Private Tales Ash and Iron

[Maeve]

"This bond... it's new for both of us," Maeve hadn't even known such a thing could exist until it had snapped into place when he had come to rescue her and she had finally admitted her feelings in that moment of relief. She offered him a confident and reassuring smile. "We'll work out the balance together," because she couldn't be trapped or caged, no matter what his instincts roared at him to do. She would die in those conditions.

Twining her fingers with his she smiled.

"Let's go home."

 

[Lorcán]

"Wonderful idea..." he grinned mischievously, glad of the distraction. "I have a surprise for you.. It should be ready now.." he mused with a glimmer of excitement in his gaze. Even with fae magic, this surprise had taken some time..

Before she could question him, he scooped her from her feet and launched them into the air with a laugh. It wasn't long before they were back at the Orchard, landing gently in the smaller courtyard at the back of the house. Inside, he took her to a staircase that led down into the mountain the Orchard was perched atop of, keeping a hold of her hand as he guided her down them with the utmost care.

"Close your eyes.." he beckoned as they reached the bottom step and stood before a set of great doors. When she obliged, he took a moment to savour the anticipation before reaching to cast the doors open. The air grew cooler, and the scent of ancient parchment and leather-bound books filled their senses. Soft murmurs of forgotten stories seemed to dance in the air, as if the library itself held the whispers of a thousand tales.

He let his gaze sweep across the vast expanse of the library, and his heart swelled with pride at the sight before him, and with a gentle hand on the small of her back, he guided her in to stand before the balcony, overlooking her very own library. "Alright. You can open them.."

The library was a sanctuary of knowledge, bathed in ethereal light that filtered through stained glass windows. Towering bookshelves stretched toward the ceiling, adorned with ornate carvings and intricate engravings. The shelves were filled to the brim with tomes of every shape and size, their spines displaying titles written in languages both familiar and foreign. Books from all over their world, and others. Whatever she wanted to learn about was here.

Ladders, crafted from rich mahogany and polished to a warm sheen, were stationed at various points along the shelves. The wooden floors were covered with plush rugs, depicting scenes of mythical creatures and far-off lands, their vibrant colors adding an extra touch of magic to the space.

Lorcan guided Maeve further into the library, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the soft carpet beneath their feet. The room seemed to stretch on endlessly, with little reading nooks nestled between the bookshelves, each adorned with plush cushions and soft blankets. A fireplace crackled in one corner, casting a warm glow and providing a cosy retreat for those seeking solace within the pages of their chosen book.

If she looked up, she would notice that the ceiling had been painted. Transformed into a mesmerising depiction of the night sky. Countless stars twinkled and shimmered, casting a soft, ethereal glow over the entire room.

The celestial canvas stretched seamlessly from wall to wall, creating the illusion of an endless expanse. Clusters of stars formed intricate constellations, their shapes weaving tales of heroes and mythical creatures. The Milky Way spanned across the ceiling, a river of stardust flowing through the vastness of space.

A silver moon, luminous and full, hung in the centre, radiating a gentle light that bathed the library in a soothing ambiance. The moon's serene face seemed to hold the wisdom of ages, as if it were a silent guardian watching over the knowledge and dreams contained within the walls.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve looked at her mate dubiously. That grin had already gotten her into untold trouble. What was a little more? The traitorous voice whispered in the back of her mind.

"Where are we-- LORCAN!" Flying still wasn't something she enjoyed and she kept her face pressed against his chest until she felt them even out on the calm winds high above the city. It helped now she could feel through the mating bond the strength that ran through his veins. Nothing short of a handful of ash arrows or iron would make him drop her, and even than she knew he would fall with her rather than let her fall alone. Despite that, her stomach still lurched with every take off and she kept her face hidden until their flight evened out when he drifted on the calmer winds. She was just proud of herself she could enjoy the view without being sick from up here.

That didn't mean she wasn't a little bit glad when they landed.

