Everyone avoided where she steps. Almost afraid as if the ground itself would swallow them whole. It's a deadly suspense that leaves everyone on edge, Including the House of Wind itself. Which usually flows with life, its own walls breathing hold their breath in her hall.
Where her meal always rests.
Unless it's Rhysand, Lotus takes it upon himself to deliver her food.
She never opens the door, nor eats the food they've prepared.
The residents couldn't care less if she starved, though despite her stubbornness, Lotus would shove down the food in her throat if that's what it took.
"How is she?"
The sun was rather bright today, the lighting of it making the trees and plants his Aunt Elain had planted almost reminded him as if he was back in the Court of Spring. At the moment with a cup of tea and a paintbrush in his hand- It would have been paradise.
But he decided he wouldn't spend the day sober with a deceased psycho female's daughter fathered by his mother's mate living just a few stories away.
So he stole a bottle of wine from Rhysand's cellar.
Grateful he decided to drink while Talia rambled on questions about said Daughter with Calian feeding her curiosity with even more questions to attack him with.
"Bitchy."
He grinned at Talia's eyeroll. "Seriously Lotus?"
Calian chuckled.
"What?" he shrugged, "I'm being honest, Her bark is as annoying as her bite."
"Having trouble with your step-sister, Prince?" Calian said, humor in his tone but Lotus shot him a glare, "I think you two are more similar than you think."
"Curse the Caldron, Calian. I've treated you nicely haven't I? How could you say such a blasphemy thing?"
"Truth hurts," shrugged Talia. He shook his head and drank the rest of the wine in a gulp. "At this point, I might as well stay a little drunk until I become High Lord."
"A good tale never started with water" Calian nodded, swirling his glass, "The High Lord of Night has good taste." Lotus choked on his drink, staring at him with wide eyes, Calian rolled his, "Of course I knew you stole this, Lotus. I don't think you've ever drunk a wine you've ever bought yourself."
He straightened, "Thievery adds to the flavor."
The male chuckled, and poured himself and Lotus more. Talia doesn't drink, she finds the flavor distasteful but he would disagree, taking wine over tea anyday.
He tried to catch her eyes when he noticed her expression lost in thought. Her wings were spread beautifully behind her, catching the sun's glare and simply adding to the scenery. The typically black, illyrian wings were never suited for her, the Mother made a well choice to pair her with white.
Lotus noticed Calian too, had his eyes on her, a softness resting in his amethyst gaze.
His heart squeezed. Did he fancy her?
It would make sense if he did and Lotus wouldn't blame him for it. Talia was more than just beautiful, she was his best friend and if he wasn't so in love with someone else, he would have fallen for her, in a heartbeat. In a blink.
Did Calian fall for her in a heartbeat?
He quickly glanced away, feeling the beast inside him stir at his thoughts. He stood up abruptly, "Well, I'll be taking my leave now, see if our new guest will join me for a drink."
He bent to kiss Talia's head, "Do you need anything before I go?"
"I'm alright, Lotus. I have Calian if anything!" she smiled at the male. The sight made him clench his fist and he gave Calian a short nod.
Before he turned to leave, Calian grabbed his arm, Handing him the bottle, except this was a different wine. Full to the brim and lighter than the one they were drinking. The male shrugged, "I'm blaming you if questioned where it went."
Lotus laughed, expecting nothing less.
He took a moment to stare at Calian, his hair now growing past his shoulders and the other half in a bun. He wondered if he would like him to trim it...
But there was something perfect about the way he now has it. Enough that Lotus wanted to capture the expression he had on his face, even if it was intended for Talia, on a canvas. Where he could spend hours on the details.
He cleared his throat, said "Excuse me", and left.
His heart still twisting at the sight of them getting farther and farther away...
Lotus leaned against the walls for stability as he stumbled through the hall.
He expected his tolerance to grow low since he got sick but never to a point only four glasses were his limit. That's at least a whole bottle.
He faltered a step, sudden nausea hitting him like a heat-wave. With blurred eyes and weak legs Lotus tried to focus on simply walking forward but dizziness seemed to blind him and push him down. It felt like at any moment his vision would turn black and maybe he'd stopped breathing if he was lucky. But there simply ringing in his ear and white stars in his sight.
The bitter taste of veil burned his throat, like acid being poured or being crushed under a boulder, gasping and reaching for something that wasn't there.
He trembled with a force he only felt once, back in Spring. Where it clawed at his organs, to tear him from the inside out. Shifting and shaping into something he didn't want to be. But forced to become.
He could only imagine what he looked like.
A rabid animal in a cage with a Fae body as his skinsuit, wouldn't that be a nightmare to unfold...
The ringing in his head became louder and Lotus felt on fire. Growing like a weed he didn't know how to unroot.
