Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“So what’s your story, thug?” Taako asks, leaning lazily against the doorframe. His face reads with only mild interest. But in all honesty, he is desperately trying not to gasp.

The man standing in front of him is certainly something to gawk at. He is superbly handsome, dressed in a fine suit and flowing cape of black and gold. His head is encircled with a silver crown, shaped to look like a halo of feathers. On his shoulder sits a large, sharp-eyed raven.

Everything about him contrasts pretty heavily against the cream colored steps of Taako and Lup’s front porch.

“I’m here to bring you away with me,” the man says, with a low and graceful bow. The motion really pulls the whole “mysterious, beautiful stranger” vibe together. The raven flaps its wings, but does not move from its perch.

Color Taako impressed, but he doesn’t budge an inch. He’s aware magic exists in this world. Hell, he’s got some fey in his blood himself. But that doesn’t really pass as intuitive knowledge without a level head to match. He tilts his head. “And by come away with you, you mean?”

“Forgive me,” the man says, straightening. “I suppose you were not previously informed. I have come to escort you to my kingdom.” He smiles. “To be wed.”

“What?” Taako replies, his voice breaking on the edge of laughter. “You mean like, married? Like marriage? Like, to you?”

“Yes,” The man says. He extends a gloved hand towards Taako. “I take it you accept my proposal?”

“It’s not much of a proposal if you don’t ask, my man,” Taako replies. He narrows his eyes and takes a small step back. “Nice display you got going on but you can’t get me that easily.”

“Oh,” the man says, with minute disappointment. “I see.” He claps his hands, and, as if from nowhere, a flock of birds arch over the roofs of the neighboring houses and whiz past the porch with terrifying speed. Taako covers his face with his arms and steps back, the door clatters as the wind knocks it against the wall. There is a loud clanking sound, as if sheets of metal were raining against the wood of the porch. After a few more seconds of this, the air settles, and Taako peeks an eye open.

He looks down at his feet, and there sits a not too small pile of shimmering coins, rings, pendants and a smattering of other, wondrous shiny objects. They scatter the sunlight, sending it dancing around the porch in brilliant colors.

“Gifts,” the man says. “For your loved ones, in exchange for your hand.”

Taako crouches down and inspects everything, looking for flaws, or trickery. He bites one of the coins. Oh yes, solid fucking gold. He flips the coin in his hand and raises an eyebrow at the man. “You got any more of these back home?”

“In abundance,” the man says. “More than you can imagine.”

“Hmmm, one moment,” Taako says, rising to his feet. He turns his head and leans back into the house. “Hey Lup!”

“What?” yells a familiar voice from within the house.

“I’m leaving!”

“You’re what?” says the voice again, a bit closer.

Taako cups his hands over his mouth. “I’m leaving!!”

“You’re what?” Lup says, coming up right behind her brother, and getting an eyeful of the man outside. “Who the fuck are you?” she demands. Then her eyes fall on the trove at her feet. “What the hell is this?”

“I,” the man says, bowing once more—for reasons that Taako and Lup both find to be just a touch overly dramatic— “am Kravitz, patriarch of the endless sky, ruler of the soulful sea, king of birds and songs and night.” He snaps his fingers, and a rift opens at the bottom of the steps right behind him.

Lup and Taako can’t quite see beyond the shimmering, wavy view of the portal, but they can smell the waves of magic pouring off it, feel the way their hair stands up on their skin. This guy isn’t just big talk.

Kravitz—the bird king—extends a hand once more. “And I’m taking Taako to be my consort. Now.”

Chapter Text

“Give us a moment,” Lup says, planting a leg between Taako and the King. She grabs the knob and very quickly slams the door before another word is spoken. In a fury, she grabs Taako by the shirt collar and hisses, “You have exactly ten seconds to explain to me what the fuck is going on before I call the cops.”

“You would never call the cops here and you know it,” Taako snaps back.

“Seven seconds.”

“Bird King. Wants me to marry him. Absolutely loaded.”

“What the hell, Taako?

Taako shrugs. “I don’t know? He just showed up! How do you think I’m supposed to react?”

“I don’t expect you to just leap out the door without a second thought for your own regard!”

“Did you miss the part about how I said he’s absolutely loaded? Look!” He holds up the gold coin still in his palm. “Just a handful of these could cover rent. Hell, we could buy a house! A big house!”

Lup sighs and runs a hand over her forehead. “Okay, one: you are such a disaster gay. And two: that could be fool’s gold, Taako.”

“Already checked. Besides, fool’s gold has iron in it, and he’s very clearly fae.” He gestures at the door. “Also why would a king bother with fool’s anything? He magicked it out of the air. With birds, Lup! Birds!”

“Okay,” Lup sighs. “Let’s say I indulge your little romantic fantasy for a moment. Who’s to say he won’t make it disappear as soon as you’re gone? Hell, who’s to say he’s really the Bird King at all? He could be a wraith in disguise ready to devour your ass as soon as you get five feet away from the house!”

“Ha, vore!” Taako hisses, which earns him a kick in the leg.

“You know, I can still hear the both of you,” says the king’s muffled voice from outside the door.

Lup ignores him and lowers her tone. “I don’t care if some hot, well-dressed guy displaying untold magic has just shown up at our doorstep. I’m not letting you get dragged away like this!”

“I don’t see the point in arguing, Lup,” Taako whispers back. “I mean if he is the Bird King, I think he can do what he wants.”

“I don’t care if he’s the goddamn emperor penguin! He’s not kidnapping you to fulfill his dumb, royal purpose.”

“You’re just mad because you didn’t get picked to be the Bird Queen!”

“Enough of this,” says the voice beyond the door. Taako and Lup look up to see a flurry of feathers conjure forth just a few feet away from where they are both squished against the entrance. With a hail of wings and a screech of corvids, the man that was previously standing outside on the porch was now standing in the foyer of their own home. Crown, cape, bird and all.

“Hey!” Lup shouts, letting go of Taako’s shirt. Taako loses his balance and falls over with a yelp. “Aren’t you like, not supposed to be able to come into our home unless we invite you in or something?”

“I’m not a vampire,” Kravitz replies flatly.

“He’s not a fucking vampire, Lup.” Taako says, picking himself up and patting down his disheveled hair.

“I do apologize for entering your home like this,” Kravitz says, with enough impatience to give his voice edge. “But we really should get going. It will be sunset in my kingdom soon, and I have duties to attend to.”

“Sorry about that, homie,” Taako says, shoving Lup with his arm. She grumbles at him. “Had to confer with the council before we get this show on the road.”

“Well then,” Kravitz says. “Forgive me for being…unfamiliar with your customs.” He looks so strange standing in the middle of their home. His clothes look new, hand crafted. But they also look a good century behind the modern tops and skinny jeans that Taako and Lup are wearing. Compared to their humble, mostly second hand furniture, the King looks like he would fit better in an art museum.

“It’s cool,” Taako says, putting a hand on Kravitz’s shoulder that doesn’t currently have a large black bird resting on it. “While my sister isn’t on this hype train, you can go ahead and mark cha’boy as being down.”

“That is excellent to hear,” Kravitz replies, seemingly brightening at that. Taako really had no idea what he’s in for, but that doesn’t seem to bother him much. Especially in regards to how pretty Kravitz’s smile is.

“Why him?” Lup asks. “Why are you choosing Taako?”

“Yeaaaahhh,” Taako says, removing his hand. “Hate to grind those gears, but Taako’s not too clear on this either.”

“You…don’t recall this?” Kravitz asks. He reaches into the inner folds of his jacket and pulls out a small envelope, yellowed due to time. The only unique signifier to it is the name written on the back: Taako, in big, swooping letters.

“Oh!” Taako yells. He slaps a hand to his forehead. “Shit. I forgot. I had entered the lottery.”

“You. Did. What?” Lup asks, eyes darting from the envelope to her brother.

“My kingdom’s royal selection lottery was established years ago,” Kravitz says, as if that’s enough of an explanation. “Taako’s entry was chosen over many hundreds.” He glances at Taako with confusion. “There were numerous correspondences sent proclaiming you as the selected consort. I had assumed you had seen them, but were keeping Taako away at my ire. Did you not receive them?”

“I…thought those were junk mail,” Taako mumbles. His face tinges with a warm blush. “I may have…put them in recycling?”

Kravitz looks over at Lup, and Lup shoots him a look that very clearly says, the man you’re trying to marry is an idiot.

“Well, l mean, you did eventually come in person,” Taako says, sweeping that info under the metaphorical rug. He looks Kravitz over once more. “And believe me, the gesture is appreciated.”

Kravitz nods in agreement. “I am not displeased by the choice.”

At that, Taako preens. Just the tiniest bit.

“Say I am fine with you two going,” Lup says, clearing her throat. “Which I am not. Would you be coming back?”

“Ideally, no,” Kravitz says, facing her. “Once Taako is crowned King Consort, he will be ruling perpetually by my side.”

“Excuse me?” Lup shouts.

“Goodbye taxes!” Taako says with delight. Then his expression abruptly shifts to something dour. “Wait, perpetually? As in: I’m not going to see Lup ever again?”

Kravitz nods. “My realm is, for lack of better words, adjacent to yours. Yet, it exists as its own reality.” He snaps his fingers again. The rift appears in their living room, once more sending their senses on edge. But this time, instead of formless color, they see a gorgeous castle, tall and black, cutting a silhouette against a warm, afternoon sky. In the distance is an endless cycling of birds in flight. Kravitz continues, “Less bound by the natural laws. The ascension to the royal throne would require some…shedding of mortal ties.”

“Now, wait a minute—” Taako says.

“Bullshit!” Lup interjects. “You can fuck right off with—” Taako slaps a hand over Lup’s mouth, though that doesn’t stop her from muffling a few more choice words. There is a sharp drop of temperature in the air and Taako winces. If there’s one thing he knows, it’s that rudeness is not tolerated in situations like these.

Kravitz says nothing, but his mouth is a thin line. The raven on his shoulder however, screeches loudly and angrily. The rift ripples like a disturbed lake.

“Hey, Krav,” Taako says, desperate to calm the conversation. “Can I call you Krav?”

“You may,” Krav says, tone flat.

“Listen, cha’boy’s definitely into the whole fantasy elopement thing. But I’m not going anywhere without my sister, and you can take that fact to the grave.” He takes his hand off Lup’s face and wraps his arms around her shoulders. “So I’ll come with you willingly, and prepare for the wedding, but my sister must attend me. That’s absolutely final.”

There is a very tense moment between the three of them—four, including the bird, who slowly stops screeching. No words are uttered for a solid minute.

Taako glances nervously at Lup, who narrows her eyes at him. Her hands are locked on his wrists.

“I will grant this request,” The King says, finally.

“Excellent!” Taako exclaims, almost too loud. He lets go of Lup. “Will I—should I pack up my stuff? I mean, I don’t know what’s the travel time? How many kilometers away is your kingdom? Will I need to get a storage unit?”

“All board, and amenities have been fully prepared for your chambers,” Kravitz assures. “Of course, some of the minor preparations will be awaiting our arrival. The menu, wardrobe fittings, portraiture—”

“You hear that Lup?” Taako says. “Couture threads and everything!”

“What a blast,” Lup replies, failing to hide the sarcasm.

“We will have to make additional lodging for your sister,” Kravitz adds, glancing at her. “But that will not be a problem.”

“Glad we’re clear on that,” Taako adds. “But we are keeping the gold that you so kindly left on the porch?”

“Of course, that is still yours.”

“Great!” Taako motions for Lup to stay by the door. “Lup, help me pick up all the shiny shit while our guest, uh, has a seat on the couch.” Taako grabs Kravitz’s hand and pulls him into the living room and onto the couch, pointedly ignoring the still open rift right by their coffee table. “Stay right here, babe. Just a few more minutes and we’ll go.” Kravitz eyes him with confusion. Lup grabs her purse from the kitchen counter and both twins turn the corner to go pick up the treasure from the front porch.

They both crouch down, Taako glancing hesitantly over his shoulder.

“If this goes sideways, this is all your fault,” Lup whispers.

“I’ll think of something,” Taako whispers back. They both stuff Lup’s purse with gold and jewelry. It all clinks together loudly, just enough to hide their murmurs.

“You said you’d marry him,” Lup says. “That’s a promise. You can’t break faerie promises!”

“I said I’d go and prepare to marry him,” Taako replies. “Everything after that is speculative.”

“I hope you’re right,” Lup says, softly. Once all the coins are gathered, Taako takes a few of the necklaces and rings and throws them on for good measure. He also takes out the tie holding his hair back and lets the strands fall loosely around his face.

They both stand up and re-enter the house. Taako walks over to the king and grins.

“How do I look, Krav?” he asks, waving a jewel covered hand dramatically. The lamp light bounces off his necklace and glitters across his face. “Appropriately shiny?”

“Yes,” Kravitz says, leaning forward. He seems to take in Taako adorned in gold with a delighted interest. “Very much so.”

Lup makes a fake gagging noise. “C’mon, nerds. Let’s go.”

Taako takes Kravitz’s hand—while also holding onto Lup for good measure—and the Bird King leads them both through the rift.

And far, far away.

Chapter Text

It was years ago. A lot of people had left letters.

There appeared, just on the outskirts of town, an old water well. The well had actually been there long before the town’s construction, and had been closed up for many decades. It was built with heavy stone, and slowly overgrown with moss and lichen. The pump affixed to its side had been rusted over and broken.

But now the well looked fresh and new. Wild flowers peaked out from its cracks, and small streams of clear water trickled from its foundations. A halo of mushrooms crowned its circular top. And in the center of the circle, sat a bird.

It did not matter what kind of bird, for a different one was present every time the well was visited. Resting at its little feet was a note, which—by those who were brave enough to venture forth and read it—said: Those who do not wish to stay, the king of birds shall whisk away.

Now, upon this knowledge being discovered, a good portion of the town shied away. The Common were well versed in the mischievous ways of the Fair, and didn’t want to arouse trouble. The brave and foolish sort, as there are still many of those in this world, decided to try their luck. They believed the bird in the ring was waiting for something. A gift. So people left it seeds, berries, shiny things, anything to elicit a response from it. The bird would inspect each item with its intelligent eyes and sharp beak, then knock the thing away with a flap of its wings.