She gave him a dubious look when he bid her to close her eyes but she obliged and followed him nervously. She hadn't quite picked up the elegance of the fae and her steps were tentative as she tested her weight before continuing on just in case she missed a step or tripped up something. When she was finally allowed to open her eyes she had intended to grumble at him about what could be worth her bruising her knees but the words died in her throat.

"Sweet Fiadh," Maeve whispered, forgetting in that moment the fae were no longer her Gods. It was no secret she loved books and learning despite her wild tendencies to go challenging high fae with nothing but a bow and arrow. Her parents had had a modest collection that was impressive amongst her own people, and she'd never seen more books than those gathered in the elven treehouse of her friend... until now.

"Lorcan this is..." she trailed off, unable to think of a word or if there even was one to describe the majesty and beauty of what he had created. "How?" she spluttered, wandering dream-line along the balcony edge trying to take it all in at once. "When?"

 

[Lorcán]

He watched Maeve's awe-struck expression with a mixture of satisfaction and affection. He couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at having surprised her so thoroughly. Her excitement and curiosity were contagious, and he reveled in the moment, taking in the sight of her exploring the library he had crafted.

He followed beside her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.. "I stole moments here and there.. And I had some help." he smirked. "There's nothing you can't learn about in here. Histories, lands, species, royal lines, myths and legends. Fae, mostly, but there are texts from all over the world, our realm, and others.. The knowledge of all Arethil is yours, and you have all the time you want to read it."

He plucked a book from a shelf, bound in soft leather intricately detailed with autumn leaves and stars. "This one's ours." he grinned, and held it out to her. Inside, strung from a ribbon of leather, was a ring, and slowly he dropped to both knees in front of her.

"Maeve, you're my Mate.. Already my Queen. We're already bound in a way that transcends love. I'll be grateful for that forever... But if you would let me, I'd like to honour the traditions of your people. I'd like to call you my Wife.." his brows rose.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve snorted at the mention of help. Sid and Raph no doubt; the three were as bad as children when they were together. Especially when they were all in on the same secret.

She had drifted over to one of the stacks closest to her and was running her fingers over the spines as Lorcan described what the library contained. It seemed like too much to hoard just for Endora, though she knew the community here would grow with time as people sought cover from the tides of war. War that her mate might cause in her name. Plucking a volume at random she began to flick through the pages. From the maps and diagrams she assumed it was a history of some kind, though she had no idea what or where Thanasis was.

Mae half turned towards him at the sound of her name though her eyes snagged on a picture of another dragon so when she glanced up he was nowhere to be seen. Until she looked down. Her eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and disbelief at the sight of the ring. The mating bond trumped any of her silly human ways, but that he wanted to honour that part of her past... her heart swelled.

"I suppose I'm stuck with you now no matter what," her lips twitched as she put her book to the side. Then she dropped to her knees and cupped his cheeks with her hands. "Of course I will marry you Lorcan."

 

[Lorcán]

How had his father survived? He loved this creature with every fiber of his being, so much that it was almost painful. She was what he lived for, what his entire life had been meant for, and here she was on her knees with him, accepting his proposal. Accepting him, once more.. How had his father survived never knowing this? Lorcan had endured only a short time knowing her and what she was, and being without her, and he'd almost self-destructed. He would never be without her again.

His cheeks dimpled as he let out a breath and laughed, his golden eyes searching her own as his head shook.. "I don't know what I did to deserve you.." he rumbled quietly, his free hand cupping her cheek before sailing through her fiery hair as he pulled her close to claim her mouth with his own.

The ring that he pulled free from the book, was similarly detailed with autumn leaves and stars and inset with a glittering blue diamond that almost rivalled her eyes. He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently before slipping the tiny band onto her finger.

"I hope you like it."

 

[Maeve]

"A few months ago I think your words would have been what have I done wrong," Maeve teased even as her grin matched his. As he claimed her mouth in a demanding kiss she pressed herself into him, fully intending on shoving him to the floor right there and then. The twins had assured her this desire and need would, over time, dampen to a more handleable level. For now, Lorcan was just going to have to put up with the fact his every touch set her on fire. She was only stalled this time by the producing of a ring and she sat back to let him put it on.

