Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Aurora. 100 Years Ago.

I sit on my bed, my legs huddled up to my chest. Alyce is leaving today, and I can’t bring myself to say goodbye.

My vision is blurred and tears burn my cheeks. I know deep down that it’s for the best but I can’t shake the worry that she’ll never come back, that I’ll never see her again. We need time, but how much time does she need? A year? A decade? Another century? Forever? My heart clenches in my chest and I feel another sob rising up through my throat.

These past days have been taxing. But exciting and fulfilling non the less. Hope has filled The Briar Court, something a lot of us haven’t felt in a long time. Here, everyone has a home, everyone is welcome to feel safe, and happy, and loved.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to shake off the thought that Alyce won’t be here anymore. Won’t be here to witness what our love created.

A loud noise makes me look up. Voices, lots of them. I make my way to the window. I can see a huge crowd gathered outside. Alyce must be leaving. A part of me wants to run out and say goodbye, but the rest of me knows I can’t. Can’t make this final.

Moments later and something catches my eye. Alyce has shifted and is now soaring above the crowd and the palace itself. I hear the roar she lets out and watch her circle the palace from my window. My heart feels like it will burst out of my chest. I feel a sudden rush of regret.

Running out of my chambers, I practically fly down the hallway and push through another door. There is a balcony on the far side. Moving as fast as my legs will carry me, my heart racing, I sprint to the other side of the room and push open the doors into the cool air, just in time to see Alyce soaring above.

I wave my hand frantically but weakly in hopes she’ll see me, one last time.

My golden hair whips around my face, the sea breeze drifting up from below. Alyce slows and turns, catching my eye.

An immeasurable amount of emotions explode within me. We lock eyes and I know in my heart this won’t be the last time I see her.

*****

Alyce.

We leave the camp at the first sign of light, the Imps hopping onto Neve and the starlings’ backs, me riding Chaos with Callow flying beside me.

We soar through the bright morning sky, immeasurably large white clouds above us. Cool wind whistles past my ears while birds swoop between us, chirping joyfully.

Chaos’ ink-black mane is soft beneath my pale hands. I feel his darting pulse, the last stretch of our journey testing his endurance. I run my fingers down the length of his neck, hoping to provide any soothing reassurance. I notice that my pulse matches his. A melody of quick thumping.

I’m suddenly aware of my body heating up, a sweat breaks out on my lower back beneath the cloth and leather of my clothes.

Am I… nervous?

As if on cue, land comes into view on the horizon. Neve lets out a cry, her starlings reciprocating in response. The starlings arrange themselves in a two-by-two formation, with Neve and her Imps at the forefront. Callow flaps her wings above me, trilling happily.

Soon enough, the rocky cliffs come into view. Cliffs I haven’t seen in almost a hundred years. Strong waves crash and break against the pink-tinted stone. We fly low enough, just, to receive a light spray of sea water on our skin. Unexpectedly, a laugh escapes my lips, but I can still feel my hands growing clammy in anticipation.

Several large ships are docked in the harbour, their flags signifying various Queendoms, Kingdoms or cities.

Neve leads the way up and past the cliffs, a sea of green suddenly encompasses my plain of view. I almost forget to breathe. What I see before me is nothing like the Briar I once knew. The rolling plains and marshes outside the Court’s low walls are teeming with streams glistening in the sunlight and blooming flowers line every river bank. I didn’t think it was possible to see so much colour in one place.

I spot the palace in the distance, standing tall, but it has changed in subtle ways since the last time I saw it. I shift my eyesight to see better as we slowly glide over the grasses. I make out what used to be the old Grace district, now replaced with various new buildings and housing, many built with faded pink brick. In fact, I realise quickly that The Briar Court has expanded out past where even the Common district used to stand. The old walls nowhere to be seen.

As we make our way closer, I start to spot rows of tall, dead trees. We fly over vast, swampy marshes, ponds of oozing mud and dead patches of grass.

Those words from all those years ago ring in my head.

Green and Gold
Gold and Green
A power which we’ve yet to see.

That power - the merging of dark and light magic, mine and Aurora’s magic has created a realm in which lush green grass can co-exist with wilting plants. A home for everyone, for all different kinds of creatures.

A warmth spreads throughout my drumming chest.

As we approach The Court, staying in formation, I follow the Starlings over a vast expanse of buildings and dwellings. Streets vein through the court, busy with creatures from all corners of the world. I hear shouts and cheers as we sweep over them, not entirely sure if they are directed as us. I spot a market square, packed with Goblins and Imps, with stalls and carts and wagons. Houses made of dark wood, straw roofs, pink-bricked stores, taverns and inns. Even from here, I can see the bustling Etherium trade.

Neve leads us upwards, over a large clock tower, making towards the palace courtyard. I can see clearly now that at least half of the palace has been rebuilt. Damage from Briar’s destruction, the years of the Dark Court, and the fall of the mountains, are nowhere to be seen. Yet, much of the old brickwork of the palace still remains.