After a time of these gifts being rebuffed, someone left a letter. Just a small note, a folded parchment tied with ribbon. At this, the bird cried out in excitement, then snatched it in its talons, and flew away.

Then on, it became routine to leave letters at the well. People from all over the country would stop by and drop an envelope or two. And the number of birds attending the well increased. They would sift through each slip of paper carefully, only choosing very specific letters to carry away. It was believed that amongst these submissions, there would be chosen a spouse for the bird king.

After that notion developed, people tried to get fancy. Letters steeped in perfume and drowning in ribbons, filled with pages by potential suitors, regaling their best qualities and features. At some point the well was practically overrun with all that paper. The fancier the submission, the less the birds were inclined to seek it, however. The numbers dwindled over time.

And then one day, a bird did not come to procure a letter. And the days after, a bird did not come.

After a time, a postman was stationed there to gather the letters that were not accepted and send them back to their owners. The well, once cleared of the debris, looked just as it had before the bird arrived—old, and abandoned, and forgotten.

The pageantry died down, and the interest was lost. Though the rumor remained. Those who knew better stayed away from that kind of talk. Those who knew less kept the rumors going in hushed whispers.

And then there was Taako, who didn’t know shit, and was too bored with his amalgam of unfulfilling side gigs to not take interest.

Taako who, early one morning, decided to take a detour on his way home from his job at the town bakery. Who walked through a fairly sparse overhanging of trees, and came upon an old water well. There was no one around for miles, or so he thought, for all he heard was the sharp whispers of morning sounds.

But there, on the well, sat a large, black bird. It cut a stark silhouette against the pale blue of everything else. Taako almost thought it was not real, had it not angled it’s head this way and that to get a good look at him.

“Didn’t expect to see you out here,” he said casually. “Morning shift, huh?”

Why was he talking to a bird? He didn’t know. Not like anyone was around to hear him. The craziest thing that the bird could probably do was talk back.

But the bird just flapped its wings and looked at him earnestly.

Taako sighed and pulled an envelope out of the large pocket of his jacket. It was a crisp white envelope, signed with his name on the back. He felt silly, holding it in his hands. He figured he would amuse the idea, and then just pick the letter up later, once the bird flew off.

The bird, however, caught sight of the letter, and gave one curious hop towards it.

“Huh,” Taako noted. He slowly sat down on the lid of the well, careful to not put too much weight on it, in case it fell in. Before he offered the bird the letter, he reached into his other pocket and pulled out an oatmeal cookie, wrapped in a folded paper towel.

“I don’t know if you’re the type of bird who eats this,” he said, breaking off a piece. “But I made these this morning, and they’re fresh as hell.”

The bird hopped closer. Taako offered it the cookie piece, and the bird took it eagerly from his palm. Taako watched it nibble in amusement, a smile tugging at the sides of his face. He looked at the letter again.

“I mean,” he said. “Me and Lup have had it way worse than this. But a change of pace honestly wouldn’t be too bad.” He then, gathering himself, offered his letter out to the bird. It grabbed it immediately, holding the paper firmly in its shiny black beak.

“Put in a good word for cha’boy, okay?” Taako said. “I don’t have much by way of marketable skill, but I’m a pretty baller chef, and a quasi-baller mage.”

Taako swore the bird seemed to nod at that. It extended its wings—the span of which magnified its size—and with a powerful flap, it took to the air, zooming into the morning horizon.

Taako watched it go, holding onto his hat so that it would not fly off. Once the bird was completely out of sight, he patted the cookie crumbs off his shirt and headed back to town without another thought.

Taako’s eyes flutter open, as he wakes up on something surprisingly soft. He rubs his eyes and looks down. He is laying on a large couch, and resting on a pile of pillows. He looks up and is greeted by a large, beautiful, circular room. It is filled with decorative furniture, and surrounded on five sides by giant windows, which give a magnificent view to a multicolored sky.

Taako is momentarily distracted by the sight and the lush pillows and sheets surrounding him, before his senses kick in and he jumps up. He is in a strange place, and that Lup is nowhere to be found! He immediately makes a beeline for the only door in the room, ready to kick it down if need be.

The door swings open, just as he is about to yank at the knob, and a large, burly looking fellow reels back upon seeing Taako’s furious expression.

“Whoa there!” the man says, putting up his hands defensively. “I was coming to see if you were awake. Glad to know that you are!”

“Where’s my sister?” Taako demands.

The man’s brow knits with confusion, before his eyes light up. “You’re referring to the lady that the King escorted here as well? She’s in the morning library. Come with me.”

Taako’s fury is paused, as the hospitable looking man motions for him to follow down a bright, winding hallway.

“I’m Magnus, by the way,” says Magnus. “One of the King’s guards. You need something, just ask me!”

Taako looks unimpressed, despite the fact that Magnus is wearing a brilliant red uniform, with a slew of cardinals stitched into the back of his jacket. “Cool, sweet. Um, where am I? And why did I just wake up like a coquettish ingénue?”

“Oh, coming through the rift can take a lot out of people the first time around,” Magnus explains. “You looked pretty beat once you entered the palace, so we got you to the room before you passed out.”

He stops at a large, hand carved set of double doors and pushes them open. Taako is greeted to yet another magnificent room, this time much larger than the one previous. Endless shelves of books curve around the walls, leaving large gaps for sunlight to peek in from all sides. They seem to spiral up to a domed ceiling, where a magnificent mural of the cosmos greets them. In the center of the room is a carpeted floor, where a gathering of couches rest in a semicircle.

Seated there is Lup, and a young woman that Taako doesn’t recognize. He heaves a sigh of relief at the sight. Lup is there, and she looks safe and well.

As he hurries toward her, he notices a platter of scones on the coffee table before the two ladies. A teacup rests in Lup’s hands.

“So these are all hundreds of years old?” She asks, gesturing at the rows of books.

“Some of them have been recently transcribed to newer editions,” the woman replies. “But yes, the information here is ancient.”

“We’re here!” Magnus announces, more than loud enough. Taako immediately plops down next to Lup, and she shakes her head at him.

“There you are! I thought you’d never wake up!”

“What?” Taako says. He leans forward to grab a scone. He pops one in his mouth and talks back to her with no regard for manners. “Like you’ve never been through a magical rift before!”

“No, but I was only out for ten minutes,” Lup says. She flicks his shoulder. “You were down for the count for three hours!”

“Your body will adjust quickly,” the lady interjects. She is dressed in a long, blue and white gown, with a silken robe draped over her shoulders, the sleeves of which depict a pair of elegant blue herons. She extends a hand to Taako. “I am Lucretia, the castle’s head chronicler.”

Taako shakes her hand. “Taako, fiance to the bird king.”

“Oh, please,” Lup says, rolling her eyes.

“Hey!” Magnus says excitedly. He looks between all three with a wide grin. “You’re the one getting married! Congrats!”

“Thanks, big guy,” Taako says. He throws his arms over the back of the couch like this is all no big deal. Like he’s not over his head in any sort of way possible. Nope, no sir.

“I was just talking with Lucretia about the legality of this whole affair,” Lup says, talking pointedly through her teeth. “She says that once your vows are affirmed the marriage is absolutely binding.”

“Are these vows that I make up?” Taako asks, leaning forward. “Or are there like, official vows that I have to say?”

“We will go over the precise verbiage at the rehearsal later today,” Lucretia says. “These things have to be done carefully in order to work.”

“Riiiiiiight,” Taako says. “Wouldn’t want to be less than careful.” He can feel the heel of Lup’s shoe slowly press down on the tip of his own, but he makes no sign of this hurting him any.

“His majesty has voiced for no expense to be spared for the occasion,” Lucretia goes on.

There is a sharp knock on the door, and they all look up to see a small, rather gnomish looking fellow standing in the doorway.

“Ahem,” the man says, clearing his throat. “If his majesty’s betrothed is wide awake, then his presence is humbly requested.”

Everyone looks at Taako, who blinks a moment, and then says, “Oh shit, that’s me!” He hops up from his seat and straightens his shirt. “Right, yeah okay.”

“I should come with you,” Lup says, starting to rise as well, but the man at the door shakes his head.

“My lady, your presence is needed elsewhere. Someone will be sent to accompany you shortly. But for now.” He makes an impatient motion with his hands at Taako.

“I’ll be alright, Lulu,” Taako says, touching Lup gently on the shoulder. She looks at him dubiously, then watches as he maneuvers around the furniture, and out of the large library.

Chapter Text

“What do I call you, my dude?” Taako asks the little man leading him down a sloping hallway. “Since I’m going to be, uh, living here perpetually.”

“You may call me Davenport, My Lord.”

“Cool.” Taako does a double take. “Wait, I’m a lord now?”

“Of course,” Davenport replies. “As the king’s betrothed, you and Lady Lup have already been conferred titles. And, after the wedding, you shall be crowned King Consort. There will be other add ons, to be sure. But that’s the only one you really need to take to heart.”

“That does have a nice fuckin’ ring to it,” Taako mumbles.

Everything in the castle feels older, but looks newer, in a sense. The lamps in the hallway are lit with light bulbs, but they look thinner and lighter than any Taako’s ever seen before. And he hasn’t spotted a wall outlet anywhere. How is he going to charge his phone?

This one question knocks against a series of others in Taako’s brain, reminding him that he is in a strange and unfamiliar place. A place he doesn’t know how to escape. A place where he doesn’t know what kind of potential dangers he could be in.

But Davenport seems okay. He walks particularly fast for being nearly half Taako’s height. His hair is slicked back, and he has a neat little mustache. He wears a light yellow suit jacket with an array of hummingbirds stitched neatly on the shoulders. 

They occasionally pass through hallways that have glass on the ceilings and on the floor. Taako’s breath catches, and he crouches down to marvel at the view. 

The castle is built on a small island in the middle of a grand, crystal-clear sea. The water beneath them is so perfectly undisturbed that it reflects the last remnants of the late evening sky. 

“Wait,” Taako says, retching his gaze away from the window. “What time is it? It’s evening now? Why is everyone up and about?”

“Our schedules fall a bit differently due to the nature of the king’s work,” Davenport replies. “It takes some time to adjust fully, but I can assure you that everything follows a routine as though it would in the daylight hours.”

“That’s—okay.” Taako says, and decides not to pursue that particular train of thought. What matters most to him is finding a route of exit. As he makes mental notes of the many open views and doorless hallways, he determines that movement won’t be the problem, but stealth certainly will. “So what’s the plan now, kemosabe?”

“First is your fittings. Then a brief history lesson, then a meal—I am sure you’re famished after your light journey—then a tour of the grounds, then a number of introductions, then—”

“I’m sorry for asking,” Taako interjects.

Davenport chuckles. “Yes, well. Becoming the king’s spouse does bring along its slew of responsibilities.”

“My dude, I didn't even know I was going to be marrying the king until less than a day ago.”

“We sent numerous correspondences, My Lord.” 

Taako gets the feeling that Davenport is saying ‘My Lord’ as a way to be cheeky.

“Yeah?” he replies. “Well, your communications process is shit. Get an email address.”

“Won’t be needing any of that here,” Davenport says, as he pushes open a door.

They walk into a room that might as well be a boutique. Rows upon rows of fine garments and pieces of fabric are hung up on racks. Between them are shelves, lit up and displaying beautiful accessories of fine design and hand craftsmanship. A gorgeous chandelier illuminates everything in a twinkling glow.

“Hell yeah!” Taako exclaims. He makes a dash towards the shiniest shirt he can find. His hands snatch up a gorgeous cream colored tunic, lined at the collar and cuffs with golden thread. He also grabs a long green robe beside it, and a couple of scarves.

“Not yet,” Davenport says. “Before you change—” And he whips out a measuring tape and a cushion of pins. “Fittings first, then dress up.”

Taako pouts. “When I’m King Consort, I'm having you thrown in the dungeon.”

“You’ll be remiss to find that we do not have one of those, my lord.” Davenport says, gesturing to a small stool nearby.

Taako reluctantly sets the clothes down and walks over to stand on top of the stool. He declares, “Then my first order of business will be to have one constructed.”

“As you wish.”

Davenport makes quick work of getting Taako squared away. A few moments—and a quick dart behind a changing screen later—Taako’s dressed in a tasteful purple waistcoat, over a lilac blouse and a pair of plush, navy blue beeches. A jewel blue sash is tied around his waist, and he is given a pair of socks and black, knee high boots.

As he ties the laces, Davenport pushes the doors back open and motions for him to hurry along.

“We have to move quickly,” he urges. “There’s much to do before the rehearsal.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Taako replies. He grabs a long, teal ribbon from a nearby sewing table. He uses it to tie back his hair, as Davenport hurriedly leads them to their next destination.

“So, are we going to see the king?” Taako asks. He catches a glimpse of himself in a large mirror on a nearby wall. He’s never worn clothes so nice and well fit before. He lifts his head some and runs a back through his hair. The reflection looking back at him looks almost princely. 

“Oh no,” Davenport replies. “His majesty has been very busy since you all arrived. You probably won’t see him for a few hours.”

“Oh,” Taako says. He’s not the tiniest bit disappointed. Nope. No sir.

They pass through another tunnel of glass, and a flock of birds fly above their heads. There are so many that the flapping of their wings sound like the rush of a train. Taako watches as they fly in perfect synchronicity around the castle, and it’s many clear and almost crystalline structures.

“How old is this place?” Taako asks. He raises a brow. “How old are you?”

“To answer your first question, as old as old can be,” Davenport replies. His eyes shine with something knowing and strange. “To answer your second, well...It’s rude to ask the Fair their age.”

“Does….that make the Bird King old too?” Taako asks. He’s still very curious about the ages of the people who live here, but he knows it would be a death wish to cross any boundaries of etiquette in this place.

“Ancient,” Davenport replies, like that explains anything.

“Damn,” Taako says. “About to get hitched to a grandpa here.”

“His majesty has been attending to this realm for a long time,” Davenport agrees. “He is not the first ruler here and I daren’t say he’ll be the last. But that sort of thing is best left to time.”

“Time is all I seem to have at the moment,” Taako replies.

He tunes out Davenport’s spiel about the history of the castle. His focus remains firmly on the structures around it. It’s built more like a tower, with circular chambers extending outwards from the center structure, and interconnecting with glass bridges. It’s hard to see the other chambers in the dark, but after a moment it dawns on him why their construction looks vaguely recognizable. 

