A Court of Flame & Shadow - Eris x OC

The Court of Lost Memories

"The High Lord will be traveling to the Continent shortly. I want you to take three dozen men, only those you trust without question, and escort him," Eris said, handing his captain a rolled-up parchment.

Darius nodded once as his shrewd eyes scanned the words.

Eris continued, "He will be meeting with Queen Briallyn. He has no allies left in Prythian so he has started looking further away. I want you to report everything they discuss, word for word, back to me."

Darius looked up from the papers, Eris pulled them back towards him, torching them in a blink. The ash scattered on a phantom wind.

"You seem worried, my lord," Darius remarked. It would be overstepping if it came from anyone but him. But the two of them had known each other since they were children. In those early days, when Beron did his best to sow hate between his sons, Darius had been the closest thing he'd had to a real brother.

Eris leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. It was getting too long but for some reason, he didn't quite feel like trimming it.

"I am worried. Otherwise, I wouldn't be sending you into the lion's mouth. I think the High Lord is becoming desperate and I am concerned about what he might be willing to offer Briallyn for her help." Eris's eyes swept over his friend and captain. Even as Darius bowed his head, Eris's lips pressed into a thin line. He knew the male was frighteningly smart, he'd kept himself out of trouble and away from Beron's scrutiny. But he was also proud to a fault, a too common trait in the Autumn Court.

"Be careful. Keep the men safe. As much as I don't like having things in writing, I'd rather you send word if you need help. I will come winnow you myself if I need to."

"We'll be back before you know it, my lord." Darius gave him a toothy grin but bowed his head again. He would put himself in danger rather than ask for help, Eris knew.

When the door of the study clicked closed behind the captain Eris loosened a sigh. He pushed around the letters on his desk for a few minutes, before finally giving up on paperwork for the day and getting up from the desk. Ruby uncoiled from her pillow by the window and stretched languidly. From the cellarette on the wall of his study, Eris pulled out a glass and a crystal bottle filled with Firewhiskey.

The heir of the Autumn Court absentmindedly scratched the smokehound behind her ears as he sipped his drink. Slowly but surely, all the pieces on the board were aligning. His alliances with Summer, Winter, Day, and Night were on the brink of being sealed.

Since the war, an itch had nestled deep beneath his skin, a growing reservoir of magic that surged with every step he took. Torches flared brighter in their sconces as he passed, and sparks danced farther from their fireplaces. More than one rug had ignited under his feet. He struggled to suppress his power, wary of alerting Beron to its volatile presence.

Eris had been going on more and more hunting trips, sometimes to sneak away into one of the other courts for meetings with their High Lords. More often than not it was an excuse to let the magic loose in the forest, lest it consume him like a raging wildfire. However, he knew he couldn't sustain this precarious balance much longer. There were still finishing touches to be made before his ascension to the throne: recalcitrant lords to sway, Beron's loyal captains to oust from the army, and more bargains to be struck with the remaining High Lords.

Yet, amidst the endless tasks that dotted his path to the throne, Eris couldn't shake the feeling that something crucial eluded him. As if he was missing a piece of the puzzle. Like a lit candle forgotten in a wooden cabin, that ends up burning the forest down. The feeling gnawed at the back of his mind day and night.