better”, he hums. “And you are very tempting.”

   I give his side a light punch. “Behave yourself,” I scold.

   “Never”, he grins and takes my hand before pulling me through the open palace doors and into the bustling streets of Hedone. 

~

   There was so many Fae. All kinds. Even if the High Fae outnumbered the Lesser by hundreds in this city. Both looked like their nature was caught between elegence and cruel. All clade in vibrancy and grace.

   The streets lined with hundreds of shops and markets. Spices from every corner of Prythian danced in the crisp air. Roasted meats and nuts drizzled with caramel sold by venders on every corner. 

   The only fault I can find is how formal everything was. As if no matter how wealthy these people where. They lacked soul.

   “Where are all the musicians? The street performers?”, I ask in slight confusion.

   “Locked away in the theatres and schools. In my father’s opinion art is what sparks rebellions and should be used by people with motives that benefit him”, Eris sighs. “Only those with useful craftsmanship are allowed to create things. With the proper permits and documentations of course.”

   “It feels so. . . hollow”, I murmur silently as I hold onto his hand while drifting through the crowds that part for the two of us.

   Here the people feared him. Looked and watched in the corner of their eyes with caution as he walks by, as I walk by. The longer we walk, the heavier his eyes become.

   This was why he was so hollowed out when he came home to Embry. There is no happiness here.

   I squeeze his hand in reassurance.

   “Take me to where you enjoy being”, I tell him softly. “We don’t need to even stay in the city if you don’t want to.”

   “No, I promised you a tour of the city”, he shakes his head and turns his head to look down streets. “I do have something in mind that I think you would like. If art is an interest.”

   I smile as the world bends around us as he winnows half way across the city to another street. This one wider and filled with people watching in amazement.

   There hanging in the air are stands of are thick molten rivers of glowing hot metals. In the crowd standing specific High Fae dancing their fingers as the mass obeys the commands. Spinning and bending and shaping their works into cords and shapes of all kinds. Spoons, and forks. Mighty beams as thick as tree trunks used in construction. Gold and silver being chained into long strands for jewelry.

    Firestone workers.

   “They actually do not hold any sort of power over the metals. It is the heat and flame that they infuse it with that they are able to control. Even I have not learned to do it. I probably could since I have far more then they do, but I’ve never quiet had the time”, Eris explains as he watches on with his own curious interest. “Once. . . Once I had a. . . friend who had tried to teach me. I failed miserably.”

   “You used to have friends?”, I ask trying to tease, but the look of utter lose and pain in his eyes told me enough. “I’m sorry, I didn’t. . .”

   “Friends are not easy to come by in the Autumn Court”, he sighs and watches the swirling metals with a sad longing.

   Watching him something reflected and kept snagging my attention until I looked over to find another Firestone worker. He did not stand in the crowd. He hide in the closure of his tiny shop working with something entirely different from metal.

   I watched on in amazement as he spread out his figures and spokes stretched out from the disk of glass he hung in front of him. They grew out like tree roots searching for water. Thinner sheets connected those thicker spokes like a thin layer of webbing.

   It looks like he’s making snow flakes.

   As I approach his working area he doesn’t even take his eyes off his work as fine blue beads of glass melt. They float about him while he skillfully and delicately places each one in it’s place along the spines.

   Only after placing the newly formed plate on a table to cool his stormy blue eyes glance up to find me watching him. He blinks a couple time. Not having realized someone had been watching him work. Being to engrossed in his craft.

   A soft uncertain smile creeps over his feature, and I instantly like him. This male was good. Simply good.

   “Can I help you with something Miss?”, he offers politely.

    “That was beautiful”, I gush.

   He chuckles softly. “I take it you haven’t seen much of Firestones have you?”

   I shake my head, and he smiles a bit broader. “Would you like to see more?”

   I nod.

   He brings over a block of clear glass. Cut like a freshly broken piece of ice from a glassier. Plashing his hands over it the center begins to glow like an encased star. Slowly it starts to grow large enough that he could lift it in the air. Twirling his hands in circle motions as the melting glass starts to swirl.

   It was nearly fully melted when he looks up to the looming presences that had slowly taken residence behind me. Eris.

   The molten glass landed with a shattering crack. The table it landed on sputtering and sizzling as the glow oozes out and cools into a frozen river.

   “Jon”, Eris nods to the larger male with a respect I haven’t seen him give many.

   “Eris”, Jon growls in annoyance.

   They knew each other. Anyone who addressed him by his first name that wasn’t his family members earned a scolding that made most wish he had simply cut out their tongue. Eris knows this male, and he knows Eris in a way that allowed him leeway. Enough for Jon to scold him instead.

   Whatever happened did not end well.

   “What do you want Vanserra?”, Jon grits out.

   “Nothing”, Eris tries to reassure him. Even taking a step back to make his point. “My betrothed and I decided on an outing and she was excited to see Firestones working their craft.”

   “Betrothed?”, he looks down at me as I wave up. All warmth that had been there was now gone.

   “Decided to torcher some other poor girls life”, he sneers.

   Eris doesn’t even blink. “It was arranged- ”

   “ -by your father. How long you gunna be hiding behind that Bastard Eris? When are you gunna take responsibility for your own choices”, Jon growls.

   “Not everyone has a choice Jon”, Eris argues.

   “We all have a Culdron dammed choice Eris, don’t give me that shit”, Jon hisses.

   “Please, I don’t want to fight”, Eris pleads in a huffed voice.

   “Then do as your told and stay away from me”, he remarks.