“They’re built like bird cages,” Taako says, out of the blue.

“What?” Davenport says.

“Oh, nothing,” Taako says. “Just, noting the architecture.” He gestures at the sea beneath them. “Hey, uh, have you been on the water at all?”

Davenport follows Taako’s gaze down to the peaceful surface. He looks almost wistful. “Not this water. But, many waters, yes.”

Taako’s ears perk up at that. “So. You’ve travelled a few times?”

“Errands of business mostly,” Davenport replies, turning away. He’s on the move again. “Any excursions outside of our realm must be approved by the King himself.” 

“I see,” Taako says, following behind. He tries not to feel discouraged, but he’s not making much mileage in the, ‘escape the clutches of the bird king’ department. Leaving the castle wouldn’t pose much of a problem. Aside from Magnus, he hasn’t seen hide nor hair of another palace guard. But from what he can tell, the island on which they’re situated has no connective bridges to any other masses of land. And there definitely doesn’t seem to be any boats docked anywhere.

He and Davenport go a full round of exploring different chambers, with Taako only half listening to the things he says. They eventually come to an intersection in the hallway, where there are two people standing and talking. Taako’s face perks up significantly as soon as he recognizes one of them.

“Luuuuuuuuuuup,” he exclaims, hurrying towards his sister.

“Taaaaaaaaaakooooo,” she replies, her attention caught. She has also changed into nicer clothes. She wears a long red gown, which fades into brilliant orange up towards her shoulders. Her hair has been twisted into small plaits and held in place by many shimming, gold pins. A sheer scarf hangs from her arms.

“You look nice,” Taako says, as she reaches out to give him a hug. ”Loving the hair.”

“Thanks,” she replies, turning her head this way and that. “I will admit, I had a little fun.” She then gestures at the man still standing in the center of the hallway. “This is Barry, the castle’s Head Researcher. He’s been showing me around the castle’s laboratories.”

Taako takes a glance at the guy she’s referring to, and blinks in surprise. The man, Barry, is dressed pretty similarly to how they were when they first arrived. He wears a grey suit jacket over a white button up and some crisp, denim bluejeans. He looks to be at least older than Magnus, with already greying hair and smile lines to match. 

“Ah, a nerd,” Taako says, extending a hand. “Nice to meet you, Barold,”

“Nice to meet you too, um, Taako,” Barry hesitantly. The only indication that he belongs with the rest of the castle staff is the shining silver pin of a bluejay on the lapel of his jacket.

“I told him to cut the Lord and Lady nonsense before it got old,” Lup says, giving Barry a pat on the shoulder.

“Um, no? The fuck?” Taako's face scrunches up. “You're not the one becoming Bird Consort. I make the rules around here.”

“I told you it’d get to his head,” Lup says, leaning over and grinning at Barry. Barry chuckles, and Taako is immediately filled with brotherly disgust at the whole situation.

Davenport clears his throat. “If you will excuse me, I have to meet with Lucretia for rehearsal arrangements. Lunch will be served in the summer gardens. Barry, can you escort the Lord and Lady there?”

“Of course, captain,” Barry replies. He gives Davenport a salute. Davenport nods at that and hurries off.

“You call him captain?” Taako asks.

Barry nods and begins to lead the two of them towards a tunnel that slants upwards. “Davenport is in charge of the castle when the king is away. He knows how to keep everything running smoothly.”

“With the amount of magic users around, I’m not surprised,” Lup replies. She looks at her brother with excitement. “Did they tell you? Magic is used much more freely here. You don’t need a license or anything!”

“Oh word?” Taako says. He immediately casts a minor illusion spell on his clothes. Swirls of glittering sequins appear down his chest and the side of his breeches. He enjoys the look of it, twirling for Lup’s amusement. She laughs and gives him a shove.

Taako thinks about all the possibilities he has at his disposal now. In their home, mages have to be licensed to practice certain magics. It’s not a big deal, but those with a natural affinity towards it find the stipulations a lot harder than others.

“Most magic is permitted free, yes,” Barry says. “But there are spells and rituals that are absolutely banned here.”

“Right,” Lup replies. “Barry works here at the castle, but he also crosses over into our plane to work at a university.” She touches Taako’s arm and they both slow their pace a bit, following a few feet behind Barry.  Lup leans close to her brother’s ear and whispers. “He’s an expert in necromancy, but the Bird King doesn’t allow that here, which is why Barry has to travel out in order to practice it.”

“A necromancer? Him?” Taako whispers in return, pointing at Barry. Barry’s sturdy, but he definitely doesn’t look like that type to dabble in anything resembling the dark arts.

Lup nods. “Cool, right?”

Taako mentally dodges that question, focusing on the more pertinent information. “So there are easy access ways of getting out of here?”

Lup nods again, but before they continue their conversation, the trio are greeted by another wide set of double doors.

Barry pauses at the handle and turns to address them. “Hey, I know we’re going into the garden but...don’t talk to Merle about the plants.”

“What?” both twins reply. 

“The plants?” Taako asks.

“Who’s Merle?” Lup asks.

Barry opens the door without another word.

Chapter Text

The summer garden is as bold and beautiful as it is hot and—surprisingly—bright. The domed ceiling glows down upon a canopy of tropical plants, which create a veritable maze for the trio to walk around as they enter. A circular opening in the center of the ceiling reveals the dark, glittering night sky.

“How is this room bright when it’s nighttime?” Lup asks.

“Many of the castle chambers are enchanted to reflect a particular climate,” Barry says, leading them down a small cobblestone path. “I’m sure you’ve witnessed all the species of birds constantly flocking outside. The gardens enable them to rest in their natural habitat before taking off again.”

“It’s a giant aviary,” Lup exclaims. A cluster of tropical birds watch them as they pass through the plants. They are all an assortment of brilliant sizes, colors, and voices.

“So there’s like, a winter garden?” Taako asks. His face lights up. “Wait, does it have penguins in it?”

“Yeah, it does actually,” Barry replies.

Taako looks smugly at Lup. “Guess who’s going to be the goddamn emperor penguin now?”

“You’re my brother and I love you,” Lup says, glancing over her shoulder at him. “But sometimes I don’t like you as a person.”

The pathway through the foliage quickly gives way to a large, open courtyard. A small waterfall pours down the side of an inclined part of the chamber’s constructed landscape, shaping into a river that runs nearly down the middle of the courtyard. Set up in the center of the clearing is an outdoor table, already laid out with hand sandwiches, fruit salad, lemonade, and a tray of small cakes.

“If there’s one thing you guys really get,” Taako says. “It’s interior design.” He makes a beeline for the table. His hand only just hovers over a sandwich, when a voice stops him in his tracks.

“Don’t touch that, I haven’t finished yet!”

Taako flinches back. He, Lup, and Barry turn to see a stout looking man wearing a sunhat and apron emerge from some bushes. Held carefully in his hands are some freshly cut orchids.

“Can’t have a royal lunch without decoration,” the man declares, forcing his way through the trio. There’s a pretty vase full of water sitting in the middle of the table. The man very gingerly sets the orchids inside it, while whispering in an—arguably sultry —tone, “there you go, gorgeous.”

At that, Taako and Lup look at each other. They both look at Barry. Barry gives them a slight shake of his head. They look back at each other. They shrug.

The man quickly slips off his hat and apron and turns to face them. He puts a hand on his hip and gives the twins a weary stare. The twins stand in place as he walks around both of them, looking them over like he’s inspecting them or something. He’s wearing an olive green tunic, and brown, leathery trousers tucked into some dirt covered work boots. With him circling both twins like he is, Taako takes note of a pair of wide eyed owls stitched onto the front of his shirt.

“Welcome!” the man says, loud and cheerful. He gestures at the seat. “I’m Merle, palace gardener. Take a seat, have a bite! You kids must be exhausted from crossing over!”

Taako and Lup both let out silent breaths of relief. Taako grabs the nearest chair and immediately plops down, throwing his legs over the arm rests with no regard for posture. Barry pulls out a chair for Lup, and she takes the seat with a pleasant smile. Once the four of them are situated, Taako fills his plate and takes a bite out of one of the sandwiches.

“Not bad,” he says. “Definitely edible. But this could do with some oregano. And maybe less mayo?”

“Well,” Merle says, shrugging. “Sounds like you know your stuff better than I do. I try my best but my herb knowledge is better suited for medicinal purposes. And even then, it only gets so intimate .”

“I’ve lost my appetite,” Lup announces.

“Our resident healer,” Barry says, quickly changing the subject. “Merle’s good at fixing us up when we get into scrapes.”

“In theory,” Merle admits. He glances at Lup and Taako. “There’s less scrapes to get into in this realm. You two are going to have to get accustomed to a lot.”

“Mind telling us what this realm sort of, is?” Taako says. “Because we didn’t exactly get a brochure or an instructional guide.”

Merle gives him a funny look. “But I thought we had sent multiple—”

“Listen we were busy okay!” Taako says, a bit too loud. Lup nudges her foot against his shin from underneath the table. “Okay, I was fuckin’ busy, geez.” His face and the tips of his ears take on a deep blush. Lup chuckles, but then turns to look at Merle seriously.

“If we’re being honest,” she says. “We’re not even sure what we’re in for. The king made it sound like Taako would lose all autonomy if he wed him. And I would never see him again.”

“We’re just trying to get a read on the guy,” Taako says. “It’s just hard to do that with all the ‘I’m taking you to be my consort immediately’ drama.”

“You were so into it though,” Lup points out. “You were ready to hop his bones in a second and you know it.”

Taako pours himself some lemonade and pointedly ignores her gaze. “Excuse you, Taako has standards.”

“And all of those standards were met in less than five seconds.”

“Magnus!” shouts a booming voice. Both Lup and Taako feel their hearts leap into their throats, but they remain seated. Barry full on jumps, and his glasses fly off his face, skidding across the table. Merle bursts into a gut busting laugh, apparently having a first person view of Magnus sneaking up on their table.

“I’m done setting up the chairs in the spring garden!” Magnus declares, looking every pleased with himself. “We should be all set to go!” 

Magnus stuffs a sandwich in his mouth before sitting. “Also Lucretia and Davenport told me to tell you that his majesty would be arriving back early.”

Taako glances up to see his sister shooting him a very pointed expression. He ignores her.

“Great, Maggie, pull up a seat,” Merle says. “We were just talking about the king, actually.”

“About that,” Taako says, looking over at Magnus. “So like, the bird king, right?”

“Yeah?” Magnus asks.

“....Is he cool?”

“He’s pretty cool.”

“Cool.”

Lup rolls her eyes at that. “Well that’s one opinion.” She reaches for Barry’s glasses at the end of the table and gives them back to him. He takes them with a grateful smile. She asks, “What do you think of him, Barry?”

“Uh, well, he's objectively a fair king. If not a little headstrong.” Barry comments. “And he doesn’t like the nature of my work, but he understands its potential benefits.”

“What, is he an emissary of death or something?” Taako asks, reaching for one of the little cakes

“Yeah,” Barry, Magnus, and Merle all say together.

Taako nearly drops the cake. “Oh shit.”

“More specifically,” Magnus says, hoarding sandwiches like there’s no tomorrow. “He’s charged with collecting wayward souls that threaten the laws of life and death. The birds help him do this.”

“How?” the twins ask. 

Before they receive an answer, above them comes a distant, rustling sound. Everyone at the table reflexively glances upwards. Through the oculus of the ceiling, into the center of the garden, a flock of birds dive and swarm into a small, whirling funnel. Just as quickly as they arrive, they dissipate in a flash of wings and feathers. Until all that stands there is a man and a raven perched on his shoulder.

The king glances around the courtyard momentarily, before spotting Taako and immediately striding over to him. He isn’t wearing the cape or the crown this time, but he is no less regal. And definitely no less handsome. A fact made abundantly true when he pauses just a few feet in front of Taako’s seat, and offers him a bow.

“I trust that you have had a good rest?” He asks.

“Absolutely,” Taako replies. His face is warm, for some odd reason. “That room you set me up in was real comfy. Uh, nice view as well.”

“Oh,” Kravitz says, straightening. “That was just a guest room! Your chambers are still being furnished. My apologies for the wait. I promise it will be much nicer once they are complete.”

“That was just a—” Taako forces himself from slapping a hand on his face. He recalls the fine wood and shining tapestries, as well as the mesmerizing windows. That one room was worth at least twice what he and Lup were staying in before. “Well believe me, my man, I’m sure the wait is worth it. And I have certainly been treated kindly in the interim.”

Kravitz nods approvingly. “And your sister is just as well? I should hope?” There is a hesitance in his voice as he looks over at Lup. She points two fingers at her narrowed eyes and then points them at Kravitz.

“Oh, yeah, Lulu’s great,” Taako says, waving a hand in front of her. “Don’t take the whole rude and angry thing to heart. She’s a real peach once you get to know her.”

“Yeah, a real peach,” Lup repeats. “Poisonous pit and everything.”

“Hey!” Taako exclaims. He looks over a Barry. “Barold, this place is pretty big. And I’m sure there are spots that Lup hasn’t had the pleasure of seeing yet. Would you mind, possibly, showing her those places?”

“Uh, right,” Barry says, eyes darting between Taako and Lup. He rises from his seat and extends a hand to her. “Would you like to visit the training grounds? There’s a lot of wide open spaces to practice spellcasting.”

Lup sighs and takes Barry’s hand. “I would be delighted. ”

“I’ll come too!” Magnus says. “There’s a ton of fun stuff to blow up! I make all of the test dummies myself.”

“If we’re done with lunch,” Merle cuts in. “I’m going to tend to my azaleas. They need some TLC if you know what I mean.”

“O-kay!” Taako says, slapping both hands on the table. “Yeah, Taako’s had enough of lunch, for sure.” He gestures at what’s left of the food spread. “And maybe give me access to whatever kitchen you have in this place. I bet I could whip up a baller four course meal with half the trappings.”

“What,” Lup says, smiling teasingly. “Are you going to bake your own wedding cake?”

“Don’t tempt me,” Taako replies.

Everyone else exits the courtyard relatively quickly, leaving Taako along at the table. Kravitz pulls up a seat alongside him and leans forward just a bit. 

“I wasn’t trying to cause a rift between the two of you,” he says in a low voice. He looks surprisingly sincere. “Typically these sort arrangements tend to go a lot...smoother.”

