As Milori slept, dreams swirled around him, taunting him. Reminding him of all that had once been.
Stars twinkled in the dark sky as the Lord of Winter and the Queen of Pixie Hollow met on the log between winter and the autumn woods. They had been meeting every evening for three months at the boundary where Spring kissed Winter. But this night was different. This time they met in autumn, the coldest of the warm seasons.
"Are you ready?" Queen Clarion wrung her hands. "This could be dangerous."
Reaching over the border to gently touch her hand, Milori nodded. "Autumn is not very warm normally, and at night it cools down more. I should be fine. We won't go far from the border- just in case."
"Alright," Biting her lip, Clarion squeezed his rough hand in her own soft one.
Taking a deep breath, Milori closed his eyes and stepped into Autumn. Gazing around himself in wonder, he lifted his wings, flying up to touch the bright red leaves of an arching tree. "It's beautiful," He sighed.
Flying up beside him, golden wings trailing pixie dust, Queen Clarion nodded. "Let me show you something."
Once again taking her hand, Milori let Clarion lead him through the cool night sky. They set down just inside Spring. As soon as Clarion's feet touched the ground, she let out a long, low whistle. Instantly, tiny heads popped up all around them.
"What are they?" Milori asked in awe as they were surrounded by the glowing insects.
Giggling, the Queen reached up one hand to touch the bright light shining from the small bug. "They are called fireflies."
"They are beautiful." Swiping a hand across his brow, Milori drooped slightly. "My Queen, forgive me, but I must return to Winter."
Noticing how flushed his pale face had become, Clarion nodded. Taking his hand, she pulled him after her back through the Autumn woods. Stopping at the border, she gently shoved him into the freezing temperatures of his season.
Sinking to the ground, he buried his hands into the snow, gradually losing the color he had acquired in Spring.
"That was a bad idea." Clarion frowned. "We should not have done that."
Surprise glinted in Milori's eyes as he turned to look at her. "No, not at all!" He exclaimed. "I was over there for almost half an hour and was fine. As long as I am careful to gauge my own temperature, we can surly do that again!"
Looking unconvinced, Clarion began, "But-"
"No," The young Lord of Winter shook his head adamantly and stood to take her hands, holding them tightly in his own. "I saw something beautiful tonight. We have very little color in the Winter woods. No insects or flowers or living plants- only ones frozen solid or deep in hibernation. Even animal coats are devoid of color, they turn white like the snow in Winter. I have never seen anything so beautiful as the things I have seen with you. Please Clarion, can we do it again?"
Wavering as she looked up into his hopeful face, she nodded. "Yes, then of course we must if you loved it so. As long as we are careful. And you mustn't cross without me!"
When he nodded consent, she continued, "You must really love bright colors. Some of the brightest colors are in summer, but I fear even at night it is too hot for you to go there. So I will bring you some flowers from there so you can at least see them."
Kissing her lightly on the lips, Milori grinned. "I love you my Queen. Thank you. I must go."
Standing on the tips of her toes to give him a longer kiss, Clarion nodded. "So must I. But I shall meet you tomorrow at the border."
"Where Spring touches Winter." He finished her sentence. "I shall see there." With that, he disappeared into the dark snowy trees.
As soon as she told him goodbye and disappeared through the trees in Spring. Milori sat in the branches of a frozen oak, quietly watching the colors of Spring. He was hidden by the frozen leaves, although he could still see clearly. So it was, he saw two male fairies slink up.
One of the fairies Milori recognized as the Minister of Spring. He conversed in hurried, nervous tones with another fairy. This one looked to be one of the actors, the bards the Warm seasons so loved to listen too, he wore dark clothes and acted with a confident, self-righteous attitude. Any normal fairy would have been unable to hear they them, they spoke so quietly. But Milori was no normal fairy and could pick up their voices with some difficulty.
"Are you sure no one followed you?" The minister of spring asked in hurried tones.
"I'm sure Sir." The bard rolled his eyes.
"You know what to do?"
"We've been over this a thousand times Sir. I know it by heart."
"Repeat it to me one more time."
"I sneak in, poison the queen, then when you- as her most trusted advisor- take over pixie hollow, I shall be your second in command and you will have the power you always wanted.'