He was like an animal on all fours, in an internal war.
The wine bottle broken and bleeding out before him like a puddle of blood.
Bare feet came into his view, but when he looked up, he couldn't make out their small form.
Amren?
Soft hands grabbed his face, tilting his chin upward, sharp nails digging into his skin on his cheeks, he hissed and clawed at them but the hand quickly pushed him back into the wall, squeezing his throat but not enough pressure to suffocate him.
He felt like he was losing his mind, screaming and fighting but no noise came out, simple growls and groans from a monster.
The person grabbed his face roughly again and he forced his eyes.
Aquatic met indigo in a panic.
Her hair was like fire, in contrast to his sun. But she burned with a blue flame while he suffered with ice.
Her expression said more words then he could pin point, more than he could track down.
He tried to fight back, to control the beast, scare the monster but all that happened was the increasing pain in his bones. Pathetic tears running down to tattoo on his face. Fueling his shame.
"Tsk."
And then as fast as it came, it left just as sudden.
A moth suddenly uninterested with the flame.
The claws slowly began to sink back into him, his bones in place and his skin still stitched together. The ability to breath came rushing into his lungs and he gasped.
He coughed violently, wanting the parasite inside him to slide out his throat but the taste remained which meant so did it.
She began to walk away, silent enough he would have thought he dreamt it but Lotus grabbed her dress and forced her back, on his knees and trying to stand. "Was-was that you?" he coughed, finally on his feet. "Did you get rid of it?"
"No."
"What did you do?" It couldn't have gone away that easily, it's never that easy.
"Why should the rabbit care how it lost the wolf, it got away didn't it?"
Lotus glared at her, "I'm in no mood to play your games."
She smirked at him, as if she won some internal game they were playing- mocking him. As if he were a fool unaware of the joke she made.
His annoyance seemed to show since the tip of her mouth widened. Almost as if it wanted to reach the end of her ears. He scoffed, "Do you find this amusing?"
She blinked and Lotus clenched his fist. "Need I remind you that you are a guest in this house- in this court. I will not tolerate disrespect," he hissed out at her.
She raised her brow, "Disrespect?" she stood up straighter, "Tell me, Prince, what have I done to offend you. I've made no threats, I've ordered no demands, I've hardly said a word. Unless my presence is to blame alone, tell me boy, what shall you fault me for?"
He sighed, "You're being difficult. All I'm asking for is an answer,"
"Your question is useless," she scoffed and turned away. Lotus followed, for if she wanted to be bitchy, he would be the worst son of a bitch. "Don't you walk away from me!"
She still kept her back to him and continued her way.
He was going to kill her.
She made a turn and stepped into a room, her room he guessed and he knew the gentleman's way was to wait for her permission to enter but screw her! The last thing she deserves is common decency from her.
He didn't trust her.
He didn't trust the way she carried herself, the way she spoke. If he were to ask again, she would be ready with three more to counterattack him with. Her own simply adding fuel to an answer she'll never give.
He watched from the doorway as she picked up the food tray that was left, giving it a glance before throwing it away.
Did she think it was poisoned?
She sat at the edge of her bed, and he noticed then she was in a nightgown. One that didn't compliment her at all but only dulled. He must have woken her up with his screaming.
Shame left as quickly as it came.
He sighed, "I'm just asking what happened, I deserve an explanation." He stared at her, her eyes empty and uninterested. He wished he hadn't broken the wine bottle, "Thank you." he said.
"Your question is unimportant, but I'll give you an answer to your wondering," he glowed before she continued, "But you only get one. Either about your current question or the one you can't stop thinking about."
He faltered.
Curse the Caldron.
She looked like a devil, seductress resting on magenta sheets. It felt like the middle of the night, due to the darkness of the room from her closed curtains. The dim candle light made it feel like a cave.
A walkway to oblivion.
Light slipped in no corners, no books on her walls, no mirrors- not even a painting.
Simply her bed and a room which he guessed was the bath.
"I enjoy the darkness," she said, watching him.
"I hate it," he replied.
"It's my haven,"
"It's a prison."
"There is many more horrors to you light as there is beauty in my darkness, Prince."
He made a show to exaggerate the scenery before landing back on her, all of her. And the paintings he made of her.
He wondered if she knew he used to think about her, dream about her. She was his personal friend. His own, that no one knew about.
Did she know?
He must have said something out loud because she asked, "Is that your question?"
No, no it wasn't.
But her eyes held secrets and he wanted all the keys to unlock them. Even if he won't give the key of his own.
"Didn't think so,"
She laid down on her bed, closing her eyes as if he tired her out with his lack of anything. Thinking of him no threat to her if he dared to do something.
. . .
The woman yelped, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Did-" she looked down, "-did you just throw a shoe at me?!"