Taako is unimpressed. “By smoother, do you mean spiriting me away and using a memory spell to make Lup think I never existed?”

Kravitz’s brows lower. “You are read up on the customs of the Fair folk, aren’t you?”

“I am,” Taako replies. “And as sorry as I am to say this, but if you think that Taako—Bird King Consort or not—would be in any way acceptable to that notion—” he picks his next words carefully. He’s in this realm for the time being, he could very well be beheaded for telling off a KING. “Well, you’d be thinking fuckin’ incorrectly, my good dude.”

Kravitz is once again silent. The raven on his shoulder, which had, up until now, been very still and calm, puffs up its feathers ever so slightly.

Taako winces at that, certain of a bewitching of some sort. But then the bird flaps its wings and hops from the king’s shoulder to the table. It starts pecking at one of the sandwiches.

“I’m sorry, Taako,” Kravitz says, which is not what Taako was expecting at all . His face looks almost dour as he speaks. “My ways of doing things are reminiscent of centuries of existence. But that is no excuse. You have my word; nothing will come to harm your sister while you are both in my keep.”

Taako’s words catch in his throat. He scrambles mentally for a proper response before settling on, “Cultural differences, I get it. Bound to happen.” 

Kravitz’s expression seems to soften at that. “I’m glad we have an understanding. It’s a good establishment for our union.”

Taako nods. In the interim of them talking, Kravitz has leaned towards him even more. This close, Taako can see the brilliant scarlet of what he had thought had been typical dark brown eyes.

Taako turns his head away and asks. “I take it that this is also new for you?” He only half believes that such a question is warranted. Davenport had mentioned that Kravitz was ancient. Surely he would’ve taken at least a few mortal spouses in his lifetime.

“Yes,” Kravitz replies. “When I ascended the throne, it was expected of me to marry. There were a few options among my kind, for a time. But the arrangements didn’t last. It was decided to select a fiance from the common folk. The lottery was made on suggestion of my council—most of whom you have already met—to...um...expedite the process.”

Taako looks at him with wide eyes, before he’s seized by a bark of laughter. “My dude, you either have the worst luck streak when it comes to relationships or I have the best. Because that is still a ridiculous way of choosing a spouse.”

“I will admit,” Kravitz says, half of a smile tugging at his lips. “I do like to gamble.”

“Me too, I guess,” Taako replies, shrugging. “I’m the one who put in the submission.”

Kravitz chuckles. “That you did.”

The king rises from his seat and extends a hand towards Taako. The raven, having polished off half a sandwich, flaps back onto one of his shoulders. “The ceremony will be held in the spring garden, but the rehearsal will be in the library. May I have the honor of escorting you?”

Taako preens a bit and says, “You may.” He takes the king’s hand and stands. He didn’t notice the first time around, but Kravitz’s hands are terribly cold. The king wears gloves, but he can feel the chill emanating from them anyway. He wonders why.

As Kravitz leads Taako out of the courtyard, the garden, the chamber—Taako wonders many, many things.

He wonders if Kravitz likes him, but he takes that thought and shoves it at the bottom of the mental pile.

Chapter Text

Kravitz leads Taako a bit of a ways downward to one of the castle’s many libraries. Taako’s left arm is hooked into Kravitz’s right. This close to him, Taako notices that it’s not just his hands that are cold, it’s Kravitz’s whole body. It’s a heavy coldness, like an iceberg resting immovable in a frozen lake. He can’t help but stare at this enigma of a person.

Kravitz catches his stare and raises a questioning brow. Taako immediately shifts his gaze elsewhere.

“Hey, your bird,” he says, gesturing at the raven. “It never leaves your side, huh?”

“Only sometimes,” Kravitz replies. He extends his arm and the bird scoots down a bit for a better perch. “She is more of a companion than a pet.” He waves the arm she is perched on, and for a moment the bird disappears. He waves it again and she reappears, feather’s a bit ruffled from the sudden dismissal. She nips at her wings to sort them out.

“Why a raven?” Taako asks. “I’d imagine a king would choose something more like an eagle? Or a swan? No offense to her, by the way.”

The raven squawks at him.

“Mortal kings, yes,” Kravitz agrees. “But ravens do the work that no one else is willing to do. They’re carrion birds. Scavengers.” He reaches up and scratches the side of Lenore’s head. She leans into his touch, cawing gently. Her black, shiny eyes are fixed on Taako, however. “But they are also intelligent and opportunistic.”

“And nerds, apparently,” Taako says, grinning. He reaches out a tentative hand. The raven blinks at him again, before nudging her beak against his palm.

Kravitz smiles. “She thinks you’re going to give her a treat.”

“I thinks she’ll have to do better than that if she wants one,” Taako replies.

“A treat!” the bird shouts, causing Taako to slip from Kravitz’s hold and stumble back.

“Holy shit!”

“I’m sorry!” Kravitz says. Taako doesn’t fall, but Krav grabs his hand anyway. “I should have warned you. She doesn’t talk very often.”

“A treat,” the bird insists, a bit softer this time. She hops to Kravitz’s shoulder nearest to Taako.

“Okay,” Taako says, getting his bearings. “I guess I can warrant whipping up something for that.” He hooks his arm back in with Kravitz’s. “But only if she says please.”

“Please,” the raven says, bobbing her head.

“She’s gotten comfortable with you rather quickly,” Kravitz admits. “She usually only speaks in my company. No one else’s.”

“Well, she has good taste,” Taako says. He gives her another head scratch, and she leans into it. Once they all settle down, they fall back in step down the hall.

“You meant what you said,” Kravitz asks. “About working in a kitchen?”

“Oh, hell yeah,” Taako replies. “You are looking at Faerune’s finest chef, my dude! You could give me the world’s shittiest kitchen and ingredients three days old and I’ll still whip up something that will knock you the fuck out. That is a Taako five star guarantee.”

“I’ll make sure you have access to our kitchen then,” Kravitz replies. “And I promise, it’s far nicer than that.”

“I take it you want a treat too?” Taako teases. Kravitz grins at him, a big smile that is not at all kingly, but definitely nice to look at.

“There you are!” shouts a voice from up ahead.

The pair look up and notice Lucretia approaching them from the open entrance of what appears to be another library. She’s practically power walking towards them. “My neck has been breathed down for months for this rehearsal.” She grabs Taako’s hand and inadvertently  tugs both him and the king into the library.

It looks similar to the morning library, save for a slight change in color palette. The armchairs have been pushed back for them to have room to move around. Davenport stands to the side, looking up from a clipboard as soon as they enter.

Lucretia hurriedly positions Taako and Krav in the middle of the room, facing each other. The raven on Kravitz’s shoulders flaps upward and roosts onto a nearby bookshelf, decidedly wedging itself between two aged tomes.

“Now I know I put those cards somewhere,” Lucretia mutters to herself. “I told Merle he needed to better organize his scriptural notes.”

“Hey, before we practice,” Taako says. He feels clammy all of a sudden. Maybe it’s the way Kravitz is holding his hands, very gently but firmly. Maybe it’s the way Kravitz is looking at him with a sudden air of seriousness. Or the way Lucretia is looking at the both of them like she doesn’t have time for doofy shenanigans. Taako focuses on Lucretia. “What are, like, the duties of Bird King consort? Because nobody has really filled me in on the job description.”

“Well,” Kravitz replies. “You’ll be my partner—”

“Fun stuff not included,” Taako interjects. “I am aware of the benefits package.” Kravitz’s words stutter to a flustered halt. Taako likes that, that he can tease Krav so easily.

“You’ll also be a member of the council,” Davenport continues. “You’ll be a liaison between this realm and other realms.”

“So I’ll get to meet other faerie rulers?” Taako asks. He looks back at Kravitz. “Are there kings and queens of other animals? Do they have their own big palaces on islands like a fantasy poptropica?”

“Mine is a rather niche market,” Kravitz replies. “Other charges tend to be a lot more broad.”

“These words on the cards are your vows,” Lucretia says, walking between them and handing one to Taako and Kravitz each. They are small, index paper sized slips of paper. “You must say them exactly so, without stumbling. You don’t have to say the full thing out loud right now. But do practice it in bits and pieces.”

Taako reads his card slowly, the script appears handwritten. It surprises him how few words there actually are:

I take thee to be no other than thyself, and give only of myself that is true. With this, I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.

“The language in this is old as balls,” Taako says. The disapproving look on Davenport’s face makes him consider that he could’ve phrased that better. He looks at Kravitz and asks, “This isn’t a binding spell is it? Because that would be compulsion magic, and Taako is one hundo percent not into that. You have to tell me, otherwise it’s entrapment.”

Kravitz laughs. “It’s not a binding spell. It’s a blessing.” He runs a hand over it. The letters illuminate at his touch. “Every ruler writes the blessing for the one who comes after. This one was written by my mother. For me.”

“Oh,” Taako says quietly. He looks over the words again. With the added context, he feels a sense of responsibility towards them.

“It doesn’t bind,” Kravitz goes on. “But it does grant the couple favor in their union. If that makes sense? It's a little difficult to simplify.”

“I’ll just take your word for it,” Taako replies. He looks down at his card and his brow knits together.

He thinks about how radically different everything will potentially be if he accepts this. So far he’s seen only benefits to becoming Bird King Consort. But there’s a lot that rubs him the wrong way too. He thinks about the fact that he and Lup had been working really hard the past few years. They were both in university and were just scraping by without taking on a fuckton of loans. They figured they could both pay them off within the first year of graduation, then pack up and move to a nicer side of town. Lup would get a science grant. Taako would open a restaurant. They had plans. They had a future.

But all that effort is being shrugged off without a second thought. For all the talk of things going on perpetually, part of him feels like it’s too good to be true. That it won’t last and he’ll be back at square one. Here, with all the fantastical things being thrown at him without rhyme or reason, Taako doesn’t really know what he has.

He doesn’t realize how hard his expression must be, or how zoned out he must’ve gotten, until he feels the chill of one of Kavitz’s hands on his shoulder. He jumps a little at the sudden touch, and the card slips from his hands.

“Are you alright, Taako?” Kravitz asks. “You look unwell.”

“Oh, yeah,” Taako replies, wiping his face with the back of his hand. He crouches down to pick up the card. “Nothing but prenuptial jitters.” He straightens. “We are getting a prenup, correct? Because you promised a fuck ton of gold and cha’boy is going to hold you to that.”

“That will be in order,” Kravitz says. He looks Taako over carefully. Taako won’t admit that he’s getting a little tired of being inspected by everyone like some sort of lab specimen. “I think that’s enough for today,” Kravitz says, surprising him.

“But, Your Highness,” Davenport starts to say.

Lucretia also looks at him strangely. “Tomorrow—”

“It’s enough,” Kravitz repeats, firmly. “Are Taako’s chambers ready?”

“They are,” Lucretia replies.

“Then I will escort him,” Kravitz says. He takes Taako’s hand again. “It’s very late, and you probably still haven’t adjusted to the timezone.”

“Well, I am susceptible to jet lag,” Taako replies, grateful for the abrupt end to the rehearsal. “I suppose this counts.”

The raven doesn’t follow them out as they exit, instead swooping down and landing on one of the arm chairs. Lucretia and Davenport whisper a few words to each other, that are too imperceptible for Taako to hear as he follows Krav. They aren’t more than a few meters out of the library, when Taako whispers, “Are you sure you’re cool with ending practice so quickly?”

Kravitz nods. “The stipulations for our betrothal have already been fulfilled. And you have already voiced your interest in joining my court. There is nothing left but the ceremony, and I promise it is a simple thing.”

Taako isn’t sure about how to voice that this isn’t such a simple thing. Maybe...if he had more time, he’d be more reticent. “And how long until this ceremony?”

Kravitz makes a noncommittal motion with his hands. “Well, I was thinking tomorrow afternoon , at the earliest.”

“Tomorrow?!” Taako exclaims. He lowers his volume immediately. “What’s the rush? I mean— There’s so much going on here. You’ve already gone to the trouble of planning ahead of time. It’d be terrible for something to go array in the moment, you know?”

“Preparations for your comfortable arrival have been in progress for months now,” Kravitz replies. “I assumed you'd only need a day or so to get adjusted.”

“You assume wrong, babe,” Taako replies. “The...air here, it’s so much to take in! Too um...fresh! As well as the altitude.” He puts a hand to his chest. “My lungs need time to acclimate. And my eyes, to all this sunlight. And, um, my knees! This drastic change in climate is making them ache something fierce!” He pats the back of his legs for good measure. “I may look young and spry but I’ve got an old soul and the joints to match.”

“Well, we have a wonderful hot spring that is good for ailments of that sort.”

“Oh shit, really?” Taako asks, then clears his throat. “I mean, just as sure, I’m gonna need a little more than a day. Maybe two days? I know i’m asking a lot but it’s not like I’m going anywhere.” 

Kravitz gives Taako’s suggestion a quiet consideration, then nods his head.

“Right, there is still much you should see.” His voice is low and soft. “This realm holds much importance for the material world. If you have more energy tomorrow, I will show you.”

“Sounds like a plan, babe,” Taako says. It’s not a lot of time. But it’s definitely more time than he had before. And he knows he won’t be as restless going to sleep as he otherwise might have been.

They cross over an open bridge, not saying much of anything, when a crackling noise is heard from a distance. They both turn to their left and see a colorful burst of light fill the sky. Another colorful birst follows. Then another. Taako leans over the edge to see where the fireworks are coming from. He sees a platform jutting out from one of the castle chambers, open and exposed to wind. In the light of the moon he can see Lup and Barry standing out on the platform.

Lup’s arms are raised, and she shouts something, as another stream of light charges from her open palms, and zooms up into the sky, before bursting into an array of sparkling lights.

Taako can’t hear what they are saying to each other from so far below, but he can just make out their laughter.

“Looks like Lup is warming up to the place much better than I thought,” he says, pulling back.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Kravitz replies. “I should apologize to her as well, for insisting on taking you without her. You two seem very close.” 

Taako shrugs. It’s hard to truly explain the bond between him and Lup. Despite all their differences, they understand each other in a way no one else can or will. He meets Kravitz’s gaze and says, “Well, we—listen, Krav—We’ve been through a lot. We’re orphans for one, and then we straight up ran away from every guardian who tried to control or separate us. For a real long time, the only people we could count on was one another.”

