Autumn Burn

Chapter 8

We took a walk through the forest and I felt like I was in an aesthetic movie. Autumn in the Night Court was beautiful but being it the court of Autumn itself surpassed everything. It was amazing and breathtaking and just ... I hated to admit that but it was one of the best dates I ever had. But to be honest, I didn't even pay much attention to Eris, instead I focused on everything around us. The ground was covered in red and orange leaves, all of them dry and they crackled whenever I stepped on them. Eris' steps on the other hand stayed silent for whatever reason. I couldn't care less. The trees were filled with all of that leaves, none was bare, something I wondered about. Where did the leaves on the ground come from when they were still on them?
"It's magic." Eris explained at some point, he probably noticed my thinking face.
"Strong wind blowes the leaves from the tree and through the magic that is keeping this land in an eternal autumn, the leaves grow back instantly." I just nodded to that explanation and kept viewing our surroundings. I saw little birds flying around us, coming us unusually close, as well as other animals, like a fox crossing our way, a badger and an hedgehog. All of them were much more trusting than normal animals, especially around Eris.
"Are you Snow White or something?" I laughed at some point, as a bird chose to sit on his shoulder, bleeping once and then flying away again. Eris furrowed his eyesbrows, looking confused.
"Who?" he asked. I just waved my hand and grinned:
"Forget it." I was too lazy to explain him the fairy tale of Snow White now. Maybe another time. But it really seemed like the animals liked him. Maybe they knew that he was their prince. Even though I noticed that the animals in the Night Court were as shy as in my world. But I didn't bother to think more about it.
The forest wasn't that big, actually we soon found the end of it, the last few trees flowed down into a valley with green gras, pine trees and a little cottage build against a cliff which I had least expected. A cliff out of nowhere next to a forest. And because of the many trees blocking the view, one is not able to see the cliff before leaving the forest. The cottage was build out of stone and wood, as I was able to see from the far. We made our way down there, an old moss-covered wall only has high as my waist leading us to an old path, covered with moss as well. Out of an sudden desire, I climbed on the wall, ignoring Eris watching me and continued to walk on it, balancing myself with my arms outstretched.
"Is it yours?" I asked, nodding towards the cottage. I couldn't really think of him being inside of it but why else would he bring me here? When he didn't answer I turned my head towards him. Eris stared at my feet, still moving forward. I could see he was scared of me falling, which made me laugh.
"I won't die if I fall, you know?" I smiled, turning my full body towards him. Eris raised his head, looking at me.
"You are human." he said.
"You are easy to break." I rolled my eyes and croched down so I sort of was on eye level with him.
"I am easier to break than you, but that doesn't mean I die from falling down a wall so low." That I've fallen down the stairs this morning was something I kept from him.
"You can stop worrying." He still was worried. He really took his part of the bargain serious.
"You could break your neck." Rolling my eyes I stood straight again and continued to balance on the wall towards the cottage.
"And you can catch me if I fall." I said. He didn't answer and just walked next to me, probably looking at me constantly. In front of the cottage I jumped from the wall and landed next to Eris. I wanted to walk inside but Eris stopped me.
"Wait here." he said and vanished shorty after inside. Confused, I leaned against the wall and looked at the cottage. I wondered what was inside of that cottage that he didn't want me to see. A few moments later, Eris returned with a folded blanket and a basket in his hands.
"Since you told me in the morning that you're always hungry I figured you wanted to eat something." As soon as he said something about eating my stomach suddently felt very empty and I remembered that I only ate a few muffins for breakfast. Eris lead me into the valley again and spread the blanket on the grass. First a beautiful walk through the forest and now a picknick on a medow. He really wanted me to like him.
In the basket were lots of different fruits, apples, pines, grapes and most important: peaches! I grabbed a few of them quickly and bit into the first. I amost moaned. I was obsessed with peaches, I loved their taste. Eris watched me carefully and then grabbed an apple, biting in it.
"So." i said, smiling and now being in a very good mood.
"Tell me something about you." He raised an eyebrow.
"If you want me to like you I have to get to know you."
"What do you already know?" he asked instead and I swallowed a bite of my peach.
"I know that you are Beron's son and the oldest." I started, thinking about everything I knew about him.
"I know that your little brother is Lucien and that he is your favorite brother because he is no danger for the crown you want to wear so badly." Helion was Lucien's father, something Lucien found out a few years ago. What happened else was none of my business since I didn't know Lucien for long.
"You are the strongest of your brothers and you love your mother as much as you hate your father. Maybe you love her more. I know you wanted to marry Nesta Archeron and yet again she was stolen from Cassian, just like Mor." I said that on a purpose, I wanted to know what he would do. But his face remained like before, just looking at me and chewing on his apple. So I just continued.