Sucking in breath, Milori leapt off the branch and streaked off into the dark forest." I have to warn the queen! Was his only thought.
Hearing a branch rustle, the Minister of Spring nodded at the other fairy. "Good acting." He grinned.
Smiling wickedly, the other one nodded. "Well, that is my talent after all. How did you know the Lord of Winter would be there?"
"I've been watching them for weeks. He always stays to watch the sunset."
Holding out his hand, the actor fairy made a slight coughing sound.
Smirking, the Minister of Spring dropped a large bag of pixie dust into his outstretched hand. "Your payment."
"Many thanks Minister." Bowing, the actor fairy sped off, leaving the Minister of spring to glare into the depths of Winter.
You had no right. The thought ran through the Minister's head. I love Clarion, she should have been mine! Instead you slimy winter worm came and stole her love from me! Well I will have my revenge. Go little winter fairy. Go and warn the queen about the assassination attempt being planned. Even you know that there is no away you can get to her- all the way across Summer- without breaking a wing. And once you are wingless, the queen will no longer want you. And she shall be mine again! Sad though, you shall do that only to find out that you lost your wings for nothing. There will be no assassination, it is only a play the actor fairies are putting on. So not only will you be crippled, but also humiliated.
The dream went forward in time by about 36 hours
Clarion gripped Milori's hand in her own. Confused, he blinked his eyes open slowly. When he saw who it was, he gasped, "Clarion," His eyes grew wide and he struggled to sit up, "You're in danger! I have to tell you-"
"Milori." She interrupted, gentle sitting next to him. "I was never in danger. You overheard the Minister of Spring helping one of the bard fairies rehearse for their play, Macbeth."
Grimacing, he shook his head. "I don't believe it! The Minister of Spring has always had a crush on you, there has to be more to it!"
Refusing to believe something like that about one of her advisers, she sighed. "No Milori. That's all there was to it. It's all my fault." Rubbing her eyes, she began to cry. "If we had never met, you never would have gotten hurt."
"Hurt?" Milori looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean? I just passed out from the heat… Didn't I?"
Sobbing, she helped him sit up and gently moved his hand to the jagged edge of his right wing.
"M… my wing!" He gasped, his heart sinking as the realization hit him… He would never fly again.
"It's broken." Clarion's voice broke and she struggled to pull herself together.
Groaning, Milori sank back down on his bed, too weak to hold himself up. "Who else knows about my wing?" He whispered.
"Only me, Dewy, and a single healer."
"We mustn't tell anyone else. My fairies will not respect a crippled ruler… No one must ever find out that this has happened. Promise to keep my wing a secret Clarion! Promise me?"
Nodding, she started crying again and exclaimed through sobs, "It's all my fault!"
Milori pushed himself up and wrapped his arms around her. "Clarion, it's alright. It wasn't your fault, but my own folly. Everything will be okay."
Reaching behind him, she gently touched the middle of his back, where his destroyed wing was held in place with long linen bandages. "No Milori, it won't be okay. You will never fly again. And no matter what you say, it IS my fault. For I am queen, and I should have never permitted you to do anything as dangerous as crossing the border."
"How can you say that!?" Tears welled in Milori's eyes. "I… I love you!"
"And I love you. But what if others try to cross the border? Would you honestly be willing to let other fairies risk their wings by crossing? No. I will make it law throughout all of pixie hollow. No fairy shall ever again be allowed to cross the border."
"And… What of us?"
Tears rolling down her cheeks, Clarion leaned over and brushed one last lingering kiss over Milori's lips. "This is goodbye."
Yelping, Milori sat up, unsure where he was. As the memories of what had happened the day before slowly came back to him, Milori stood to his feet, wobbling slightly. Once he was sure the Keeper was not around, he left the library and whistled for Avalanche. As soon as the great owl landed, he climbed onto his soft feathered back and took off into the night sky.
Why did I have that dream? His thoughts ran around wildly. I will never trust that messed up Minister of Spring… I know he planned that, I know he was up to something. But why did I dream of that today? I hope nothing bad is about to happen… But I have the itching suspicion that something very wrong is going on in Pixie Hollow.