The ring was beautiful, but it was the look on his face as he place the ring upon her finger that Maeve would forever remember.

"Of course I do," he could have put a leaf around her finger and she would have proclaimed it the most beautiful ring in the world. She crawled once more into his lap and dragged her fingers up his back. "What is the fae custom for these things? Do you not have ceremonies too?"

 

[Lorcán]

Lorcan's laugh lines deepened as he smiled at her, a husky chuckle against her lips. Oh he felt that fire, and he was certainly more than happy to 'put up with it'. Everything about her had him drunk on his desires, but the last time he wasn't careful about it they hadn't left their rooms in days, not that he'd complained..

"Oh we'll have a ceremony. And all Endora will come to celebrate their devastatingly beautiful Queen, and shake their heads in wonder of how I convinced you to love me..." he grinned, his hand combing into her hair as he fell into those emerald pools of hers, and sighed triumphantly.

"I still can't quite believe it myself.." he smirked, but it softened, as did his tone. "This isle is a far better place for your presence, Mae. The people love you, almost as much as I do. Even when I didn't think I'd ever see you again, this place was yours. I named it for you, and they all know it.."

He leaned to graze his lips against hers, stealing a soft kiss and nipping gently along her jawline.. "When I get back, we'll wed, and after that, I'm going to bed you for at least three days and nights.." he huffed a quiet laugh, letting his fingertips trail down her spine and come to rest on her hips, pulling her against him as his mouth found her neck.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve pulled a face at the idea of the whole of Endora coming to see her. She had been a Princess of her people and was used to the attention being a Royal afforded her, but there was still something unnerving to think this time those people would be fae. Even if she was one of them now. Still, it was hard not to be caught up in his excitement. At least until he reminded her where he was going tomorrow.

Alone.

"Don't go," she sighed, eyelids drooping shut as he brushed his lips against her burning skin. Her hands ran over his chest and slid up to his shoulders. Blessed Fiadh, would this never not feel so good? "You don't need to go, stay here with me. Or at least let me come with you."

 

[Lorcán]

Lorcan's teeth dragged across the porcelain skin and he growled quietly against her. "My love - you will never set foot in that court again." he promised her, his hold on her tightening, his hands wandering underneath the fabric of her clothes to find more of her soft, warm skin.

He did need to go, but he didn't want to talk about it right now, not whilst he was lowering her onto the fur rug on her new library floor, surrounded by balls of fae light that floated around in the air. Not while she had just agreed to be his wife and her hands were all over him like that.

"I'm here with you now." he rumbled against her collarbone, and he continued his descent.

 

[Maeve]

It was incredibly hard to argue with him when he was looking at her like that, touching her in that way. Her body was screaming for something beyond simple words. Her fingers wound into his hair as his lips traced over her delicate, sensitive skin.

"This isn't the end of the conversation," she grumbled right back at him, tugging up his head for just a brief moment so he could see she meant it in her gaze. This was just a truce. Only when she saw the acknowledgement there in his eyes did she tug him back down and cast all else from her mind.

 

[Lorcán]

The air in the Enchanted Archive crackled with magic and desire as Lorcan and Maeve lost themselves in each other, the fae lights casting a soft, otherworldly glow as they danced around the couple.

In the intimate moments that followed, words became secondary to the language of touch and shared longing. Maeve's protests about the Summer court, the impending conversations, faded into the background as Lorcan's lips traced over her skin, their bond pulsing between them like a heartbeat, a rhythm that matched the urgency of their entwined bodies. Lorcan worshipped her with every caress, every kiss, and every shadow that danced across her skin.

In the afterglow, as they lay entwined on the fur rug, Lorcan's chest heaved as he pulled her against him. The library's silence was now a tranquil symphony, a backdrop to their shared breaths.

Lorcan, his voice a hoarse murmur, broke the silence.. "I won't be gone long.." he told her, returning to the conversation as promised. "But there is no other way around it, Mae.. I've let the matter lie for too long already.. Though... I do love that you don't want me to go." he admitted with a boyish smirk.