Lotus tightened his hand.
"I. Dare. you."
He threw the other at her, quickly dodging the pillow she threw in response, closing the door behind him with a sigh.
"So that went well,"
Lotus turned to see Calian standing a few feet away, leaning against the wall wearing the same smirk she had but this one made him look away. "What's with the glasses?"
"You left with just the wine and it seems animalistic to drink from the bottle," he glanced at him up and down, "Though I'm guessing you didn't need them or it after all. Did she not like the taste?"
He sighed, "I dropped it,"
Calian winced, "All that work for nothing, and it was such a good one too."
He smiled, "I'll owe you this one."
"Make it three."
The males chuckled, Lotus leaving the glasses on the floor. The House will pick it up later.
"She's exhausting," Lotus groaned, "I liked her better when she was a voice in my head," he thought for a moment, "-And nonexistent."
"I recall this conversation quite similar to the one we had when you first met with your mothers 'Friend.'"
"Like Father, like Daughter I suppose." Both tiring and bothersome. "Where's Talia?"
"In your bed resting,"
"Is she alright?"
"I slipped her something since for the past three days she hasn't been sleeping well," Calian said, "However, she did go out for a while with Morrgian, I believe is her name?"
Lotus sulked, "For what?"
"She bought a few oils for her wings, said they have been aching and some tea bags and a bouquet of roses."
"Roses?"
Talia has never shown a great interest in flowers, though she would spend endless hours in his aunt Elain's garden, she preferred the moss surrounding her garden. It's vines and a Willow tree that grew right in the middle. Climbing it's branches and hiding in its leaves. There they had conversation filled with the sea, the water that glimmered like jewels. What adventures they would have.
She only ever bought flowers for him. His strange obsession to have them in his teas, adding that extra flavor but she has never bought roses.
Not since that day.
He never liked a rose since.
And she's never bought them.
"Why?"
"I'm not sure, my prince. When she wakes up would you like me to ask?"
"No, it's fine," Lotus waved his hand, "Let her be. And do me a favor, drop the formalities Calian, it's only you and I around."
Calian bowed his head, hiding the smile creeping on his face. "Right, of course. I'm sorry,"
Lotus smiled at his flustered face, always fun to tease him. They walked for a while and Lotus was racking his brain on what to speak out. Something that wasn't problem related or involving something to be fixed. A deep depressing thought or the weight of duties to be handled. "How was your day, Calian?"
The male smiled but he seemed tired. "I helped you father reply to a few letters from back home from Alyce and Kota,"
Lotus frowned, "Is everything alright?" But he knew from deep in Calian's eyes, no it wasn't. And it scared him. Calian seemed to hesitate before he knew it was no use to keep information to himself. The anxiety of not knowing will simply haunt Lotus more, " Springs has been in a panic since the failure of the Fire Rite. Alyce has found camps around the border, people have been leaving to other courts to escape 'the Decay' as they have been calling it."
"The Decay?"
"Reports from Suko say almost all of the north has been...rotting."
Lotus paused, "Rotting?"
"Yes," Calian said. Something serious in his eyes, lost in whatever it was Suko had founded. "A destruction like we have never seen. Like a shadow taking form, A poison spreading. Turning everything and anything it touches into ash. Death is in its touch and we have no idea how or when it started. Villages have been evacuated, families have been relocated somewhere safe." He looked sadly at Lotus. At his wide eyes and panicking heart. Thought rushing like a waterfall in his head and he felt like he was drowning on air. He glanced at Calian's sad gaze; feeling his heart only squeeze more. "Some days, it's spreading fast. Other's it slows but never stops. Kota is tracking its process, Alyce is handling the land, Suko is with the people. We have it all under control as much as we can at the moment but we don't know how long."
Lotus lowered his head, shame and embarrassment hitting him.
How could he have let this happen? It's been years since he stepped foot back in Spring and the first thing he does is cause it's downfall. Destroying peoples lives, harming innocents. It seems that's all he is good at these days.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
He looked at his hands. It wasn't meant to be like this.
Lotus wasn't ever meant to be born. He wasn't meant to exist. He was a mistake. And now he is the karma of their happiness. Not just his parents, who will forever be tied together because of him but all of Springs.
If it wasn't for him, Amarantha's child from another reality wouldn't be here. If he weren't mated to Talia, she would be able to love whoever she wanted without being chained to him.
"Are you alright?" Calian asked, concern spreading all in his face but how could he care at the moment?
But he didn't want him to worry. So, he smiled. "I'll be fine," and walked away.
Before he could even manage to leave and drown in his thoughts, Calian called at him. "You're not alone in this Lotus," his voice made his heart pause, and for a second, the voices silenced to listen too. "We'll fix this together."
He left Calian standing there.
No, He thought, No we can't.