Chapter 1

With her hand still wrapped in his, she watched warm and cold fairies mixing for the first time in hundreds of years; their joy and laughter was intoxicating and she felt her now constant smile widen. She looked up at Milori, blushing at his close scrutiny.

Their gaze was broken as Tinkerbell and Periwinkle landed in front of them and explained excitedly their idea for allowing warm fairies to cross the border into winter. Clarion and Milori listened closely and agreed that the sisters could test their theory, but Clarion also insisted Tinkerbell and her fellow tinkers provide warm clothes should the experiment prove a success.

All too soon the warm and winter fairies were forced to part; the winter fairies returning to their season and the warm fairies to their duty of checking the other seasons of Pixie Hollow that may have been damaged during the freeze. 'May we talk in private?' Milori asked Clarion.

'Will you be okay?'
'I can survive a little longer.' he promised with a smile. Clarion softly smiled before picking up Milori's feather cape and passing it back to him. He flung the cape back around his shoulders; signalling for his owl to wait, before he followed Clarion into a peaceful room within the Pixie Dust tree.

Once finally alone in the cool darkness of the tree, Milori took Clarion's hands in his own, his chocolate brown eyes drinking her in. She glowed in the darkness like a bright night light, her big blue eyes sparkling and a light smile playing her beautiful red lips. 'Milori...' She breathed his name, her tongue caressing every syllable as tenderly as if they had never parted and transporting him back to their earlier years when he had held her closely whilst they flew above the clouds talking and laughing.

His fingers swept lovingly across her cheek and he watched her eyes flutter to a close at his touch. 'Oh my love, I've missed you.' he said. Clarion's eyes opened and her heart raced as she gazed into his beautiful eyes. 'I have missed you Milori...so much.' she said as tears swam in her eyes.
'Promise me something.' he said.
'Anything.'
'We'll never lose each other again.' He fixed her with his hard gaze and watched as tears suddenly spilled from her eyes, clinging briefly to her lashes, sparkling like the smallest of dew drops before cascading down her cheeks as she finally succumbed to her sorrow. 'I am so sorry.' she said.
'I understand. How could you enforce a rule and protect your fairies if you yourself were to break it?' he wisely stated. 'Not that...I'm sorry that I caused you to lose your flight.' she said. Milori swept away her tears and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him and kissing her head. 'Do not let it trouble you any longer. I would sacrifice my other wing for just one more sunset with you.'
Clarion pulled back and looked at him seeing only love and admiration looking back at her. For so long she had blamed herself for what had happened, but he showed no sign of having ever resented her or their love. 'I love you, Milori.' she said in barely more than a whisper.
'I love you too, my Queen.' Clarion enjoyed the touch of his lips lightly upon her forehead reminding her of the softest touch of a butterfly's wings as she brushed her fingers lightly through his hair. She knew when he called her "Queen" that it was not out of any necessary respect to her as his leader, but because he held her as royalty in his heart. Whether she were the Queen or a regular fairy, she would always be his Queen. She felt Milori's hands upon her waist and looked up into his eyes; so close to her own that their noses touched. With one hand still raking through his hair and the other pressed hard against his chest, her eyes closed and she felt his lips press against hers. With no audience she soon felt her inhibitions leave her and hundreds of years of separation and smothered love and longing united them in a passionate embrace. Milori pulled Clarion more tightly against him as he kissed her deeply, their hands starting to roam freely as they re-memorised each other once more.

As they pulled away from each other, their lips swollen and flushed from their reunited touch, they noticed their wings fluttering excitedly. 'Clarion my love, I must leave you now, but meet me at the border tomorrow. I will wait there until you return to my embrace.' he said. Clarion kissed him once more. 'Tomorrow my Lord.' she said, smiling and glowing with promise.
'Now you must rest. It has been a long and tiring day and I believe we have more to come repairing damage caused by this freeze.'
'I believe this freeze saved more of Pixie Hollow than it killed.' Clarion stated, her fingers once more entwined with his and reluctant to let them go again.