I catch a glimpse of Aurora’s window - or rather what was her window one hundred years ago. I find myself wondering if she kept her chambers, even after all this time.

We land, one by one, into the courtyard. There are groups of goblins and humans on the ground who waste no time in helping lift the Imps from the starlings backs. I swing my leg over Chaos and my boots land on the hard ground. A human woman near me offers to take Chaos to the stables. I sneak a glance at Neve, who nods at me with a smile.

Running my hand down Chaos’ long neck, I let the human take him away. I’ll see him again soon enough. Callow digs her talons into my shoulder as a relieved chuckle makes it way out of my mouth - the Imps dance around, ecstatic, even after the tiresome journey. This is the first time I have ever witnessed the fruits of my labour in helping Neve take creatures back to The Court.

Callow brushes her head up against mine and then launches herself off of my shoulder, twirling off into the blue sky, singing joyfully. She must be glad to be home too.

A tall figure approaches me. I look up, startled, as my mind races.

“Torin?”

Torin stands before me, a huge smile plastered on her face. “Alyce.” Before I can think about what I’m doing, we’re hugging. “It’s been far too long.”

I pull back. “Yes. Only about a hundred years.”

She smiles, a little sadly. “Did you get my letters?”

“The council letters? Yes, I did, every last one. Um…I appreciated the additional, non-council related notes.” I offer her a knowing grin. Torin had kept me well informed of not just the proceedings of the court, but also personal and social matters. Some of them being Aurora.

Aurora. I feel a sudden sense of longing. She never wrote to me. I never wrote to her.

My hand automatically goes to my trouser pocket, where her note is safely folded away.

“It’s good to see you, Torin.”

“And you. We have much catching up to do.”

“We do.” I feel my shoulders relax at the comforting sight of my old friend. “But first I need to-“ My eyes glance around the courtyard, my mind already scanning for that old familiar flash of gold.

And as if Torin was reading my mind; “She’s not here.” I turn to look at her. “Aurora has been in her library since the early hours.”

“Her library?”

Neve comes up behind Torin, caressing a hand down her back. “Her library.” She presses her lips, “The old library. The one where she slept for one hundred years.”

A guilty feeling briefly washes over me. My regret for not waking her sooner still lingers, even after all these years.

I see the Imps make their way through an archway door to my right, a handful of humans trailing behind, making their best attempt to not let any stray from the pack.

“She didn’t ask for much when we were establishing The Briar Court,” continues Neve, “but the library is hers. We transfer books to and from the central library quite often, but that place of the palace is reserved for her only.”

I nod slowly, taking the information in.

“She did, however, make special note that if you were to ever return…” I cut Torin off before she finishes.

“I can go see her?”

Neve and Torin exchange a glance. “Yes.” My heart rate picks up. “Go, I trust you still know the way.”

Callow suddenly springs into my mind. “Callow - can you keep a watch out for her, she’s gone off hunting no doubt.”

“Of course we will, I’ve missed that old bird.” Torin chuckles. “Come find us later, we’re holding a feast for your return.” My mouth twitches into a smile and the two women leave me alone in the courtyard.

I stand still, feet rooted to the ground as a thought occurs to me. Aurora didn’t come to greet me here. Not in front of everyone. She wanted a private reunion.

I feel paralysed. After a century of longing, how do I greet the person that I’ve tried for so long to resist? I’ve had to push away thoughts about her in my very own head for years, just so I could focus on my task as The Briar Court’s special ambassador.

The kiss that broke Aurora’s curse flashes in my mind. Our love was always going to bring us back together, one way or another.

I find feeling in my legs and take off towards the Library.

At first, nowhere looks familiar. Hallways plastered in flawless maroon and ivory wallpaper, embossed gold Briar roses with thorny vines, climbing their way up to the ceiling. Even the stone and wood beneath my feet feels polished and new. The windows clean, the door handles polished. This is more like the old Briar than The Dark Court, I think to myself.

I swerve around countless corners and speed up several flights of stairs, knowing my way as if I’ve studied this route my whole life. I pass a group of vila who slow and stare at me, but I pay them no attention.

As I venture deeper into the palace, I begin to notice fraying carpet, creaky floorboards, strings of cobwebs. The smell of old, damp wood. Not a single soul in sight. A bone-deep feeling of familiarity washes over me.

I’m walking so quickly that I almost miss it; the library door. I stumble to a halt, almost tripping over my own boots. The wood of the door is exactly how I remember it; ancient and mouldy and with a gold lock.

The door is ajar, and that’s all I need as an invitation. My breathing heavy and quick, I press my clammy hands against the old wood, pushing it open without so much as a creak.