 

[Maeve]

"It's not funny, Lorcan," Mae frowned and propped herself up onto her elbow. The movement caused waves of her red hair to fall forward and graze his bare chest. A few seconds ago it would have been enough to distract her and contemplate how her lips would feel against the smooth expanse of skin instead. Thankfully the topic of war, and the several ways he had made her quietly add his name to the list of Gods she worshipped, helped her keep her hands to herself.

"You're talking about starting a war Lorcan. Over me, I might add. And you won't even let me come with you? What if something happens to you? I only just..." She swallowed and took a shaking breath. "We only just found each other, don't leave me now. Please..."

 

[Lorcán]

His eyes rolled at the soft brush of her hair against his chest and he let out a quiet growl as he fought for a little self restraint.. He reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth to graze his lips against her knuckles before settling her palm down on the scar that had marked their beginning. "Fae wars have been started for far less - they captured and tortured the mate of a court Prince, Maeve My. Fucking. Mate." his dark eyes flashed with gold as he looked over her face. "There is no greater insult than that, and if it leads to war, then it will have been that act which sparked the flame, not my retaliation." his jaw clenched.

"There must be balance, and debts must be paid. Every day that it remains unresolved the more heavily it weighs on my mind." he sighed, his free hand rising to comb his fingers into her hair, pushing it back behind her ear. "I'll be fine. If it makes you feel any better, I'll take my brothers with me. We've been collecting debts for hundreds of years, Mae.." he huffed, a smile crossing his lips as his head shook at her.

"It's something that must be done, and I won't risk you further harm by taking you with me, that would defeat the purpose now, wouldn't it? I promise, I'll be back before you know it." he assured her, his thumb caressing her cheek. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her even for a minute, but want and need were two very different things when it came to fae and their debts.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve's eyes only seemed to narrow further and from the sudden set of her jaw it was clear she was willing - and about to - dig her heels in deep.

"I can handle myself. I handled you, didn't I, when I was just a human?" she had withstood the torture too as a human until her body had been forced to change. And she'd dealt with that pain too. She didn't think pointing that out though would help her case in this particular argument. She pushed away from him and grabbed at her shirt to angrily pull it on over her head. "I don't care about your fae deals and balance and whatever the else excuses you want to pull out as an excuse. If anyone gets to be angry and get revenge it's me, and if you're not letting me then I'm sure as hell not letting you either."

Standing up she bent down to pick up his discarded shirt only to throw it in his face.

"You can put some pants on too, you're too distracting laying there like that."

 

[Lorcán]

He didn't know who's frustration was worse, his, or hers, but he felt both. His scarred chest rose with a deep breath which he threw back out in a huff as his hand dragged down his flushed face.. "Will you be rational, please?.." he asked, grunting as his shirt collided with his face. He stood, taking his time to stretch and rake his fingers through his mussed hair before he obliged in pulling on his breeches.

"You may not care about such things, but I do. But more importantly, I care about you, about the pain you were dealt in my name, the insult of harming another's mate is one too grievous to even begin to explain." he frowned, and there was none of the dark gold left in his gaze as it wandered over her, recalling her wounds, only black.

"I've hardly put you in a cage, Maeve. This entire island is yours." and he'd made sure it was safe. "I've never denied that you're strong, I'm not blind, and I can feel every drop of power that runs in your veins, just as it runs in mine - but you don't yet know how to properly control it, how to use it to defend yourself. Fae magic is different, and until you've trained.." he clenched his jaw, hoping she'd never want to.. "Every creature is a danger to you."

He approached her, reaching to clasp her arms, and the shadows that curled around his skin sought to wrap themselves around her too. "If I lose you - what is the point? In what world would I risk your life like that? I never want you to have to set eyes on them again."