“Two halves of a whole,” Kravitz replies, after a beat.

“Yeah. Like that.”

“I can understand that,” Krav says. “The importance of having someone that close.”

“Good,” Taako replies. “Glad we have this precedent set.” He stretches a bit and points to the other end of the bridge. “Now can you show cha’boy, where his bed is? Because I am pooped.”

“This bridge leads directly into your chambers,” Kravitz says. The door they come to is much smaller than the other doors. It’s built with intricate wooden swirls and paned with colorful, rippling glass.

Kravitz pushes the open doors gently then stands aside so that Taako can walk in and get the full view.

Taako’s chambers look as though someone had taken the guest bedroom and attached extra, equally large sized guest rooms to it. Parts of the floor sunk down into comfortable couches and bedding. There were numerous alcoves to sit and read a book or gaze at the sky. Across the room, in an enclose space, he could see steam rising up out of what he assumed to be the bathroom. A large, canopied bed rest to the far right. It was down over with big, beautiful comforters of purple and blue.

“FUCK YEAH,” Taako says. He immediately dive bombs onto one of the couches. His body is enveloped by a pile of cushions. “This is what I’m talking about.”

“I take it that you like it,” Kravitz says, clearly amused.

“You’ll have to portal me out of here, Krav.” Taako says, pulling himself up. “Because I’m not fuckin’ leaving.” 

“I’ll trust you to have a nice rest then.” Kravitz starts to exit, then pauses. Taako stands up, curious to anything else he might have to say. Kravitz turns and looks at him. “Taako. I want you to be comfortable here. You know that right?”

“Yeah,” Taako says, scratching the back of his head. He can feel his face getting warm again. “Believe me, the gesture is appreciated.”

“Excellent,” Kravitz replies. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, babe.”

Kravitz smiles at him one last time, then slips out of the room. As soon as the door shuts, Taako throws himself back into the pile of pillows. He presses one of them to his face with a dissatisfied groan.

This might be bad.

Chapter Text

“They say the old water well caved in yesterday,” the sheriff said to the bakery owner, when he came in for his morning donuts. “Now it’s nothing but dirt n’ rocks now.”

Taako hung near the back side of the door that led to the front of the bakery, partially to avoid getting spotted by the sheriff, and partially to listen in on their conversation.

“For the best,” said the baker, who was superstitious. “Encouraging activity from the Fair is never a good thing.”

“You can say that again,” the sheriff agreed. “Good luck for the reckless soul who got chosen. We’ll probably never hear hide nor tail of them again."

Taako turns away from the door. He’s up to his elbows in raw dough, in a steaming hot kitchen that smells too much like grease and disinfectant. His back hurts, but he has another job later this afternoon. Him and Lup just started school, and books ain’t cheap.

As he goes back to kneading dough, he thinks briefly about the bird that he met the day before. With the well gone, he wonders where it’ll perch now.

Taako wakes up to a darkening sky. He can’t quite tell if it’s the same night or the following night, and there are no clocks on the walls to clarify. He glances around drowsily. 

He’s laying face down on the giant, plush bed. He pushes away some of the pillows and the duvet covering him, and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. He then realizes that he is alone in the giant, beautifully furnished chamber. And Lup is nowhere to be found. 

A moment’s panic rises in his chest, before he catches sight of a small note on a table beside his bed. He snatches it up and reads it:

Don’t make the passing out a habit, okay sleeping beauty? Meet me in the kitchen when you wake up so we show these dorks what a real breakfast tastes like. If you can’t find it, just ask Davenport. 

—Lup

A pair of night shoes have been placed on the floor, as well as a neatly folded bathrobe, resting in a chair that’s been pulled up. Resting on top of the robe is his phone. He reaches over and checks it. The battery is dead.  

With a stretch, Taako slips on the shoes and robe and heads to the bathroom. He makes full use of it, grabbing all the sweet and flowery smelling lotions and soaps that’s been laid out for him. The bathtub is big, and steaming like a hot tub. After a good soaking that leaves him just a little bit pruny, he gets out and starts looking for a change of clothes.

After a bit of investigating, he figures out where the boudoir holding all the clothes are. The rifle through some until coming upon a beautiful maroon cloak, lined with gold and a black fur trim.

He slips on a ridiculously soft white tunic and a pair of light colored breeches, then throws the cloak over his shoulders. He searches around for anything else to add to the look, when he pulls upon a large drawer of a vanity table. Inside is row upon row of fine pendants, chains, necklaces, and other jewelry.

Taako’s hands float over all of it, before settling on a set of dangling, emerald earrings, a delicate pendant, and an intricately sculpted gold belt. He takes a seat at the vanity and turns his head here and there in the mirror. He could pile on waaaay more, but why not savor the experience? 

He gets up and searches through the closets one last time, not stopping until he finds a messenger bag made of sturdy leather. He goes back to the jewelry drawer and, hesitating only slightly, reaches in and tosses as many of them as he can fit into the bag.

Right as he thinks he’s got a decent amount filled, he hears a tapping sound at one of the windows. He stops in his tracks, quickly shoving the bag under the vanity. He turns around and catches sight of a large black bird, perched right outside, on the sill. It taps it’s beak against the glass.

Taako breathes a sigh, then walks towards the window. The raven looks up at him as he approaches, seemingly waiting for him to do something. He glances along the pane and finds a small latch. He opens the window carefully and the bird doesn’t hesitate to hop right in. He recognizes her instantly.

“Well, good morning,” Taako says. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Kravitz?”

“Kravitz,” the raven replies.

“Yes,” Taako replies. He extends a hand to her. She nudges it with her beak, before turning her head for him to scratch it. He obliges and says, “You're a bit far from him aren’t you?”

The raven stays there for just a moment, before something catches her eyes, and she suddenly flies across the room.

“What—” Taako says, turning. “What are you—shit!”

The raven descends near the vanity stool. The bag that Taako had tossed lays on its side, some of the jewelry having spilled over. The raven inspects the shiny jewelry curiously, before pecking at an earring.

“No, don’t do that!” Taako hisses, rushing over. He shoos the bird out of the way, then scurries to scoop the jewelry back into the bag. Once the top is sealed, he pushes it further under the vanity. After scooting the stool back in place, he turns to peer at the bird. She watches him with equally curious eyes.

“You’re not a snitch are you?” Taako asks.

The raven pecks at her own feathers.

“Just so we’re clear on this,” Taako says. “I’m not trying to...I don’t know, run away or anything. It’s just a fail safe. A precaution.”

“Caution,” The raven replies.

“See, you get it,” Taako says. He extends his arm out to her. “I can see why Krav likes you so much. Will you sit on my shoulder?”

The raven flaps its wings and lands its large body onto Taako's right shoulder, gripping on tight.

Taako winces. “Oh fuck, your claws are a lot sharper than they look, huh?”

"Fuck,” the raven says.

Taako barks out a laugh, but then goes pale. “Aw, hell. Is Krav gonna kill me if I accidentally teach his bird how to cuss? Shit. Wait, Fuck. Dammit.” He hurries out of the chamber, bird on his shoulder and hand clamped firmly over his mouth.

Finding the kitchen proves to be a simple task. He enters a large corridor, and follows the smell of something cooking to a pair of doors that clearly look like they lead to a kitchen.

“Well, who’s the one looking nice today?” Lup asks, turning to see her brother enter the room. She’s standing over a stove, one hand holding a skillet full of eggs, the other waving about in the air. On a nearby counter, a floating knife chops up some onions and green peppers. She’s wearing a bright red apron over a pretty floral sundress. “No wonder it took you so long to get up. You may want to slip off that cloak and slip on an apron.”

“What time is it?” Taako asks, undoing his cape. The raven hops of his shoulder and lands on one of the many, long metal countertops in the kitchen. It’s definitely one of, if not the nicest kitchen either of the twins have worked in.

“Isn’t that Kravitz’s bird?”

“My bird now,” Taako declares. “Krav will have to give me his title if he wants her back. Again, what time is it? I slept hella early and now time means nothing.”

“About 8pm, the next night,” Lup explains. “While you were snoozing, dinner was served. And it was…” she makes a face. “Well, let’s say that you and I have had ramen stir fry better than that.”

“Fantasy Jesus Christ these people need help,” Taako says. “I haven’t seen a butler or footmen around here at all. And definitely not more guards.”

“They rely pretty heavily on magic around here,” Lup replies. “Which makes sense. But still.” She flips the eggs in the skillet, and they let out a satisfying sizzle. “That doesn’t make up for actual skill.”

“I’m saying,” Taako says, clapping his hands together. A row of utensils levitate from where they hang on the wall and float over the the counter nearest him. He throws on a nearby apron and washes his hands. Then he and Lup spend the next hour tossing together the most exquisite breakfast either of them have had in a while. The kitchen is fully stocked, so they spare no expense with getting a little fancy.

“Have fun with the Bird King yesterday?” Lup asks, not at all coy.

“You know,” Taako says. He gives her an awful grin. “We did.....kingly things.”

“Ewww. Forget I asked.”

Taako snorts. “Nothing happened, Lup. We just had a quick rehearsal, and then I was sleepy, so I went to bed.”

“I heard things got pushed back a few days to give you time to adjust,” Lup says. She roasts some sausage over the flames. “Apparently fae are pushy when it comes to timeframes, otherwise it would’ve been today.” She looks up at her brother. “Are you going to go through with it?”

“With what?” Taako asks, buttering the toast

“The wedding,” Lup asks. “I mean you’ve made such a huge stink about it since we got here.”

“Yeah, of course I am,” Taako exclaims. “You think I’m going to pass up the opportunity to be an all powerful, baller ass ruler? I thought you knew me, Lulu.”

Lup rolls her eyes at him. “I shall rephrase the question: Are you okay with going through with the wedding?”

“What kind of question is that?” Taako replies. “You saw me! I was ready to run out the door!”

“That was the other day, this is today.” Lup sets the skillet off the stove and puts a hand on her hips. “You’ve been doing the cagey humor thing you do when you’re worried.”

“I’m not worried.”

Lup gives him an unimpressed look.

Taako sighs. “I mean—what about rent Lulu? How is that going to continue to be paid. I don’t know if there’s a fantasy storage service. If we don’t go back, then all our stuff will be tossed out or sold. Is this what happens when people get sent to jail? Fucking hell.”

Lup shoots him a prying look. “I think if you’re using jail as a metaphor, then that’s a pretty bad sign, Koko.”

“Well, he certainly didn’t show me any ways of coming and going if I wanted to.”

“Have you tried asking?” Lup asks. “I’ve been talking to Barry, and he’s been fine with explaining how a lot of this stuff works.”

“Oh, easy for you, Lup,” Taako says, throwing up his hands. “You're not the one marrying the fucking BIRD KING. You think he’s going to let his prized consort take a one way trip to fantasy Costa Rica?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Lup says, turning away from Taako and his high strung attitude. “We talked yesterday. To be honest, I think we started off on the wrong foot.” 

“You did? When?” Taako asks, bewildered that the two would have a conversation without him.

“At dinner. He said he was sorry for the whole ‘Come with me now' drama." She flicks some flour at Taako’s face. “Your hot new boyfriend is a nerd, Koko.”

“Oh, like you’re one to talk!” Taako exclaims, getting ready to thwack her with a hand towel.

“Excuse me?” Lup yells.

“Oh, hey guys.”

The twins both look up. In the midst of their yelling, they had failed to notice Barry, entering through the kitchen doors. Lup’s face starts to darken, and Taako has to suppress a laugh. Barry looks at their mildly stunned face with a bit of nervousness. “Y- you were serious about the whole, making breakfast thing, huh? How’s that coming along”

“Great!” Lup says, catching herself. She walks over to a counter, where a tray of baked goods cools. She motions at Barry. “Come here. Try these beignets I just fried!”

Lup glosses some powdered sugar over the fresh, oven warm pastries. Barry walks over and she hands him one wrapped in parchment paper. He takes a bite and his eyebrows raise immediately. “That’s fantastic!” He exclaims, before taking another bite. Lup grins with pride.

“There’s more where that came from,” she says. “We’re almost done here. Can you find us a spot to bring out the food?”

“I think one of the pavilions will do,” Barry replies. “I’ll send a cart down and help you move things as soon as I check.”

“Cool, see you shortly, babe.”

Babe? Taako thinks.

Taako looks at Lup, all smiles, and then at Barry, a blush tinging his face. And then he looks back at Lup. And as he does, he experiences the fives stages of gross all at once, before looping back around to being pleasantly surprised at the fact that his sister has developed a crush on what appears to be the resident nerd.

The moment Barry exits the room, Taako turns on his heel and gives Lup the biggest shit eating grin.

“Sooooooo. Barold, huh?”

“Shut up,” Lup replies curtly. She avoids the smile still plastered on her brother's face.

“Wouldn’t have pegged you as a nerd lover,” he says. “If you weren’t already such a huge nerd yourself.”

Lup grabs a spatula and points it at him. “One more word outta you, and that wedding is going to become a fucking funeral.”

“My fiance is an emissary of death!” Taako exclaims. “Can’t touch me, motherfucker!”

“A treat!” the raven declares. Taako turns and catches sight of her flapping excitedly over his freshly decorated eggs benedict.

“Oh no!” Taako yells. He rushes at her. “Nonononono!”

The raven flaps back a bit, looking rustled by the rude interruption. Taako reaches out and pets the back of her head. She slowly eases herself back onto his arm. He feels bad for yelling at her. She was only following her natural birdie instinct. “I promise you a treat once we get everything else set up, okay?” he says gently.

“If you’re making a habit of talking to the birds,” Lup says. “Then I think you’re better suited for Krav than I thought.”

As Taako nudges the raven back on his shoulder, he feels like he should like that possibility. At the least, he’ll use that notion to get him through the evening.

Chapter Text

It’s a bit later into the evening when Taako and Lup (plus Barry, who offered to help push the breakfast carts as well) enter a large, open pavilion. This one faced the northern wing of the palace; offering crisp, but not too cold breezes, and an excellent view of the sea. 

Well, everywhere offered an excellent view of the sea. But this one—as Lucretia put it, when they had entered—offered the best view for catching shooting stars.