I gasp at the sight in front of me, taking several steps inside. The library is beautiful. Sunlight beams in from the high windows, green and gold rugs line the floor. The staircase, once old and rusted, is now a gleaming gold. There are books everywhere - many, many, more than what was left during the times of The Dark Court. New ones, old ones. Large divans are dotted around the chamber, which are much less dusty than I remember.

I run my hand along a table beside me, it’s dark, polished wood cool against my skin. I can’t help but think it must resemble what the library would have looked like, centuries ago, when it was in use. Aurora must have had it restored to her liking.

My legs, almost unconsciously, move me forward. My eyes flick up to newer stone in the brickwork. The hole in the wall which I created when I shifted and destroyed most of Briar, is no longer there. Instead, in it’s place, is a large stained glass window, almost as tall as the wall itself. Green and gold glass swirl around each other, casting a glow onto the library floor. A mountainous landscape lines the bottom, creatures of all kinds, including human and fae, are dispersed around the window. And right in the centre, there are two figures facing one another. One green, one gold, a glowing rose between them.

I barely have time to acknowledge that the two figures in the window are me and Aurora before I’m startled by a voice behind me. A voice I would know anywhere in this world.

“Alyce.”

It’s almost a whisper, more breath than voice, but I hear it clear as day, even with blood pounding in my ears. I turn, slowly, to see a figure a few feet away bathed in colourful morning light, spilling from the window behind me. Aurora.

My chest aches. The sight of her after one hundred years threatens to send me crumbling to the floor. Her face is calm. Her eyes wide. The silence in the room is deafening.

I notice her hair. Just as long and thick as I remember, but the lack of grace elixirs have left it almost entirely a dark aurburn-brown now; a few gold streaks hiding amongst her curls.

She steps closer, slowly and cautiously, like she’s approaching a frightened beast, who might run away at any second. My mouth opens, but no words form. She is close enough now for me to see the striking colours in her eyes. Those goddamn eyes.

My breath catches as she rests her warm, soft hand on my cheek. I instinctively lean into it, closing my eyes to her long-absent touch.

“Alyce.” Her voice is weak, but my name on her lips fills me with inconceivable joy. She’s looking at me in a way that no one else has ever done in my long life. “Say something. Please.” I see a tear drop forming in the corner of her eye. I breathe. In, and then out. It’s all I can seem to do. “Do you still see me?”

The question forces my mind to work. She looks different in ways I can’t quite put my finger on. One hundred years with no Grace elixirs. But she’s still unmistakably Aurora.

My sharp eyes take her in. I see the faint freckles on her nose, the blemishes on her cheeks. The lines beneath her eyes from years of smiling. Yet, she looks just as young as when I first met her in the gardens - we both do. I notice her now-dark eyebrows and the way they compliment her eyes in the most beautiful way.

“I think I see more of you than I ever have done.” I manage to say.

One hesitant pause later and she throws her arms around me and holds me tight. I feel the warmth of her body even through my thick clothing. Turning my head to rest in the crook of her neck, I inhale her scent, overwhelming dizzy with the familiar comfort of it.

Our embrace feels unreal. Like something from one of my dreams. Yet it also feels like the most natural thing in the whole world. Like we are two halves of the same, coming back together at long last. Aurora in my arms is something I have yearned for every night that I have lay under the stars, wishing that we one day could find our way back to one another. And all it took was three words on the back of a piece of parchment.

She loosens her grip, slowly pulling back to face me. Her face is wet now, tears pool in her eyes, and I notice I am weeping too. We look at each other for what feels like a lifetime, standing in the green and gold light, her hands on my upper arms, mine finding her waist. My eyes move to her lips. I quickly snap my gaze back up to hers. Her mouth twitches, as if fighting a smile. I’m swiftly reminded that being in Aurora’s presence makes me a nervous wreck.

Mustering all the courage in my body, I reach my hand up to her face, tucking a loose curl of her rich brown hair behind her ear. I step closer. One tilt, and our noses would be touching.

“Aurora.” I feel the hot breath from my mouth tingle between our skin. “Two hundred years ago you asked me a question, I want to return the favour.”

Her hands glide up my back, under my cloak. My whole body springs to life and she gives me a look that makes me want to fall right back into her arms and never let go.

My breath stutters. “Will you kiss me, Aurora?”

Her smile is as bright as the sun itself and I feel my stomach swoop. Her hands fly up to cup my face and suddenly our lips are pressed together in a beautiful, electrifying warmth. I feel my knees go weak, but I kiss her back, over and over again. She tastes just like I remember, and I reel from it. It’s magical, kissing Aurora.

The significance of our kiss fills the air around us, and somewhere deep inside of me, I sense a new beginning. For me. For us.

I lose myself in the taste of Aurora’s mouth, and of the saltiness of our shared tears. This library holds so much of our personal history, both good and bad. But this kiss sends all of that swirling into the past, long gone, but not forgotten. The wall I destroyed, once a broken part, has been transformed into something beautiful. Perhaps now…the same can be said for us.