Me: IT'S TIME.
Haytham: Time for wh-*reads title*...No.
Me: ...Dude. Uncool.
✆-•☻•-✆
TW: Mentions of trauma, language, mature themes
Note: Crossover with A Court Of Thorns And Roses (more specifically, A Court Of Mist And Fury, if you don't want spoilers skip this oneshot), maybe a tiny bit of Ezio x Reader x Haytham (?), all original world things belong to Sarah J Maas, also Haytham needs a oneshot I nearly forgot about him-
✆-•☻•-✆
Your POV
As you look in the mirror, your gaunt figure stares back. Even though you were now High Fae-that meant you were faster, more slender and stronger (plus, you had magic and you were immortal to some extent) than a human-you still looked horrible. Your normally S/T skin had a deathly grayish pallor to it, there were dark purple-black smudges under your dull E/C eyes, your H/L H/C hair looked to have lost its luster, your body was stick thin and the usual glow that the High Fae had was...muted on you.
You stare at your clothes, which were absolutely ridiculous.
(For the dress wearing people)
(For the suit wearing people)
Some color Ianthe-that whore of a High Priestess-called "Spring Court green". There were gloves of the same color on your arms, to hide the tattoo on your left hand. The reminder of your fool's bargain with Haytham, the High Lord of the Night Court. Back when you were a human, a week per month with him for some decades seemed fine, but now that you were High Fae...that meant you had to live with your decision forever. Or until you killed yourself, but you didn't want to take that route. Anyway, today you were to marry Ezio, High Lord of the Spring Court. You had gone to the ends of the earth for him, died for him, to save him from Amarantha.
And yet the bastard paraded you around like a motherfucking prize. You were his pet, his doll. You had become High Fae because of him. And yet it wasn't enough.
As your maid added absurd accents and decorations to your attire, you couldn't help but gag. Ianthe had planned all this shit and then some. And you couldn't help thinking about Haytham.
And the bargain.
You wanted to hurl your gold and malachite engagement ring at the mirror you were standing in front of with all your Fae strength. But you resist the urge in favor of an excited person ready to marry a High Lord. Only so you could be this court's fucking pet for eternity.
As you walk down the stairs and the aisle, you see Ezio standing in his usual court finery, with a knife sheathed at the hip. You wished you could have just worn your own court finery, but no. No, you had to be dressed in this piece of shit ensemble that whore stuffed you in to be a pretty ass present for Ezio.
As you looked at the green train, you see rose petals. White...scattered with red. You had specifically asked for no red, but here was Ianthe, making you out to be a pretty pet who was unsure of their decisions. The red petals, they looked like the blood of those faeries you'd killed Under the Mountain.
As you stood near Ezio, hearing Ianthe drone on and on and on about the Cauldron and how it would bless this marriage, this and that and other shit, you start to feel closed in. You silently plead for help-not that anyone would hear it anyways.
Haytham's POV
As he sat with his father, friends and son, he felt something was...off.
"Oi," his father says. "What's got you all mopey, lad?"
"Aye, you're usually never this mopey." Shay says.
He sees Ziio and his son-Connor-nod. This was his Inner Circle. His father was his general, his son his Third, Ziio his Second and Shay his spymaster.
Now Ziio and Connor looked a lot alike in the terms of complexion, hair and eyes. The reason was...Well, he and Ziio had too much to drink a few centuries back and out popped Connor (or Ratohnhaké:ton as she named him), but they were still good friends.
As he contemplated, he heard a shout-well, more of a plea-down the bond the bargain he'd made with Y/N had created. But there was another thing driving that: The fact that they were his mate.
Ziio and his father knew, Connor and Shay suspected. And Ziio was perfectly fine with him having another High Fae as his mate.
All these thoughts mill through his head as he winnows to the Spring Court.
Your POV
As you try to avoid Ezio's gaze, you see someone familiar from the corner of your eye. The straight backed posture, the dignified way this High Fae presented themself with...it was Haytham.
"I'm here to take Y/N, as agreed to in our bargain." he says. You knew Haytham had a silver tongue from Under the Mountain, how he could sway people without missing a beat.
"Get. Out." Ezio says, clearly pissed. You look frantically between the two High Lords, trying to diffuse the situation. In the end, you choose to go with Haytham. You weren't going to say 'I do.' anyway.
After a few seconds, you were transported from the manor in the Spring Court to a huge moonstone palace on a mountain. It was comfortable yet imposing at the same time. "Your room is over there," Haytham says, pointing to a door. "And you'll be expected to join me for breakfast, over...there."
You nod. You wanted to scream at him, but also wanted to hug him and thank him profusely. Haytham leaves and you go to your new room. It was nice and airy, with sheets of blue on a bed carved from a cloudy stone. You ignore it for now and go to the balcony.
You take the ring Ezio gave you off your finger and chuck it off the balcony with all your Fae strength. You didn't care if you caused some kind of disaster, you just needed it away from you.
You sit down and write a letter to Ezio, stating that you weren't coming back. A shadowy High Fae appeared and took the letter, as if she was spying on you. But, no matter. Your statement was made.
Timeskip, Haytham's POV
It had been a few months since Y/N had opted to stay with him over Ezio. He'd moved them to his town house in Velaris, which had been hidden away for 5 millennia. He had controlled himself these past few months, reminding himself that they needed to accept the bond first.
He'd thought of telling them, but he didn't want them to hate him. Shay winnowed in beside him, coiled in shadows and red Siphons gleaming as usual. "So," he says. "Are you going to tell them?"
