Wyld, the summer king was not best pleased. His mistress bade him wait while she dealt with another bit of business. She was not one to shirk her duties, and the world around them bloomed with vitality and life because of it. If he missed her, it was only the call of the other within taking hold. She had fallen to it. He felt it, too, but he preferred to be as one with this world. He was torn between the urge to rut and rampage and the drive to support his queen.
He knew the truth of it, his essence was changing with each adaptation. Part of him screamed to let the wind flow through him and carry him along, to remain other, but he wanted time with his queen. There was no reason for a king if he could not serve his queen. Summer held but a fleeting lease on the world. He huffed out a breath and his moon silver hair lifted from his brow. This middling form would fall away when the summer faded.0
He approached the court and his queen quietly. He let the softest of breezes carry him. He had no wish to wrest control of their world from her dainty hands. He merely longed for those hands to light upon his form for a time and make his body quick and light again. It was the way.
He would spend his all in warmth and honest affection, and she would make the world fecund. If they'd changed and grown into royalty over time, it hadn't been his plan. He wanted his queen. He wanted to offer himself to her and be offered the banquet of her in return.
The court had need of her, but so, too, did the summer.
He looked through the branches of leaves and caught sight of the thrice bedamned leprechauns. They were snickering over their latest bit of mischief. They played their powers well. Gifting luck and letting it change the course of the gifted without a thought to the consequences. The fauns and centaurs kept well away from the miscreants as did the other denizens of these woods, magical or not. The humans were not so wise.
He dragged in a breath and rammed his foot into the loamy earth. He felt it press back against him as his will took form. He pushed through the branches and felt them pull against him. He felt the leaves stroke upon his skin. He took a deep breath and savored the odd sensation of a fully formed body.
It was her sudden gasp that drew him back to his goal. He looked up to his queen and saw her eyes widen. They danced with all the colors of spring. Her hair flowed out in a glowing nimbus of brindled sunlight. She was beautiful in her form, and he no longer felt slighted that she had chosen it.
"You traded your freedom?" His queen tilted her head.
"I am still the breeze of summer and the moonlight on a lake. I am the proud stag and the singing bird." He licked his lips and watched her eyes. "With this choice I am only different not diminished."
She nodded and smiled. The soft grasses at his feet stroked against him and he knew her touch again as magic swirled around them.
The sudden intrusion of snickering dragged his eyes from his beloved. He glared at the leprechauns. They had kept his queen from him and stood between him and the bliss of her still.
"You find humor in our plight?" He cocked his head as they nodded and barked out their laughter. A swirl of power that was anchored within him rose up as he stalked around them. Flowers bloomed where his feet touched the grass and the warm breezes swirled as his fingers traced a circle at his side. He felt their magic, felt their intentions as he dragged in each necessary breath.
"Your luck will not hold you safe any longer." He continued pacing around them. "Some of you have malice in your hearts and others are too weak of mind to hold their own course. A pity."
"You may be king, but your a fickle as that breeze." One of the leprechauns rolled his eyes. "You'll follow the winds, but we will still be here."
They all grumbled in various forms of agreeement and Wyld felt a heart beat in his chest for the first time. He was more than magic now. He wouldn't fade as the weather turned.
"I'll be with my queen. We hold the warmth close and nourish it. I will not be leaving, and neither will you." He flicked his fingers and the dim witted of the bunch began to shrink into red coated ferrets that were shouting insults. The creatures scampered away as their former brethren tried to grab them. "They will learn to survive by using their wits, but that option doesn't suit you."
"We didn't harm any of the fair folk." One of the remaining leprechauns moved toward him. "Those base creatures that love their iron, what good are they?"
"All creatures have a purpose." His queen flicked her fingers and the laughter of children filled the air. "Their joy pleases me. They do great things without the magic we rely upon. Magic exists in them. It is different than ours, but it is there."
"You love your gold and your luck." Wyld looked over the beings before him. "So lucky you shall remain. Children will bless your line, but gold will not. You will learn to toil. Only honest work and the spreading of joy will see you well set. Go find your future with those you so disdain."
The king pointed toward the small human settlement. They grew taller with each step they took. The golden aura dimmed as they moved forward. Soon, they were as humans.
"They will never fully lose their magic." His queen rested her hand on his shoulder. "I did not expect you to join me in this."
"It was easier being mere magic." Wyld drew on a deep breath. "Your choices confounded me. I knew you were mine, but I wasn't able to understand."
"These bodies change us." She nodded.
"I am yours, my queen. I will be beside you always." He pulled her close against his side. "Our magic will continue in these new forms. Let us take a small break from our responsibilities and enjoy this warmth."
She pushed up against him and pressed her lips to his. He felt his magic course through his new body, rising up to the call of hers. He plucked her from the ground and strode toward their bower. For a time they would be Wyld and Wynsome only. The demands of royalty could wait.
Author's Note
This story was inspired by my Trinkisme's wonderful story, The Summer Queen. My sister inspires me everyday. Her story means so much to me. It's a lovely piece of fiction. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
I'd like to take this moment to ask you to send your prayers and well wishes my sister's way. Real life issues have come up, and every bit of positive energy that we can muster helps. Thank you.
-Anna