Summer Garden

Astrian

Astrian sniffed. She didn't want to wake up. It was warm and comfortable, and she felt as the world was wrapped around her. But the smell of maple was penetrating the cocoon she'd wrapped up around her.

She opened her eyes, glaring out of the darkness. The light filled the house she was in. Almost blindingly. The Fae sighed heavily and let the blankets wrapped around her fall off her shoulders and onto the bed, standing up stiffly and walking into the light. She groaned as the light hit her, turning to magic and tumbling from her as dust. She stiffened as her wings flared into life, reaching either end of the room as they spread. She devoured the light, as if she'd been starved of magic.

She couldn't work out her memories yet. She could remember a reincarnation. A child's memories. They were poor, and haphazard. She couldn't piece them together easily, but the child had been starving for magic. But that had to be her last life. It didn't make sense for her to feel it now.

"Oh. Sorry." A voice said from the doorway and the door shut quickly.

Astrian went bright red and flattened against a wall, her wings wrapped around her. She'd barely noticed the woman, her thoughts were so calm and full of happiness. It almost felt like background music compared to the usual tone of thoughts that raced through the world.

She looked around cautiously, looking for clothes.

Astrian felt herself get even more embarrassed as she realised she couldn't see any. She picked up the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders, shuffling to the doorway and peeking out of it cautiously. She followed the humming thoughts to a woman moving around a kitchen happily. The woman was brutally scarred, head to toe. It was as if someone had tried to burn her alive. Beneath those scars, Astrian could see more. The woman was even worse off than Trei had been when she first met him.

The woman looked over, "Oh, hello dear. Breakfast is on the table."

Astrian frowned, "Umm... Do you have any... Clothes...?"

The woman rolled her eyes, "That son of mine. So forgetful. I don't have anything to fit a Fae, I'm sorry. But if you go down the hall to the room on the left, pick a dress. I'll measure you and mend it to fit you whilst you eat."

Astrian smiled nervously, "Thankyou. I'm sorry. I don't think I know you."

"No." The woman smiled happily, "My name is Valis. I am Trei'el's mother."

Astrian stifled a giggle, "His real name is Trei'el?"

Valis nodded, "Yes. I don't know why he goes around calling himself Trei, as if he belongs in an oven."

Astrian struggled to keep her face straight. She knew why. The 'el honorific had been reserved for the gods in generations past. A man who thought of himself as only average certainly wouldn't have wanted that one. His childhood must have been torture with all the teasing.

She shuffled off to find a dress before she burst out laughing.

She opened the wardrobe shuffling the dresses. They were of an older style, covered in dust. So this was Trei's mother. She seemed kind. She wondered why Trei had always been so hesitant to speak about his past, but she could guess. These dresses had been untouched for at least a decade.

Valis had died. Just like Astrian had.

She was convinced of it now.

Trei had resurrected her. Found a way to pull her back to life, without causing her to endure what had happened to Tyr.

That bloody man.

He never knew when to give up.

Astrian held up a black and white dress, blushing as she thought about Trei seeing her in it. That'd be the day.