So Shay knew. His father winnows to his other side, blue Siphons gleaming. "Give it time Haytham," he says. "Just because you're the most powerful High Lord in Prythian's history doesn't mean you can force someone to love you."
"I know."
His father was only alive because his uncle-the former High Lord-died childless. If his father had been High Lord, he would have had to kill him or wait until he died.
With a small huff, he winnows away.
Your POV
As you wander around the shops of Velaris, you spy paint that reminds you of Haytham's gray eyes. You hadn't touched paint since Amarantha, but...You could probably work with that. Make a painting for Haytham as a gift, maybe?
Haytham. Unexpectedly, your thoughts turned to him. You wondered where he was and remembered the lessons he had given you on your new power and the bond the bargain had created between you, among other things about Prythian and faeries as a whole.
"We can use the bond to wordlessly communicate, to pinpoint our locations when we're separated, read each other's thoughts and emotions and more-when our mental shields are down."
Yes, you remembered him saying that. So you decide to attempt searching for Haytham through the bond. You didn't find where he was, but instead heard his thoughts-which you didn't mean to do at all.
How do I tell Y/N they're my mate..? Will they hate me for the rest of our immortal lives if I tell them?
You pull yourself back to reality, feeling a bit shaky at the revelation you had just discovered. Haytham was your...mate. Your equal in this world. You decided to keep the fact that you knew he was your mate, until he told you himself. It's only fair to, you think as you buy supplies for a new painting.
Timeskip, your POV
"Starfall's tonight." Ziio remarks as she walks beside you, helping you select some paints for your idea.
"What's Starfall?" you ask.
Someone winnows in beside you and Ziio. Someone you don't recognize. He was High Fae and looked a bit like Haytham in face structure, but that's where all similarities-in appearance and personality-ended.
The male had deeply tanned skin with a lot of facial scars, golden wheat colored hair, bright ocean blue eyes and a rugged personality from what you observed. "Who are you?" you ask tentatively.
"Apologies for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Edward, Haytham's father and general of his armies."
You note the blue Siphons on a metal bracer, which was on Edward's arm. If you remembered right, Shay-Haytham's spymaster-had the same thing, but his Siphons were red.
"Starfall can only be witnessed in the Night Court," Ziio says in answer to your question. "Other courts call it Nynsar-The Day of Seeds and Flowers."
So you had been without Ezio for that long. But you didn't care, you liked it better in the Night Court anyway.
"You should be getting back," Edward says. "You're to get ready for the festivities."
Ziio nods and takes you by the hand.
Timeskip, your POV
Dressed in your Starfall clothes, you felt like an absolute monarch. Clad in a midnight blue dress/suit accented with carefully crafted gems of the palest blue that they looked clear, cuffs of solid diamond adorning your wrists, a single silver ring with a star shaped sapphire on your left ring finger, a beautiful diamond necklace and dangling earrings of pure diamond with your H/L H/C hair braided/fluffed to show off your slightly pointed faerie ears. A thin circlet of the same diamonds and blue gems on your person was woven into your H/L H/C hair, causing it to glow.
You had gained weight, had that Fae glow again. Tonight...Tonight you looked positively Fae and ready to make everyone-especially Haytham-faint.
As you walk with Ziio, Connor-Ziio and Haytham's son as a result of a night at a tavern, you had been told-looks at you and nearly faints. You give Haytham's Third a small smile and pat his shoulder. Still looking dumbfounded, the male gapes at you.
You spy Haytham, talking to his father. It seems whoever had dressed him had wanted to make people faint, too.
His silky black hair was pulled back in an immaculate low ponytail, the usual red ribbon replaced with a midnight blue that had those same pale blue gems woven into it. He was wearing a glittering midnight blue jacket with a pale star yellow silk shirt and a ribbon like tie-the same make as the ribbon in his hair-tastefully tied around his neck with black pants and light brown calf high boots.
Haytham looked drop dead handsome.
As you approach him and Edward, he looks...tense.
"Uh...Y-you look..." he stammers.
Haytham's POV
Y/N looked...exquisite. No, beyond that. They looked like a god. And he had no words. "Exquisite." his father says for him, giving him a subtle look.
I nod and ask them, "Shall we dance?"
They lightly chuckle and reply, "We shall."
Timeskip, your POV
You and Haytham had danced to your heart's content and now you were both looking at the stars while sipping wine on a balcony away from the party. "So," Haytham says. "What do you think of Starfall?"
"It's beautiful." you breathe.
A chuckle. "I'm glad."
Haytham notices the ring on your finger and recognition flashes across his features. "What is it?" you ask.
"That ring...was my mother's," he replies. "A family heirloom meant to be a wedding ring."
You froze. Wedding ring?
"So?"
"Well there's no easy way to say this...but you're my mate, Y/N."
You had grown to fall for Haytham, and you wanted to be with him for the rest of your lives. "Haytham, I...How do I accept it?"
His face lights up and he grabs a piece of bread from nowhere and says, "Take a bite."
So you take a bite of the bread and feel a tingling of magic around you. Haytham kisses you, tender and slow. "I love you." he says as he breaks the kiss.
"I love you too."
✆-•☻•-✆
Me: Holy shit it's nearly 500 reads and it's not even March-
Edward: Good job Ash! *hugs*
Altaïr: You worked so hard to get here. Good job.
Haytham: ...I guess my oneshot is...acceptable...
Me: *rolls eyes* Really Haytham?