 

[Maeve]

"Rational?!" starlight flared around her illuminating the tiny stars that swirled amongst the blue inky markings on her skin. The irony of screeching the word was not entirely lost on her, but it didn't stop her from ploughing on as she tried to wrestle the alien magic. "I'll be rational when you're being rational. Which you are absolutely not. You're going all..." she waved a hand towards him, scrunching up her nose in the process. "Fae male, territorial, bullshit," alright, definitely not the most eloquent of rebuttals but-

She stepped back before he could crowd her in and raised her chin defiantly.

"By taking my decision away from me you are chaining me up, Lorcan. I understand you want to protect me and to keep me safe but you don't get to make that decision for me. This is my pain. My trauma. My battle. Before you commit innocent people's lives to this war shouldn't I get a say in it?"

 

[Lorcán]

Lorcan's dark gaze widened briefly at the sight of her power flaring to life. It was so fucking beautiful. She was so fucking beautiful, so much so that he was momentarily silenced as she raved on at him. He winced as she stepped back from him and stood where he was, his arms falling to his sides where his hands balled into fists, as though he were physically holding his shadow at bay.

"If it protects you then how can it be the wrong decision?! And it's only a war if the court gets in the way of my getting to the ones that harmed you. All I plan to do is go there, and deal with them. Let me bring him to you then, if you wish to be the one to take his life, but this is what I do, Maeve. What I've always done." his jaw tightened, and he took another step back, shadows bringing his shirt to his hand before he pulled it on.

She hadn't seen that side of him, the destructive side, the one that he had become either for his father or because of him. He didn't want to be that, anywhere near her, and he'd pushed down the fury at Maeve's torturers for far longer than he should have as it was.

"I can't find them and keep you safe at the same time, Maeve. It's not safe, and I won't put you in harm's way. End of discussion." he frowned at her and turned on his heel to leave, shadows racing in his wake.

 

[Maeve]

Rage tinged her vision red and stopped the words in her throat. There was too much emotion for her still very human mind to comprehend let alone deal with. She could feel her magic pushing at her skin desperate to escape, to be free, to not be caged. It only flared her own feelings turning a flame into a raging forest fire. She dragged jagged breaths into her lungs as her hands clenched and unclenched, as she formed words she could throw at him to do more than just stop him. And just like that her mind went from throwing words to throwing things.

She considered the books first but even in her angry haze she couldn't bring herself to harm a priceless tome, so she wrenched her shoe off before second guessing herself and hurled it at his head.

"Don't you walk away from me in the middle of a fight!"

 

[Lorcán]

Lorcan stopped dead in his tracks and tensed so tightly, his muscles under his skin. Had she been anyone else - anyone at all, there was little doubt in his mind that the rage he'd kept bound for too long would have been blindly unleashed upon her. Keeping it from the destruction it required had been physically painful, and he was barely contained as it was.

Being smacked on the back of the head with even the daintiest of shoes would undoubtedly have been enough to tip him over the edge. He'd have turned on whomever deigned it wise to insult him and the reduced this home, this island to ash. But she was not anyone else, and she was the only one for whom he'd show restraint. It seemed she had no trouble throwing things at him, however.

Slowly, he turned to face her, his eyes dark but his expression unreadable. And then he tore down the dam that had contained the debilitating fury he had thus far kept at bay. He let it burst free, crashing through her own subconscious like a tempest, seeking to destroy any and all things that stood in the way of his pacification. The violent storm in his mind was oh so loud, and within it he heard her cries and felt her pain over and over again, as though it were an endless, physical presence torturing him.. maddening him.

Did she see now? He hadn't wanted her to, but she seemed not to understand.

"I promised I wouldn't let them harm you again, and I meant it.. I don't fear your safety at their hands, I fear your safety at mine."

 

[Maeve]

Maybe she had gone a little too far, Mae conceded when the look on her mates face had her taking an automatic step back. She knew deep down he would never hurt her, knew even deeper down she had the magic to match anything he threw at her, but she had been human a bare month ago and it was that part of her that told her to run. It was a conscious effort to not take another step. She opened her mouth to berate him again when the sudden wall of wrath slammed into her, stealing her breath entirely. She forgot how to breathe. How to do anything as that storm raged in her mind. She put her hands over her ears as her own sobs and screams echoed, joining with the nightmares that lingered at the corners of her mind even when she was awake.