“Do you mean ‘catch’ as in spotting?” Lup asks. She and Taako start setting a large circular table in the middle of the pavilion. Barry and Lucretia take a seat opposite them. “Or do you have a way to actually catch them?”

“Sometimes they fall into the lake and bits of the remnants wash up on the shore as crystals,” Lucretia replies. “The castle is filled with centuries worth of inlaid star decorations.”

“That’s so fucking rad,” Lup says. Taako has to admit, he thinks it’s rad too.

“The earrings you are wearing are an example of that,” Lucretia says, pointing at Taako's set. He touches them reflexively.

“So they’re not real emeralds?” he asks.

“Oh no, they are,” Lucretia says. “All the jewelry you have been provided is genuine.”

“Fuckin’ sweet,” Taako says. He’s definitely going to wear as much of this fancy jewelry as possible. Never mind the bag he stashed under vanity, which he is not suddenly thinking about right now.

Not a moment after the table is completely set, do more members of the castle begin to trickle in. Their faces light up at the sight of the fresh food and the fancy arrangements. Taako’s eyes occasionally roam towards the door, half expecting the king to pass through as well, but it remains unopened. A one point Lup notices him glancing in that direction and smiles a knowing grin at him. He blows a raspberry in response.

“Please,” says the raven in a small voice, currently perched on the high back of one of the wooden chairs surrounding the table.

“Good birdie,” he replies. He grabs a small strip of cured ham from one of the serving trays. He offers it to the large, black bird. 

“A treat!” the raven exclaims, before gently taking the offering from Taako’s hand. He grins and reaches across the table for another piece.

“So the bird symbols,” Lup says, watching her brother with amusement. “Are they chosen for you or do you get to pick them yourself?”

“You choose them yourself,” Barry says.

“Paradise birds,” the twins shout simultaneously. They lock eyes with each other and yell in unison, “Jinx!” “Double Jinx!” “Fuck you, jinx!”

“There’s 42 species of birds of paradise,” Lucretia says. “Do you have a specific one in mind?”

“Oof, that’s too much thinking for Taako,” Taako says. He waves a hand, as if to wave the thought away. “I’ll pass. If I’m gonna have a bird, I want it to be one of a kind.”

“Pick a raven,” Lup says. “That way you’ll be complimenting your betrothed.”

“One. Of. A. Kind.” Taako says through his teeth. Though he doesn’t exactly hate the idea. If Kravitz can work the look so well then maybe he could too. He at least has the animal handling prowess. He looks at Davenport. “But, speaking of betrothed—”

“His majesty is out at the moment,” Davenport replies. “He shall return later this evening.”

“Does he always go out at the start of every night?” Taako asks. He’s starting to understand the pattern of the way things work around here. 

“Most nights, yes. Usually at sunset.”

Taako is about to ask what the king’s duties are, when Lucretia adds, “Your crown is going to be inlayed with crystals retrieved from the sea. I believe Davenport has already gotten your head measurements?”

“Oh yeah, he did,” Taako replies. “He works fast as fuck.”

“That’s Cap’n’port for you,” Barry replies.

“Magnus will handle the crown’s construction,” Lucretia says. “He’s a guard, but his skills as a craftsman can’t be overlooked.”

“Oh really?” Taako asks. He’s excited by the idea of wearing a crown.

Magnus beams. “It’s going to be the best crown this side of the realm!”

“We’re on all sides of the realm—” Merle mumbles into his glass of orange juice.

“No fair!” Lup exclaims. She pouts. “I wanna crown made out of falling stars.”

“Should’ve joined the lottery,” Taako replies. Lup puts a piece of egg on the end of her fork and flicks it in Taako’s direction. It smacks the side of Taako’s face with a sticky, thwap! He turns and looks at her with heated, glaring eyes, before reaching a hand across the table.

Lup’s eyes go wide as she tries to block him off with a napkin. “Oh no you—” He tosses a beignet at her, sending white, powdered sugar all over her face and hair. She jumps up from her seat. Bits of flakey pastry have also splattered onto her dress. “You little—”

“FOOD FIGHT!” Magnus yells. Lup and Taako take that as all the motivation they need to start throwing breakfast items at each other, as well as other members at the table.

“My lord and ladyship, please!” Davenport exclaims, to no avail. Barry has the misfortune of getting a pancake smacked to the face. Magnus is on the receiving end of a cluster of fruit. Merle is pelted with strips of bacon. Lucretia ducks under the table, but an upended pitcher of milk splashes her cloak. Davenport tries planting a foot on the table to stop the madness, but ends up hit on all sides by runny eggs.

There are no survivors.

It takes a better part of the evening to clean up the mess in the pavilion. Most of the time is taken up by Magnus yelling, “5 second rule” every five seconds—to everyone’s disgust, and each person narrowly avoiding slipping in eggs or orange juice, or whatever the fuck else has spilled on the floor.

But there’s also a lot of laughter. Taako and Magnus bet Merle that he can’t chug the only beverage that didn’t get tossed—the coffee. He does, going into a jittering frenzy moments later. Taako catches sight of Lup attempting to wipe syrup off Barry’s face with her scarf. He runs a hand gently through her hair, where a blanket of powdered sugar falls off her like mist. 

He’s just about to open his mouth and tease her, when he spots the raven hopping and flapping around the room. Looking for little morsels to pick at and eat. He hurries over to her and gently picks her up. “Nonono, we can do much better than that.” She picks at her wings as he handles her, and he notices bits of food scraps in her feathers. He makes a face. “Let’s get ourselves cleaned up, then we’ll both find Kravitz, okay?”

“Kravitz,” the raven replies. She hops on his shoulder’s and together they head out of the pavilion.

Taako goes back to his chambers, bemoaning the disgusting mess that’s become his brand new fine cloak. However, it’s nothing a little prestidigitation magic can’t fix. Even with the cloak and other garments now perfectly cleaned, his hair is still a bit array. He finds a brush in one of the vanity drawers, and works it out, before braiding it back and tying of the ends with another ribbon. 

He turns to the raven, nestled comfortably on a pile of cushions. “How do I look?”

The raven bobs her head at him.

“I thought so,” he says. He extends an arm to her, and she obediently flaps over and lands on it. “Let’s go find the king.”

Taako leaves the comfort of the fine chamber, pointedly ignoring the bag of jewels stashed under the vanity table. He does a half decent job of not thinking about it, closing the chamber door behind him, when—

“There you are!” 

Taako looks up and spots Kravitz approaching him quickly across the bridge that leads to his chambers. His gait is stiff and there’s a hard-lined expression on his face. “I was looking all over for you!”

Taako takes a step back. “My bad, dude, I was just—”

Kravitz blinks, and the expression falls from his face. “Oh, no. Sorry, love, I was talking about the bird.” He extends an arm out.

“Oh,” Taako replies. The bird leaps from his shoulder to Kravitz’s, as he avoids thinking about how being called love is doing something to his insides.

They both stand in the middle of the bridge, surrounded by the open air and the clear, starry sky. One or two birds flap overhead, but not as many as the evening before.

“I heard there was, well, a bit of a disturbance at breakfast,” Kravitz says, not looking at Taako directly. “Care to elaborate?” 

Taako crosses his arms and looks pointedly at the sea. “Well if you wanna call it that, you can call it that. But if you ask ole Taako here, I have nothing to say—except that Lup shot first and also I spent two solid hours on that breakfast and I should be paid for physical, emotional, and psychological damages.”

“Lucretia told me what happened, Taako,” Kravitz says, the amusement clear in his voice.

“Damn, no allies huh?” Taako says, dropping his arms. “Fuck, monarchy is a dangerous game.”

“That it is,” Kravitz replies. “But, keep your friends close and your enemies closer as they say.”

“I mean I’m sure Caesar thought the same, but I digress,” Taako says. He leans against the dark handrail of the bridge. “Your council seems cool, albeit sparse. Not to be rude or anything, but for a kingdom, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of people around here.”

“The birds are my people,” Kravitz replies, and the raven flaps its wings in agreement.

Taako makes a mental note of how many birds there are in the world. “Ah, well in that case your kingdom is pretty fuckin’ huge.”

“Thank you,” Kravitz replies. It’s now that Taako notices how far more dressed down the king is. Though dress down is still a bit of an understatement. He wears a black waistcoat over a deep red dress shirt and black slacks. A silvery chain hangs from his pocket, indicating a watch of sorts. He wears black leather gloves on his hands, one of which he extends to Taako.

“May I show you something?” he asks.

“Another fantasy realm?” Taako jokes.

A smile plays at Kravitz’s lips, as he replies, “Something like that.” Instead of leading Taako into another hall, Kravitz snaps his fingers and a rift appears at his side. He extends an arm. “Come with me?”

Taako looks at the portal dubiously. “Are those like, easy to conjure up? Asking for a friend.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say easy,” Kravitz replies. His arm lowers just a bit. “But possible, with practice.” He snaps his fingers again and the portal disappears. 

“Hmm,” Taako hums. He weighs the pros and cons of the situation and says. “Okay, but I have to come back in one piece or Lup will kill me. And you, but mostly me. Also she has a crush on Barold, who I may or may not have thrown a stack of flapjacks at earlier. So the likelihood of both of them resurrecting my ass just to beat it is pretty high.”

Kravitz doubles over with laughter, a sound that is deep and rich and throws Taako for yet another loop. The bird hops from his shoulder to the railing. Kravitz straightens up and offers his hand once more. “I promise to bring you back safely, Taako. You have my word.” 

Taako’s more receptive to that. A fae doesn’t break a promise, thank goodness. He takes Kravitz hand, and the king conjures another portal for them to enter.

Taako steps through the rift and is suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion. He grips Kravitz’s arm tightly, the latter presses a tentative hand to his back to keep him steady. Taako blinks a few times to fight off the feeling of fatigue, then glances around to get a look at where they’ve ended up.

“Oh shit, the beach!” Taako says. He turns around and is startled by the fact that the castle is not directly behind him. Instead it is one lone, barren island, not even a kilometer in length.  There is no wind blowing. The water barely moves, save for a small ripple, that breaks soundlessly onto the sand. In the distance, Taako can’t see where the water ends and the sky begins.

“A different island?” he asks, looking at Kravitz with hesitation. “Hey Krav—not that this scene isn’t pretty—but being surrounded on all sides by water, without outside communication or escape does not appeal to cha’boy here.”

“I won’t keep you here long,” Kravitz says, pointing off into the distance. “But this kind of view is better seen away from the castle.”

Taako follows Kravitz's line of sight out to the open waters. He sees something moving, catching the light of the moon, and casting a shadow on the surface. 

As the thing moves closer, he realizes the thing he is looking at is a flock of birds. They are moving just as quickly as the ones around the palace, faster even. But there is something else that’s different. He can see tiny glowing lights being corralled inside, following their feathered guides.

The flock descends suddenly. Directly beneath them, a warm, glowing light starts to churn deep within the waters. The birds and lights dive in, their collective force causing the surface to ripple outwards. The glow spreads throughout the entire body of water, until the reflected stars are overtaken by it. The light surrounds the island, illuminating where Taako and Kravitz stand. This lasts for a few seconds, before the glowing dies away, and the sky returns to the surface.

“The sea of souls,” Taako says breathlessly.

“Every evening, they descend into the water,” Kravitz explains. “And every morning, a new flock will rise out, and reenter the world.”

“Well,” Taako says. “That’s...something.”

They both continue to stand quickly for a little longer, before Kravitz asks, “What do you think? Of this place, I mean?” 

“It’s beautiful,” Taako admits, “Kinda wish home had a view like this.”

Kravitz is silent for a moment. Something tells Taako that his response wasn’t the one he was looking for. The question was intentionally vague, but Taako doesn't want to say that if he could build a condo on just this small island alone, he’d do it in a heartbeat. 

“Did you have any nice views at home?” Kravitz asks.

Taako rolls his eyes. “If by nice view, you mean, ‘sat on my roof occasionally and watched my noisy neighbors in my shitty community go about their day, then maybe.”

Kravitz smiles, “Sounds peaceful.”

Taako laughs, a bit rueful. “Lup and I, when we were staying with one of our asshole relatives, used to play a game where we’d sneak into one of our neighbors’ yards and throw rocks at the house we were staying in. That way, our relative would be pissed at them and not us.”

“So the troublesome behavior started young.” 

“You’re fae,” Taako points out. “I think you’d be the kind of person to appreciate that kind of behavior.”

“Oh, I do,” Kravitz says. His smile becomes a grin. “But I wasn’t much of a hellion myself, so I enjoy picking up stories from others.”

“What did you do as a kid?” Taako asks. His face scrunches. “Wait, you’re old. You probably don’t remember being a kid, huh?”

Kravitz nudges Taako with his elbow. “I’m not—” he sighs. Taako grins. Kravitz looks back at the ocean. “I love-I loved music. Always have. Before being king, I used to go fto open plaza’s and concerts and listen to the musicians play. Pretend I was the one guiding them along.”

“A conductor?” Taako asks. Kravitz nods.

“But then,” he continues. His face looks neutral, but there’s something like longing in the way he speaks. “Then, it was time for me to take on responsibilities as heir apparent.”

Taako nods. “Heavy is the head who wears the crown.”

Kravitz smirks. “You’re full of quotes, aren’t you?”

“I’m a lot of things, homie,” Taako replies. “I’m multidimensional. I’m a wellspring of personality traits. You don’t know what you’re going to get next.”

“I look forward to finding out,” Kravitz says. And...that’s certainly something as well.

Taako considers saying something else. Something along the lines of “hey, you could kiss me if you wanted,” when he hears a sound. A sort of distant groaning.

“What is that?” he asks. After a bit of squinting, he realizes that theirs is not the only small island out on the water. On another island of rocky stone, a significant distance away, sits a massive fortress of stone and steel. Taako frowns. “Davenport said you didn’t have a dungeon.”

He looks at Kravitz, and nearly leaps out of his skin when he sees him.

The handsome man a moment before is now a full on skeleton, donned in a heavy, cowled robe, with a long scythe held firmly in both hands. The skeleton does not look at Taako as he stares at the fortress.

“That is the eternal stockade,” he says, in a voice that sounds like Kravitz, but the skull visage hardly moves. “Where the souls that defy my laws are kept.”

Taako is unsettled both by the stockade and Kravitz’ s entirely new form. He’s very ready to not be where he is right now.

