"Mysty, stop playing with your hair and get down here!" A loud voice echoed down the long corridor. I sighed, fixing up the last of my hair before twirling out the door, locking it, and sprinting down to the front entrance of the house. I grinned at the ginger-haired Fae beside me, and looked out to the deep night sky, flecked with stars. I raced out to the spot on the path leading to the Winter Court where Beron would winnow us, my pastel dress floating behind me, and beckoned for my friend to follow. In a flurry of leaves, we were winnowed to about twenty metres from the border. I nodded to my High Lord before turning, and heading down to the border. As the border grew closer, a tiny snowflake crossed it, floating down to just in front of us before bursting into flame. Beron's protective magic, of course.
"I've always wondered what it's like in the Winter Court." I murmured. "Here, it's warm, and comfortingly beautiful." My gaze drifted back to the border, which was now only a few metres away. "I think it'll be beautiful too, but in a different way." I shivered slightly at the close proximity to the cold. "Maybe even more so at this year's Winter Solstice." I looked back at Alyx, my hand wavering over the invisible borderline. "Are you ready?" I asked, my voice quavering in excitement. A wide grin was all I needed before I shoved him forwards, through the border, and into the Winter Court.
I didn't even have the strength to gasp, for all energy I had was paralysed in complete shock. Delicate snowflakes drifted gracefully from the sky, ice glinted on rooftops and lanterns, and laughter bounced in the crisp air. In the distance I could just see the icy tips of the High Lord of the Winter Court's palace. I finally gathered enough consciousness to gasp loudly, and a huge smile spread across my face. A mimicked, overly dramatic gasp echoed from beside me, and I turned and punched Alyx in the shoulder. I could have sworn I heard a snicker emit from the trees, but I shook it off. Probably just a tree wraith. I thought. He smirked, and looked down towards the palace.
"Shall we head towards the celebrations?" He asked, starting to step forwards. I had barely lifted my foot before a thought hit me. Wait, tree wraiths don't hang out in the cold here, with all the leaf-less trees. I held up a hand to Alyx, who lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Mysty, what's the holdup?" I pressed a finger to my lips, my pointed ears straining. He obliged my silent command, his own ears twitching. Suddenly, a quiet rustle in the trees before us filled our sensitive ears, followed by a muttered, "Shit." I gestured for Alyx to circle round the opposite side to trap whatever the creature was. More rustles, more muttered curses. Quick as a flash, I leapt to beside the fae, scaring her, causing her to scamper away backwards, straight into Alyx's arms, which he pinned her down with. The fae squirmed and kicked, her face contorting into rude expressions as she glared at me. Calmly lowering myself to sit on my heels, I gripped her chin, pulling it upwards to face me. She winced, but kept her irritating glare aimed at me. Smiling softly, I looked into her icy, blue-grey eyes.
"Hello," I murmured, my mask's voice warm and silky, so unlike my usual bubbling laugh, as I examined her pointed features. High fae, I realised, as she thrashed her legs. Alyx simply sat on her ankles. "We're not really allowed to be trapping Winter losers like you, mainly because this isn't our territory, and it is the Winter Solstice after all." I gave her a smile with pointed teeth. "But it's not like your High Lord is going to come running to save you, will he?" Fear flickered in the fae's eyes for a moment, before turning back into the stupid pride she loved so dearly. My smile dropped into a snarl, dropping her head and standing up, Alyx following suit. The fae slowly stood, her silvery hair flowing down her face: a cold mask of hatred, still glaring at us. "You know, if we were like the rest of the Autumn Court, we would kill you brutally right where you stand. But, we're not, so happy times for you. I'm sure we'll meet again." I turned on my heel, auburn hair shimmering behind me, and started walking towards the palace once more.
"Give me your name." She growled quietly. I stopped, looking over my shoulder.
"Excuse me?"
"Give me your name." She repeated, glaring even more daggers at me.
"And why would I do that? So you can go babble to your High Lord about it?" I snickered.
She hissed angrily. "No, you idiot. Why the hell would I go to the stupid High Lord and gossip about you two trespassers," she snarled the last word, "And look like a silly little fae trying to get his attention by making up wild stories? So just give me your name so I'll remember you." I giggled, rolling my eyes at her stupidity.
"Do you really think we'd fall for that?" I smiled, looking at her. "We belong to different Courts. I'm not telling Winter Court idiots who I am." I grinned, the venomous side of the Autumn Court glowing in my fiery amber eyes. I felt a tug on my sleeve, and turned to look at Alyx, an irritated look on my face.
"Mysty, we should get going." He murmured, his face too, a mask. I nodded, setting off towards the palace, the celebrations. I didn't look back at the faerie who whispered,
"Autumn scum."
The rest of the Solstice was spent exploring Winter territory without looking like we were spies, meeting kind little ice faeries, and dancing and laughing until the sun rose. As the first splashes of dawn peeked over the horizon, I sighed, watching the celebrations begin to die down. Slowly trudging back to the border, I glanced at the clump of trees where we first met that fae. I stared at it for a long-drawn moment, before we crossed the border and disappeared into a mass of swirling leaves.