Mae sunk to her knees and tears began to roll down her cheeks. Every sound made her remember the particular cut or stab or punch. The brush of iron on skin she didn't know anymore and that burning... oh that burning as her body had shifted, changed, revealed itself in order to ensure her survival.

 

[Lorcán]

Watching her step back from him was a vice around his heart, but he had already let down those shields. He'd already gone too far. Her fear and pain flooded his senses, and now he added to the memory the sight of her now, crying on her knees because of him.

Shadows reached for her before he could, seeking to wrap around her, to comfort and protect her whilst Lorcan snapped his eyes shut and gripped hold of the balcony railing, keeping him steady as he forced the walls back up and shut her out. It'd only been seconds, but it felt like minutes. The storm in his mind was becoming more and more difficult to control, and soon it would consume him if he did not settle it. He could only push it too far, but it was always there, some times louder than others, sometimes taking him entirely off guard. It robbed him of sleep and had him waking in cold sweat and surrounded by shadow.

A breath shuddered out of him as his dark eyes opened on her, swallowing the ache in his throat. "Mae.. Fuck, I'm sorry.." he rasped, moving to drop to his knees in front of her, reaching hesitantly for her face.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve could barely hear beyond the memories. Her hands fisted in her hair over her pointed ears - points that still made her flinch at the alienness - and she dug her nails into her scalp in an effort to help her differentiate between the pain of the past and the here and now. She had wanted to hurt the fae who had hurt her as she had hung in their chains. She had wanted them to feel a small bit of what she did but coming here, to Endora, all she had wanted was to forget and how could she do that with Lorcan leaping back into the lions den?

She felt the shadows first but only because her own magic flared in panic, caught in the state of not knowing which reality she was in. But the Night and the Stars went together as naturally as the Dusk and the Dawn and she shuddered as the comforting weight of his magic wrapped around her. She clung to that feeling and let it drag her from those memories bit by painful bit. By the time Lorcan cupped her face she could drag her hands from her hair.

"P-please Lorcan."

 

[Lorcán]

Fuck, his chest felt like it was caving in on itself. The pain was as physical as the rage he contended with every day, but he'd rather deal with a thousand lifetimes of fury than one more second of this. Shame, guilt and heart-aching fear gripped him. Everything he'd been trying to build, everything he'd done to try and make her happy and keep her safe from anything that could possibly want to hurt her, and he'd tore it all down in a matter of seconds. He'd ruined everything in under a minute.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." he whispered frantically, pressing his forehead against hers as he desperately tried to claw his way into her mind and silence it, to throw up a blanket of soundless, starlit darkness. An orb of shadow surrounded them both now, blocking out all light and all sound from the outside.

He felt warm tears on his cheeks before he'd even realised he'd shed them. Today wasn't supposed to go like this. Today he was supposed to show her the library, to ask her to be his wife, to look toward the future. Not the past. Gods, if she even still wanted a future. He couldn't blame her if she didn't, and the thought only caused his storm to double down on him, so loud in his own mind he couldn't hear himself breathe.

Not a single drop of it was allowed to pass through. His body shook and his eyes squeezed shut. He'd let it fucking consume him and raze all of the fucking courts to the ground before he'd let her in there again. His constant battle for control was a losing one, and already he'd hurt her.

"Please forgive me. Maeve." he whispered, caressing her face. "I'm so fucking sorry."

 

[Maeve]

It was a painful way to learn just how weak, how young she was in the ways of magic. He had torn through what pitiful shields she had managed to learn in seconds and filled her mind with memories that had rendered her unable to do anything but cry. She knew that even some of the 'lesser' fae as they were called could do what he had done with just as little effort. The realisation he was right and that she would be in serious danger if she came with him to a war between this people only made the numb feeling in her mind worse.

She couldn't stop him going.

She would sit here alone, worrying, until he returned.

"There's nothing I can say to make you stay is there?" she whispered, opening her eyes to look up at him with unshed tears still clinging to her eyelashes.