"I know you claim that Mor lies about what happened that day you left her at the border." I was still angry with him about that and I would probably always be. That's why even though I had to give him a real chance, a part of me would always remember that. Now Eris laughed softely, putting one hand behind him on the ground, propping himself with it. He grinned at me, a smile mocking everything I believe to be the truth and right now I remembered again how much older he was.
"Oh, I know Mor is not lying, her gift is the Truth." he grinned, his voice so smooth and yet so deep it made me shudder.
"Even though she is perfectly able to lie, she wouldn't. It would ruin her reputation." His eyebrow rose a little and at the way he looked at me, I suddently felt like prey with a lion infront of me.
"Because of that she made it her habit to just conceal the truth, not telling certain parts of the story so it changes it's meaning." He angled his knee and proped his other arm, still holding the half eaten apple in his hands, on it and leaned forwards, closer to me. I didn't dare to move as he came closer until his nose almost touched mine. His eyes burned themselves into mine, the caramel like color almost seemed like a liquid, moving in waves.
"If you want to know the truth about what happened, mate" I flinched at the word but didn't move away from him. I couldn't.
"then ask her to tell you everything. She won't lie to you so either way she'll avoid answering or she tells you what really happened that day." My breath was shaky and I didn't know why. I wanted to back away, give myself some space but I just couldn't move. He was too close and yet, not close enough. I felt my cheeks heating up, being ashamed of my sudden desire to get even closer to him. Eris' grin grew wider and I knew he knew what I was thinking about. He could read my face like a book and I didn't like it at all.
"Are you glamouring me?" I asked, my voice pressed and breathy. I knew he shouldn't be able to because of the bargain but I just ...
"I am not doing anything." he grinned. I could feel every word on my skin.
"That's the bond between us. It takes a while for the female to feel it but at some point you can't avoid it." I gritted my teeth. "I hate that stupid bond!" He leaned back a little, still sitting close to me but know I was able to see more than just his face.
"Believe me." he said laughing softly.
"I am not really pleased by it either." I raised an eyebrow.
"So why this 'date'?" I put quotes in the air.
"If you don't really want it?" He rolled his eyes at me.
"Having a mate is rare and is something woderful. Meeting a mate is the best thing that could happen to a fae. Not only are the offsprings usually really powerful, but usually are mates fit to find true love. Sometimes it's not the case but usually it is." I just stared at him.
"I always wanted to find my mate and now it is revealed that my mate is a powerless human." He looked me up and down.
"Not ugly, but still only human." I crocked my head to the side and smiled slightly.
"Thank you very much." I mocked.
"I don't mean to insult you, it's just that-"
"That I am not beautiful like the other female you are usually doing your business with, that I am a child for your meanings and when I am not anymore I am an old lady, probably soon dying on you. If I am able to get you a child, it will be half-fae and half-human and will have less power than you have." I interrupted him.
"Yes, I know all of that, thank you very much." I really was annoyed with him. What an arrogant ass.
"But if you didn't insist of meeting me and giving you a real chance, you could have found a powerful female you could love and you could have let me chose my own person to find love in. Because for you it is only seventy years. For me, it's my whole life!" He stared at me.
"You are beautiful." he said and I laughed at that. He wasn't being serious. From everything I just said to him, he only kept that.
"Not as beautiful as Mor or Nesta or Feyre." I laughed bitter. Of course I felt ugly next to them but it never bothered me. Now he annoyed the hell out of me with it.
He just looked at me as if I was stupid somehow. I rolled my eyes again and let the subject pass.
"Tell me about you." I said again and he looked at me for a while before answering.
"I am the general of my court." he said and I nodded, even though I immediately thought of Cassian and how both of them weren't similiar at all. I couldn't imagine Eris with amor and a sword.
"I have a rare breed of hounds that follow my commands and only mine." That was usefull for him taking the throne. But still...
"That wasn't what I meant." I said and grabbed another peach, biting in it.
"I meant something you like, like your favorite color, or something you hate, a food or something." He looked at me irritated but answered anyways.
"I don't have a favorite color."
"You have to!" I insisted.
"Mine's red. But not like your hair, a deep color like wine." His eyebrows furrowed.
"Blue." he answered and I smiled surprised. I didn't know why but I thought it would be orange or red because he always wore something in that color. Maybe it was just different for him and he had to wear the colors of his court.
"Deep or light?"
"Light. Like crystals." That sounded beautiful.
"Tell me more of your likes and dislikes." I requested and smiled, eating another peach.