“Take him back to the castle,” the skeleton commands the raven, still perched on his shoulder. The raven flies off and lands on the soft sand.

Taako can barely voice a word of confusion, before large black wings sprout from the back of Kravtiz’s robes. The king takes off into the sky, leaving Taako stunned on the tiny island.

Taako’s eyes fall on the raven, who flaps its wings and lets out a large caw, much louder than what should be possible for a bird its size. A portal appears beneath Taako’s feet. He barely registers its presence, before his heart flies into his throat, and he slips through.

Chapter Text

Taako was very young when he noticed the flock of birds. He and Lup would always go to the park right after school. The more time they spent outside, the less time they spent at home. The current relative they stayed with wouldn’t let them play games, or watch tv, or even read their favorite books. As soon as they got home it was cleaning, followed by a terrible dinner, followed by homework, followed by bed.

The twins would sit cross legged in the low hanging branch of a giant oak tree, resting not too far from the gazebo that stood in the middle of the park near their apartment complex. Lup would read a book on evocation, a book she had to con an older student out of since they weren’t supposed to learn higher levels of magic until they were in high school. Taako laid lazily on the more open end of the branch, watching as people jogged by or walked their dogs, half paying attention to whatever musician decided to perform in the gazebo.

Taako liked the way the birds would crowd around the structure’s roof as soon as the music started. It wasn’t often that it was good music. But still, they would gather and peek their little heads down, as if listening intently. Sometimes Taako would reach into his backpack, grab the remnants of a half eaten sandwich, and throw pieces of the crust to the birds. The birds would chirp and peck at the bread, seemingly appreciative.

“You should use bird seed instead of bread,” Lup said.

“You’re a bird seed,” Taako replied. Lup kicked his leg and Taako almost fell out of the tree. 

He made sure to bring some bird seed next time.

Taako’s eyes flutter open. Momentary confusion leaves him staring at the ceiling for an indiscernible amount of time. After a short mental assessment, he deems his faculties in working order. He’s laying on something soft, for sure. The area around him is quiet. So what happened?

Everything comes back to him slowly: falling through the portal, landing on the large bed in his chambers, passing the fuck out because that’s the second portal he’s entered through in the span on an hour, the sight of Kravitz looking like the God Damned Spectre of Death!

That particular thought launches Taako out of bed. He nearly trips over his own slippers, rushing across the large room and immediately going for the satchel hidden under the vanity. He moves the stool out of the way and grabs it, eyes darting around for anything else useful.`

“Taako!” says a voice, and Taako looks up to see the raven standing on the stool right beside him.

“You!” Taako exclaims. “You have to let me go!” The bird flies to the other side of the room. Taako turns and glares at her. “You brought me in here, you can let me out!”

“Kravitz,” the raven replies, puffing up her feathers.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Taako says. “Kravitz mentioned nothing about the warden of a fuckin’ ghost prison. And Taako’s not going to run the risk of being the next one sent there. You of all people should be sympathetic.” Any other time he’d be getting on his own case for arguing with a bird. But he was far too pissed to make light of the situation. 

“Caution,” the raven seems to urge. Taako scoffs.

He turns away from the bird and goes back to searching. Maybe for a spell component, something he can use to magic his own way out. His rummaging is interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. The doors to the chamber swing open and Lup rushes in, full of excitement.

“Holy fucking shit Taako!” She exclaims. She points to the windows, which Taako only just now takes the opportunity to notice.

The first thing that catches his eye is the fact that it’s day out. Early morning, judging by how dim the sunlight is. He can see through the windows that the sea is a deeper blue than the sky. But now, instead of its typical motionless, mirror like appearance, the sea is being stirred up in waves. A decent distance away, swarms of—something—surge just above the water’s surface. The something is dark and terrifying, cycling into a funnel like a hurricane. It approaches the castle steadily, churning even more water as it approaches.

The sight sends a shiver down Taako’s spine. “We have to go,” he says, tugging on her arm. 

“Go? What?” Lup asks. She gestures at the windows. “There’s a veritable ghost storm outside! Don’t you wanna go bust some ghosts?” 

Of course that’s where her investment lies, the nerd.

“I most certainly do not,” He replies. “I want to go home.”

“Home?” Lup asks, excitement dampening. She takes in the unsettled look in her brother’s face with some concern. “Wait, Taako. Did something happen with you and Krav?”

“Yeah, something happened,” Taako says. He starts walking towards the double doors. “A whole lot of spooky shit that cha’boy is ill equipped to handle right now.” He points at the bird, now perched on the back of a nearby couch. “Also the raven over here can make portals and didn’t tell me, and now she won’t let me leave.”

The raven begins to flap her wings at him, before there is a flash of magic around her, and she vanishes into thin air.

“I—That’s-” Lup’s eyes dart between Taako and the spot where the bird suddenly disappeared from, looking even more concerned. She grabs her brother’s hand and speaks to him gently. “I was in one of the libraries with Maggie when shit started hitting the fan. Davenport said some rogue spirits broke out of ghost jail or whatever, and the king had to go fend them off. I’ve been all over the castle trying to find you!”

“Yeah?” Taako asks. He heads to the door and pushes it open. “Well, you found me. And frankly, I’m pretty ready to check on out.”

“Listen, ko,” Lup says, trailing behind him. “I’ll jump ship with you, I will. But everyone else here seemed pretty calm about the situation. I think they have it under control.”

As soon as they access the bridge, they are hit with a terrible surge of wind. The hurricane, still far away, grows closer. The twins glance back at it momentarily, then keep going. 

“Look!” Lup says, pointing downward. They both catch sight of Lucretia, standing in the middle of the open platform a short distance below.

Lucretia waves her arms frantically, clearly casting a spell. A bright light shoots from her palms, and a shield goes up around the southern wing of the castle. The wind around it stops immediately. From the eastern and western sides, similar shields go up. The twins watch as a few birds flutter from the roofs of several chambers—some flock close to the castle like sentinels, the rest go out over the sea towards the legion of angry spirits.

“See,” Lup says. “They’ve got it.”

In the distance, the swirl of angry spirits still approach. Taako doesn’t trust that for a moment. He continues across the bridge and jingles his satchel of jewelry at her. “You’ve got your bag full of gold, right? I say we get it, and try to talk one of the guys into letting us go home.”

Lup sighs, but doesn’t bother trying to argue. “My room is just down the hall. I’ll grab my purse and see if I can find Barry. He might be able to help.”

The twins rush down the hallway. They come to the intersection in the center, where all the chambers connect. Barry, Magnus, and Merle are there, seemingly in discussion about the storm.

“There you guys are,” Barry says, as all three catch sight of the twin’s approach. “We should head further into the base of the palace, it’s a lot safer there than up here.”

“Hold on a second, babe,” Lup says, grabbing his hand. “Merle, you and Maggie go ahead outside; We’re going to need your help real quick.”

“Or you could come help us out!” Magnus says, getting all excited by the idea. “Creesh is good with the shields, but there are a looootta ghosties out there at the moment, and if we’re not careful, some could slip into the palace.”

“Davenport is out on the water already,” Merle says. “None of us were able to get a good view of the shore till the sun was up. He said he would patrol it and get back with a report.”

“Taako’s good out here,” Taako replies. “Actually, Taako’s not. Barold, could you conjure up a portal to our house?”

“You...you guys are trying to leave?” Barry asks, glancing from Taako to Lup. Lup bites her lip.

“Yeah,” Taako says. “The extended vacay has been fun, but uh...Taako’s done.”

“What about the king?” Merle asks. “You seemed pretty set on marrying him.”

“Well, you know what they say about shotgun weddings. You don’t—”

“GET DOWN!” Magnus shouts, leaping over the rest of them as a surge of wind breaks through the southern facing windows, sending shattering glass scattered everywhere. They all crouch under Magnus’s big, beefy frame, not peeking up until the wind changes direction. Merle quickly throws up a shield spell to make up for the broken windows.

“We need to get to the base of the castle,” Barry repeats. “We’ll sort everything else out later!”

“Ugh, fine!” Taako replies, already moving. “Let’s go!”

The group makes their way down a winding walkway that leads to the innermost section of the castle. There, a chamber stocked with food and supplies awaits them. Some of them take seats on milk crates, while others opt for wine barrels. Their movements kick up a bit of dusts, which send them all into a bit of a sneezing fit.

“Do you guys ever need to come down here?” Taako asks, casting prestidigitation to clear away some of the dust.

“Not really,” Merle replies. “The castle is pretty self-sufficient. And the stockade is usually kept pretty secure. The King checks it on his rounds every day.”

“Oh, I wonder,” Lup says, in a dramatic voice. “What could’ve caused the king to deviate from his daily rounds.” Her eyes fall on Taako. He sticks his tongue at her, and is tempted to conjure some more dust to fling in her direction.

Their banter is then interrupted by an unexpected broadcast.

“Guys, I need help!” says a voice that sounds a lot like Lucretia, carried through the air via the typical hallmarks of a messenger’s spell.

“What’s wrong?” Magnus asks, responding to the message. Another one follows quickly.

“The north, east, and west shield spells are holding fine, but I’m having trouble holding the south one, and the legion is coming this way. I need a distraction.”

“We’re on it!” Merle replies, hopping off his crate. He looks at the twins. “You two can stay here if you want.”

“No, I wanna come with!” Lup says, jumping up, all excitement. Her eyes dance with ideas. “If you did chill touch with frostbite, you might be able to freeze the legion to the sea.”

“That—” Barry starts, the gears turning in his head. “That could be a way of rendering it immobile.” He looks at Lup, starting to match her excitement. “Let’s go try it out.”

Lup beams and looks back at Taako. “Are you just gonna hang in here? By yourself?”

“Uh huh,” Taako says, crossing his arms and kicking back. “Taako’s good in here, thanks.”

“I think the future king consort needs to learn a thing about handling ghosties,” Merle says, smiling devilishly. He nudges Magnus with his elbow. “Don’t you, big guy?”

Taako’s eyes go wide. “Oh, no you don’t!”

But his protests fall on deaf ears as Magnus grabs him—sack of potatoes style—and leads the charge outside. “TEAM FIGHT! TEAM FIGHT!” he shouts. Taako kicks his legs and threatens to blast Magnus’s kneecaps off, but Magnus doesn’t stop as the five of them hurry out of the castle, and towards the beach.

As soon as they cross the fleeting remnants of Lucretia’s shield spell, the wind hits them again with terrifying force. They have to huddle against each other, each mage putting up their own smaller shield spells to fend of billowing clouds of sand.

“I’ll go first,” Lup says. As soon as they reach the water’s edge, she casts an ice blast on the water, forming a path on the surface. She quickly tests her weight one it, then runs headlong into the fray.

“Put me down, right now!” Taako demands. Magnus sets him on his feet, and Taako wastes no time hopping onto the ice path right behind Lup.

“Goofus!” Taako yells, keeping in pace with his sister. “What the hell are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about seeing how far my magic can go!” Lup yells back.

As soon as they’re within 30 meters of the storm, Lup shoots off the necromantic spell directly into the heart of the legion. In sync, Taako follows up with an ice spell of his own, where the storm makes contact with the water. Seamlessly, the two spells combined stop the funnel from swirling. The air around them begins to dissipate. 

A flock of birds immediately descends upon the legion. One by one, they pull spirits from the horde and drag them into the sea. The twins look back towards the castle, and breathe a relieved sigh as the southernmost shield goes up, sturdy and secure. On the shoreline, they can see the others cheering for them.

Their revel is cut short, however, when the howling shrieks of angered souls erupt from within the frozen mass. They can see movement within, as those souls unaffected by the spells continue to churn, breaking down the ice surrounding the others.

“Shit,” Lup and Taako both breathe. The frozen water beneath them begins to crack. It’s only now that Taako remembers that he is still carrying the bag of jewelry, and that is adding to his weight upon the ice.

“Hey!” calls a voice from further out to sea.

They look up to see a small boat speeding towards them. It’s sleek and silvery white in the bright, morning sun. Manning the steering wheel is Davenport. He holds the wheel with one hand, and tosses a sturdy cord out to them with the other. 

“Grab on tight!” he shouts. Lup grabs it first, tossing the end to Taako. They both latch on as best they can, as the water beneath them becomes even more unstable.

The legion shifts, changing from a funneled storm to an eldritch beast. Tendrils of angry spirits whip about, desperately beating against the ice to break it apart. The birds fly away, unable to flock around the mass without getting struck.

It is here when Taako glances up and catches sight of Kravitz.

The king is not difficult to see. He floats high above the fight. His form alternates between a skeleton with great, breathtaking wings, and a flock of furious ravens. It is the former form that he is now, as he searches for a proper vantage point from which to strike at the storm. A tendril of angry spirits shoots out, and he dodges easily. But then another comes out just as quickly, and clips his wings. He falters in his flight, as a third strikes directly, taking hold. 

“Krav!” Taako yells. 

The tendril slams him against the surface of the water, and barrels the vestiges of the king of birds deep beneath the waves.

Taako casts a burst of brilliant sunlight, which pours down solidly upon the main portion of the swirling, moaning souls. They cry out as the light blinds them completely. The giant form falls apart, until they are separate mounds of discontent spirits. Their voices become screeching howls, as smaller tendrils shoot in the wizard’s direction.

“Watch out!” Davenport yells. He revs up the engine, and Taako and Lup grab onto each other. Taako stamps his foot, and the bit of ice that he’s left standing on transmutes into solid wood. Lup keeps her arms around him, as they are dragged back to the beach.

The rest of the birds swoop past them, surrounding the horde. The rest of the council watch in awe as the flock envelope the last of the legion, rendering it asunder, and wrenching it into the sea. This goes on for a time, until the last little bit slips under the waves, and the storm is no more. The wind ceases, and the sound deafens to a stand still.

Davenport stops right at the shore and turns the engine off. Taako and Lup trip over each other as they hit shallower waters. They both fall to their knees and desperately gasp for breaths.

Taako leans back into the sand, not even budging when the tide slinks up and soaks him a little bit. He can feel the adrenaline rush leaving his body. And all he can do is stare at the surface and try to calm his beating heart. It’s only when it starts to slow, that he looks down at himself, and realizes that the satchel he was carrying is gone. The strap of it must have come undone when he and Lup were dragged out of the water.

“That was fuckin’ sick!” Magnus comments, running down to meet them. Merle, Barry, and even Lucretia follow close behind.

