A Court of Ash and Necromancy

14. Pursuits of Happiness

    Mikael walked through the streets of Nivis, following Wynter closely. His wings were fluffed out against the cold air. Mikael smothered a laugh. It seemed strange to be somewhere that was stuck in the dead of winter, when the Solar Courts were already reaching the beginning of summer.

    Wynter, or Wyn, as he insisted on being called, had invited Mikael to Nivis to do more research. They'd spent two hours bent over their books before both proclaimed boredom and they decided to venture into the city.

    Wynter seemed to delight in pointing out the sights of the city, and Mikael wondered how often he got to do so. In fact, he wondered how often the male left the palace himself. Not frequently, if he had to guess. Wynter didn't seem to have many friends. At least, he hadn't mentioned any, and they hadn't run into any so far.

    "Over there is one of the public libraries. I spend my afternoons there occasionally," Wynter said, pointing to a large, beautifully carved building across the street. "The bakery attached to it serves the best maple scones and peppermint tea I've ever had."

    "Estelle's grandmother owns a bakery," Mikael said. "Venelia works for her a few days a week. I've never visited it, but Estelle claims their pastries are amazing."

    "Nyx's mate works at a bakery?" Wynter raised a dark eyebrow.

    Mikael nodded. "She wanted to do something that would occupy her time. Estelle is the same way, although she prefers to train with weapons and magic, rather than bake. Sometimes she paints. Occasionally, she sings." He smiled at the thought.

    "I see." They kept walking. Wynter formed an icy prism between two fingers and rotated it absentmindedly. "You must miss her."

    "I do," Mikael sighed. "It will be nice when she comes home, or finally lets me come to the Night Court."

    "Why does she insist on you staying away?"

    Mikael clenched his jaw. "Personal matters. She wants to handle her problems on her own, without me or anyone else interfering. I understand why, but I wish she would change her mind."

    "I see."

    "Do you have someone special?" Mikael asked.

    Wynter shook his head. "I don't have time to pursue relationships of that nature. Or of a friendly nature either, unless necessary."

    "Really? Surely there were people you trained with that became your friends? That's how I became friends with Calden, Sienna, and Celeste."

    "I didn't have time to connect with anyone during training," Wynter replied. "And Father keeps me busy now. I perform my own duties and study Father's as well. Occasionally, he asks me to handle them for him. He wants me to learn as much as I can about governing our Court while he's here to show me."

    Mikael raised an eyebrow and Wynter smiled. "He has centuries left, I'm certain, but my father is a smart male. He's always preparing for the unexpected. He wants to ensure that, should something happen to him, I'll be ready to take his place."

    "You should still have some time to yourself," Mikael pointed out. "Time to make friends or find a lover."

    Wynter stroked his chin. "Well, I suppose you could say I'm making a friend right now."

    "Yes," Mikael chuckled, "but you said yourself that it's mostly because we'll both be High Lords someday."

    Wynter frowned. "Let me amend that statement, then. It will be good for us to be friends when we're High Lords, but I'm glad to have a friend now, regardless."