She woke up in the hospital. Again. "Milori!" she called.
Fairy Mary and the ministers were at her bedside, all very solemn.
"Milori. Where is he?" she panicked.
"He is with a healer," Mary said, quietly.
"Why? What happened? He can't be in the hospital." She tried to get up. "Where is he?!"
Tears filled Mary's eyes.
The Minister of Autumn set a hand on her shoulder to hold her down. "He is in winter. You must be still."
"Milori. Is he alright? Answer!" she demanded with tears in her eyes.
"His wing is shriveled," Mary whispered tearfully.
Clarion shook her head fiercely. "No. He'll be fine," she wept.
"Clarion, you must obey the healer's orders this time," Mary ordered.
She pushed herself up, her wings bandaged impossibly tight to her body. "No," she begged when they tried to stop her. She looked to Mary. "I beg you. Let me go to him. Please, Mary. He needs me."
"If you take me with you and do not argue when I say it's time to come home," she sniffled.
She was exhausted, but she ran as fast as she could to the border and then looked to Mary. Mary pointed to Mountain, who was flying toward them. Mountain scooped them up and flew them deep into the forest to a house.
She jumped off Mountain as soon as he landed and burst in through the door.
Milori was sitting on a stool with another fairy behind him. He look startled.
She ran across the room and threw her arms around his neck. He caught her in his arms.
"I love you," she wept and held him tight.
"Clarion? I thought you're in the hospital. Mary?" he asked in confusion when she entered too.
"She's supposed to be on bedrest for several weeks, but she begged to come," Mary said quietly.
He gently pulled her back. "You need to go home. Don't you understand? You will die if your wings are damaged."
She shook her head and pulled back to step behind him. A horrified gasp escaped her. His right wing was wrinkled and shriveled to nearly half it's size.
"Mary," he said firmly.
"Clarion, come."
Clarion looked at the snow fairy, who looked pessimistic. Then she walked back around and planted herself in his lap. Cupping his face in her bare hands, she looked into his eyes. "You are a stupid, stupid man." Then she leaned her forehead against his. "Thank you," she whispered with a tear glistening down her cheek.
He smiled with tears in his eyes. "I love you, too," he whispered.
She stayed in his lap, her cheek against his as the fairy tried to straighten it with ice.
He tensed when they heard a snap.
"It's done," the fairy said.
She sighed with relief and slowly let go when he released her and stood.
"You must go home now," he said firmly and kissed her brow.
"No, I have to talk to you," Clarion protested.
"For a moment. You can't remain in this cold."
They went into the other room, and he looked at her.
"Does it hurt?" she asked first.
"Queen's wings are the only ones that have feeling."
"Milori, I understand if you're angry with me. If you hate me. I-"
He swallowed hard. "I do not blame you for this. What hurts is your reaction this morning."
Tears filled her eyes and she looked up at him, resting her hands on his chest. He didn't touch her. "Because we can't be together. Didn't it hurt less to have no one than to have someone whom you have to watch from afar?"
"Why? Why can't we have moments like these? No, we can't have a house together, but we can be together. We'll figure out a way for me to cross over into summer. Maybe there is a place along one of the borders where we could build a house to span each side."
She searched his eyes. "What if you wing is weak now? What if this happens again?"
He shook his head. "It won't. Come, I'll give you a ride back home."
"But you can't fly for a couple days."
He simply smiled and took her hand.
She held onto him tight, a bit scared of being on Mountain. Milori held the reins. Mary was whispering prayers behind Clarion.
"Yah!" Milori barked.
Mountain took off high into the sky, and Clarion gasped at the scene. The sky above the snowcapped mountains was a beautiful rainbow. "What is it?" she breathed.
"The Northern Lights. Look." He pointed to a white sky near the border and took them down in it.
She let out a laugh of pure delight and let go of him with one arm to reach up and touch the snowflakes falling. Then she stuck her tongue out and caught one. He smiled when he caught her doing it. Her arms wrapped around him again, and she rested her head against his cool back as they soared through the sky.
When they landed, he helped them down and then stood toe-to-toe with Clarion. She couldn't stop grinning.
He smiled and touched her cheek.
"Oh, Gary's Fairies," she said, throwing caution to the wind and threw her arms around his neck.
He startled in surprise when she kissed him suddenly. But then his arms wrapped around her carefully, and he deepened the kiss.
Mary cleared her throat a minute later, and he pulled back reluctantly.
She tucked her hands behind her back, looking like a young carefree girl. "I like catching this snowflake the best," she whispered for his ears alone and touched his chest shyly.
He grinned like a giddy school boy. "You listen to the healers and Mary. I'll write to you and come when I can figure out a good way to get over there."
She kissed him again. "Be careful. Give your wing time to heal."
Mary gently pulled Clarion away. "She'll probably be home in the morning and on bedrest-she gets too distressed in the hospital."
His brow furrowed in concern, and he looked at Clarion crossing the stone.
"Send for me if there's trouble. I don't care if my wings break if she starts to deteriorate," he said.
"Of course."
Clarion turned when they got to the edge of summer and saw Milori still standing there. She raised her hand to wave to him. He waved and she let out a laugh of joy because he released a burst of snowflakes that sparkled in the sky.
He beamed when he heard her laugh. Only a soulmate could draw a pure laugh from a queen. And when a queen laughed, it made hundreds of shooting stars.