Chapter Text
A teacup slipped from between Eris’ fingers and shattered on the floor.
The amber liquid spilt all over his mother’s balcony, staining the polished wood panels. The sharp shards of porcelain scattered into a mosaic under a small table.
“Oh dear!” Lady of the Autumn Court exclaimed and put her own teacup on a small decorated plater. Next to it lay a basket of freshly baked rolls, still pleasantly warm from the oven.
The table was full of other breakfast necessities. A jar of sweet apple jam - a speciality of the Autumn Court - had been placed in the very centre. Next to it, a small cloud of scented steam rose from the ornamented tea kettle. The flawless silver cutlery reflected the morning sun and created light bunnies on the manor's outer walls. The quiet sound of a lazy wind was accompanied by a flutter of wings when a peagon couple flew to the railing. They cooed affectionately and started to look forward to their own breakfast.
It was an exceptionally blissful morning in the very heart of the Autumn Court.
Eris was torn with internal agitation. The anxiety was creeping up his spine, sending shudders as it went. His heart was pounding against his ribs like it wanted to break free from the confinement of his body. This breath quickened as his body prepared itself for any immediate danger. His senses became hyperactive, responding to every sound, every touch or movement.
“Eris, my dear, are you all right?” Called his mother’s concerned voice.
Eris tensed further in his seat, ready to jump at anything or anyone that can prove to be a threat to him or, more importantly, his mother. He had thought in the War and survived. He had trained with the sentries for years and bested many. He would not allow any harm to come to his mother if he could.
And one day, he had promised himself long ago, he would take down even Him.
But he could sense no danger from the picturesque morning around them. So why-
A pull. It was not a solid feeling, but something inside him that urged him to go, go, go! The sensation was... unpleasant, and bordering on painful. It was as if somebody had sloppily nailed a string to his chest and was tugging on it purposely and hard.
He made a calming gesture to his mother and focused on this feeling. The more he went into himself, the more insistent it became. He could swear it led somewhere north...
Before he could think about it, the feeling suddenly intensified. He felt himself reflexively lurch forward and winnowed-
-into the snow.
The biting chill and freezing wind immediately penetrated his attire to his very bones. The wind howled around him and created great clouds of snow that slammed into his face. He was on the clearing somewhere. From beyond the snow, he could see the dark green of the forest around him and the mountains hiding behind it.
A terrible scream pierced the air.
On the other side of the clearing, just on the verge of the tree line - were two figures. A large blond male was standing over a small, winged female. Eris didn’t know them, but the male seemed vaguely familiar. He wore unfamiliar armour that did nothing to hide his bulk and a hood obscuring most of his features. The female looked young - couldn’t be older than Eris himself, more likely younger. She was being pinned to the ground face down by the male’s strong leg on her back, set just in between where her shoulder blades met her wings.
By the Cauldron, her wings. They were absolutely breathtaking - the perfect mix of black gracefulness of their structure, the quiet danger of their talons and the secret promise of something more.
There was blood on the snow around them. There was blood on her clothes.
Eris moved as the male grabbed the very base of the wings and pulled, hard.
The thing that he would later know as the mating bond snapped into place at the same time as her wings snapped out of the sockets.
Eris saw only fire.