   Eris nods and takes my hand. “Let’s go dearest. Let’s not bother this gentleman anymore”, is his slightly snide remark.

   “F- you Vanserra”, Jon snarls under his breath so no one but him could hear it. Eris simply turns and leads me away with a heavy heart.

    “. . .How do you know him”, I ask gently once we were a considerable distance from Jon’s booth.

   “It is a long story and not one to be told out in the open”, Eris glances behind him. Up at the East point of the compass that stood guard over this section of this city. He looked there as if he could see the Wind that watched over it.

   I nod slowly and let Eris take me else where. I let the subject go and let him whisk me around the rest of the city for the rest of the day.

   By the end Eris was smiling once more in that quiet pleasant way he does when he watches me. Even as we walk back into the monster of a palace and down the red halls. At least until a hooded figure in misty grey appears from around the corner he and I were about to go around.

    “Dammit Zathrian!”, Eris snarls as he had nearly jumped at the sudden appearance of the hood drawn figure. “Why must you do that. Could you not simply call for me like everyone else?”

   “Now where would the fun in that be?”, Zathrian drawled with a smirk as the male pulls back the hood.

   “Well for one I wouldn’t have a Culdron dammed heart attack every time you materialize out of thin air”, Eris grumbles and pinches the bridge of his nose.

  Zathrian only smiles softly before frowning gently. “You saw him today?”

  “It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t realize he had been working today. I would have stayed clear”, Eris remarks in annoyance.

   I was about to ask if this was about Jon, but Zathrian places a figure over my lips. Keeping the questions at bay.

   “We should talk about this in my home”, Zathrian muses.

   “There is nothing to discuss”, Eris hisses but the Wind has already turned and ignores Eris’ grumbling as he obediently follows the older male.

    In the end he cannot stand to walk all the way to the top of the tower. So he grabs my hand and the back of the Wind’s cloak and winnows us to the top.

   “You young ones. Always in a rush”, Zathrian shakes his head as Eris lets him go. 

   “What’s this about Zathrian? I was looking forward to a quiet night”, Eris sighs.

   “You need to be more careful with how often you check up on Jon”, he says pointedly.

   “That was my fault. I was the one who approached him. I was curious about Firestones and caught him at work”, I explain. “How do you know this Jon?”

  “He was a very big part of my life at one time, and now he’s not”, Eris sighs and plops down in one of the chair. Slumping in it enough to look up at the wooden panels of the ceiling.

    “When you were Embry Wood?”, I offer and the two of them stop to stair at me.

   “How do you know about that?”, Eris asks with a look of shock on his face.

   “Sera – You’re mother told me”, I answer back softly.

   “Of course she did”, he sighs deeply.“How much do you know?”

   “That you hit a rebellious stag in your life, changed your name and became a vigilantly. Caused your father some well earned grief”, I explain and Eris nods.

   “I was twenty. Still young and stupid, and having finished my training in the war camps where they train our soldiers. Went up the ranks of command all they way up to General rather quickly. Too quickly in my fathers eyes, and decided I start learning how to the paperwork part of the role of High Lord if I were ever to claim it.

  I didn’t want to leave. I had made friends in the camps. Bonds I would not so easily break. A happiness I would not let go of so easily”, he starts.

   “Was Jon one of them?”, I ask as I sit in the chair facing his as Zathrian sat on his couch.

   Eris nods solemnly. “He was the first friend I ever had. First person I ever really trusted other then Zathrian”, he nods his head in the direction of the older male.

   “What happened?”, I ask gently.

   “. . . We spent two years pillaging from my fathers chosen rulers over estates, and money wagons as they transferred it from town to town to collect taxes. We gave it back to the people and lived off the gifts they gave us and our own hunting skills.

   The best two years of my life.

   No one hated me. My people loved me for who I wanted to be and not forced to be. I felt like a High Lord over my own small court and I never wanted to leave.

   But nothing good seems to last all that long for me.

   Our hide out was finally discovered. We fought back of course, but I along with those who had been the founders of my court where dragged to Hedone in cages.

   My father gathered us in his throne room, and as he had to Lucien. He had me held and bound as he had each one of them killed before my eyes.

   Each one begged me to save them, but I couldn’t. All I could do was scream and plead for it to all stop, but it didn’t until all their blood had soaked into the carpet and I was made to grovel”, Eris tells his tale and by the end has to run his hands over his face to stop the burning in his eyes. I didn’t hold back my tears.

   “I’m so sorry Eris”, my voice trembling.

   “What’s done is done. At least I can live with myself knowing that Jon made it. I had ordered him at the start of the attack to get the civilians who had come to live with us to safety. Of course he hates me now with what happened to the others, I don’t blame him. I hate myself for it.

   And of course Zathrian never get’s caught with anything. At least I have these two left. Even if they can’t stand me”, he ends.

   I can no longer sit so far away from him. I stand and come over to him. He looks up at me with such deep sorrow that my heart cracks as I slide into his lap. Not caring what Zathrien thinks of it as I kiss away those stray tears from his cheeks.

   A shuddering sigh leaving his lips as he leans into the touch. His eyes falling shut as he lets me touch him. Letting me hold his cheeks and kiss his forehead before placing my own to his.

   “I’m sorry you’ve lost so much, but I promise, I’ll be dammed to the endless dark if I let you think that you are still alone in this world. I may not be those friends, but I will not leave you. I will not let anyone take me away from you”, I murmur to him.

   “Thank you Melona”, he whispers back.