“Thanks big guy,” Lup replies, as Barry helps her to her feet. She’s also soaked and covered in sand. But a smile breaks across her face. “Fuck, I could do that all day.”

“Let’s not encourage fate, shall we,” Lucretia suggests, but she is smiling also.

They help each other back up towards the castle, each regaling what they thought the best part of the whole situation was. Taako would usually preen at the amount of times his name comes up in the conversation. But as they enter one of the castle parlor rooms and take a moment to rest, his focus remains on the thing he had set out to find them for—

“Hey,” he asks, interrupting the conversation. “Can any of you guys portal us a way out of here?”

The smiles drop from everyone’s faces.

“You’re...leaving?” Magnus asks. His eyes immediately get big and watery, as he looks from Taako to Lup. “But we were thinking of playing a round of fantasy uno after dinner.”

“Yeah,” Merle adds, looking equally forlorn. “We were going to use the customized cards.”

“Sorry, fellas,” Taako says, a bit more taken by their sad expressions than he’d like to admit. “But Taako didn’t sign up to be a member of the midnight crew. Especially when I didn't know about ghost prison until two seconds ago.”

“The king of birds is also the keeper of souls and spirits,” Davenport replies. “It is his duty to maintain the balance of life and death, and one those duties is to garrison the souls kept in the Eternal stockade. I told you all this is the history lesson when you first got here!”

Taako’s face starts to feel warm. He did space out a bit when Davenport was talking, but none of what he recalled could’ve prepared him for the shock of it all.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lup says, seemingly agreeing. “Yeah, my brother’s a dumbass. But at the end of the day, the king should’ve been more forthright with this information.” She stomps her foot for emphasis. “And I’ll be damned if any of you try to hold me or my brother here against our wills.” 

“You agreed to be wed,” Lucretia points out.

“I said I would prepare to be wed,” Taako replies, crossing his arms. “Don’t try to pull any semantics bullshit on me, I know my fuckin’ rights!”

Davenport shakes his head. “You’ll need the king’s permission to leave the realm. Marriage or not.”

“Well, where is he?” Taako asks. By now he’s half expected Kravitz to pull himself out of the water, and portal into the chamber, pristine as ever.

Everyone quiets at that. They all glance at each other, seemingly expecting the same.

“He…” Lucretia says. “He’s probably resting.” But there is an uncertainty in her voice that makes Taako’s chest suddenly feel knotted up.

“Sometimes he has to recuperate after dealing with spirits from the stockades,” Davenport adds. He gestures at the wide windows. It’s midday, which, for all of them, is late sleeping hours. “I suggest we all get some shut eye, and consider presenting your case to him when we’re all in better spirits.”

Taako’s mind is too preoccupied by exhaustion to grumble in protest. All he can think about is the sight of Kravitz being dragged into the sea. The rest of the conversation fades out, but the knotted up feeling in his chest remains.

He eventually follows Lup back to their bedchambers. She doesn’t comment on his lack of chatter, but she does throw him a sideways glance or two.

He crosses the bridge to his bedroom, stopping to look at the beach down below. He notices something shiny along the shores edge, but he can’t make out what it is. He half remembers what Lucretia had said of falling stars and the sea, and half considers going down to the beach to see if that’s true. If he can collect some crystals to make up for the contents of the missing satchel. But he sighs to himself instead and heads into his chambers for a rest.

Down below, a flock of ravens gather at the seashore, carefully collecting small pieces of jewelry that have washed up in the sand.

Chapter Text

Later that night, something pecks at the side of his face.

“Mfm,” Taako mumbles. “Stoppit.”

The something stops pecking.

The something tugs on a strand of his hair. He waves a hand by his head to stop the disruption, and is met with a disgruntled, “caw!”

“Ugh,” Taako groans, sitting up. He blinks wearily at the raven, standing on the end of his bed. He scowls and pulls his blankets closer. “What do you want, traitor?”

The bird flaps her wings and flies over to the door. She hops around for a few seconds. Taako watches with bleary eyes for a second, before throwing off the covers. “You know I’m fuckin’ mad at you right? I could lock you out if I wanted.”

“Taako,” the raven insists.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

He opens the door, and the raven hops from the floor to the bridge. Taako closes the door behind him, trying to assess what exactly is going on. The bird flies through the next set of doors and into the hallway. She glances back, expecting him to follow. He trails behind, taking his time.

“Where are you leading me?” he asks. “I’m getting pretty fuckin’ tired of surprises.”

“A treat,” the raven replies, continuing to fly and perch just a long enough distance for him to keep up without getting lost.

“This might be faster if you portalled me there,” Taako replies. “Oh, I forgot. Ravens are petty too.”

The raven continues flying, this time a bit faster than before. Taako has to pick up his pace in order to keep up.

The raven swoops right, into a turning hallway. Taako almost darts after her—coming to a halt when he hears a pair of voices—leaping back behind a corner. As the voices continue, he very carefully peeks his head around. He immediately slips back when he realizes that it’s Lup and Barry, speaking to each other in low voices.

“So are you two really leaving?” asks Barry’s voice.

“Yeah, his mind seems pretty made up,” Lup replies. She sighs. “He’s dense as fuck but—well, he’s my brother. And I don’t go anywhere without him.”

“I understand.” Barry replies. There’s a long pause, before he says. “It was really nice, getting to know you both. I...I hope you enjoyed being here.”

“I’ve had a lovely time,” Lup says. She laughs, but it’s small and halfhearted. “It’s wild, isn’t it?” I was so adamant about not coming here. And now I don’t want to leave.”

“That's faerie worlds for you,” Barry says, chuckling softly. “I’m fortunate enough to be able to cross over sometimes.” Another pause. “Maybe I’ll see you on the other side?”

“Yeah,” Lup says. “Reach out if you can?  We’d love to have you over.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Another pause. “Um, goodnight, Lup."

“Goodnight, Barry.”

Taako holds his breath at the sounds of footsteps, releasing it only when he’s certain that they are going down hallways different from him. He stands in the hallway for a few minutes after they’re gone, mulling quietly over the conversation. He glances up at the raven, still perched on the lamp. She watches him expectantly.

“I’m coming,” he hisses, once again following her lead.

He follows her to the morning library, where the door waits slightly ajar. He picks up his pace as she flaps her wings and swoops in. He darts into the room, taken aback when he realizes what she’s led him to.

Half lounging across one of the couches, with a hand rubbing his eyes and a steaming mug of something on a nearby table, is Kravitz. He flinches at the sound of someone rushing into the room, a surprised expression matching that of Taako’s in an instant. He quickly sits up.

“Taako,” he exclaims. He’s still fully dressed, looking practically untouched. “You were out on the water, are you alright?”

“Me— I’m fine,” Taako says, incredulous. He stands a short distance from the couches. The raven is perched on the back of the couch near Kravitz’s head. It bobs its head at Taako. “I’m good, handsome. But I’m not the one who got pimped slapped into the fuckin’ sea. How are you? Are you still in one piece?”

Kravitz smiles, a bit weary. “I’m fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

Taako’s face scrunches up. “You mean days like today were a regular occurrence?”

“N-no,” Kravitz stammers. “I wouldn’t say regular. But when you’ve been around as long as I have it can be a bit of a….routine.”

Taako is unimpressed by that answer. Still, priorities. “But you are okay though?”

Kravitz smiles. “Yes, I’m okay.”

“Good, good,” Taako replies. And then he takes a slow, deep breath. “Now with that out of the way—” And he marches right up to the couch, stopping less than a meter from Kravitz’s feet. “ What the fuck, Krav? ”

Kravitz stares at him a moment, before bowing his head and saying, “Let me explain—”

“Hey Taako, sometimes I go spooky scary and there are evil ghosts in my backyard ,” Taako says, lowering his voice in a mocking impression of Kravitz. “Wow, Krav! I just did the explaining for you in five seconds. Goddamn!” He puts his hands on his hips. “When were you gonna tell me, Krav? When we tied the knot and I can't say shit about it? When I’m on the brink of sudden death by a fuckton of angry spirits? Maybe never! Do you know how fucked up that is?”

The raven on Kravitz's shoulder begins to puff up its feathers and flap its wings. But the king waves a hand, and it calms down. He looks Taako in the eyes and nods his head.

“I’m sorry I frightened you. That you had to be in that situation. It was a lot all at once, and I was hoping for a chance to explain it all to you when you were better settled in. But, that’s no excuse for not showing you sooner.”

He slowly rises from the couch. And there, right before Taako’s eyes, Kravitz’s flesh away, and the skeletal features and draping robe reappear. Taako drops his arms and studies the whole transformation curiously. Without the shock of the moment, the effect seems less frightening, but no less breathtaking. After a few considerable minutes, the flesh returns to Kravitz’s body, and the cape dissipates into a flurry of feathers. He looks at Taako expectantly.

Taako raises a brow at him. “Got anymore surprises up your sleeve?”

“I could show you the stockade,” Kravitz offers.

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh,” Kravitz says. He looks almost sheepish, standing before Taako, who is still only in his pajamas. 

A considerable silence hangs in the air, as neither of them look directly at each other. 

“Show me how to make a portal,” Taako says, finally. “Show me how to do it, and I’d be able to get out of danger when danger comes. Then neither of us have to worry for my safety.”

Kravitz appears taken aback, which is what Taako expected. But what he doesn’t expect is the briefest look of sadness that flashes across his face, before giving way to familiar, kingly neutrality.

“Alright,” the king says. He extends his hand to Taako. “If you promise not to go too far.”

Taako bites his lip. Fantasy Christ, he hates faerie contracts. He tentatively holds out his own hand and counteroffers, “I promise to go as far as what’s necessary.”

That seems satisfactory enough, as Kravitz takes Taako’s hand and they shake on it. Taako doesn’t feel any different, but something deep within him tells him that something has changed.

“Passing through them expends energy,” Kravitz says. “But making them does as well. It’s best to place one in an area relatively nearby when you first start.”

“Like this?” Taako says, imagining a portal and snapping his fingers. One opens up right next to him, and he’s suddenly hit with a feeling of vertigo. Kravitz catches him just quickly enough to keep him from hitting his head on the floor.

“Yes, but—” Kravitz says. “Not. Like….You know, maybe we should take a break? It’s a very taxing spell to learn.”

“You’re telling me,” Taako replies. He looks up to see the portal he’s produced. It’s not as clear and crisp as the one Kravitz made before, and it vanishes after a few seconds.

“Not bad for your first try,” Kravitz says. “Just need practice.”

“It’s cool homie, I got it,” Taako says, immediately snapping his fingers again. The vertigo hits once more, but before he has the luxury to be caught like a fainting victorian youth, the portal he’s conjured appears beneath his feet and he slips through into another room.

He lands on a pile of something, which spares him a hard fall. But the experience is enough to render him partially immobile. His vision wanes in and out of focus. The portal above him closes up immediately. 

“Shit,” Taako mumbles, before falling asleep.

Congratulations: You have been selected, read the letter.

Taako smirked and tossed it in recycling.

“Mmhmm?” Taako asks, waking up to a pillow under his head. He’s sitting in an old wooden armchair, in an unfamiliar room. Kravitz sits nearby, in a chair of his own. Whatever vestiges of worry were previously on his face now quickly fade away.

“You’re in one of the castle studies,” Krav explains, leaning forward. “I assumed it best to not move you too much until you had shaken off the effects of the portal.”

“Oh,” Taako says, rubbing his eyes. He keeps his head pressed against the pillow, and takes in his surroundings.

It’s definitely a study, not too dissimilar in layout to the libraries. Only this room is rather small and much dustier than the pristine chambers of the rest of the castle. The shelves are packed to brim with half opened envelopes, and there are piles upon piles of partially unrolled scrolls. The deeper into the room, the messier it seems to be.

“What’s all this?” Taako asks, gesturing at the piles.

“This...is...where all the letters were kept.” Kravitz says. “The ones that were selected, of course.”

“Holy shit,” Taako mumbles, sitting up. Finding his footing, he rises from the chair and looks around at all the paper. Most of them already look opened, with a few exceptions. He looks back at Kravitz. “Can I read one? I know it's probably illegal or something but like—”

“You may,” Kravitz replies, also rising and looking around. “There’s no harm in that. But fair warning, know that so many of these are just….so bad.” He winces. “Terrible prose, terrible grammar. Trying to sort through most of these was—and continues to be—a headache.”

“Let’s be real here,” Taako says. “A bird on a magic well with a cryptic script isn’t much help for formatting. You’re not going to earn any fantasy spell check points if you don’t even have a template to work from.”

“Fair,” Kravitz says, chuckling. “But it is a good ward for people who would rather not get involved with the likes of me.”

Taako doesn’t quite know how to respond to that. He quietly picks through the piles. Occasionally admiring the pretty stationary of some of the more intentional looking submissions.

“Not everyone who was selected was chosen for my partner,” Kravitz says, thumbing through a small stack on a nearby writing table. He hands Taako one letter in particular:

To whom it may concern,

I mean no rudeness in writing this letter, I am simply wishing to offer my skills in record keeping, and transcription. I must comment upon your bird based selection process. It baffles me deeply that this is your system of filing. I can assure you that I can develop a much more efficient process for handling communication and correspondence. See attached credentials.

Best Regards,

Lucretia

“She sent you a cover letter?” Taako asks, incredulous. “And you hired her?”

“That’s how all the council was hired,” Kravitz replies, smiling. “Of course, not all wrote in that manner. But they all asked, and I answered, and gave them the positions where they best fit.” He waves a hand at the mess. “Believe me, this, as well as every other administrative facility, was way worse before Lucretia arrived.”

“You were in some dire straits if you call this mess neat, my dude,” Taako chuckles. He glances around, before grabbing a particularly hefty looking envelope and peeking inside.

“What the hell? This is like, six pages.” He skims through some of the words and his eyebrows raise. “Oh shit, this is…rather explicit.” He flips through it some more. “Talk about detail.”

“What?” Kravitz asks, amused. He reaches towards the papers. “Are you serious? Let me see.”

“No!” Taako says, snatching it away. “You rejected it, so it’s mine now!”

Kravitz gives him a look and then shakes his head. “Keep it, it’s yours.”

“Wait,” Taako says. “Really? I was mostly kidding.”

“It’s fine, the martial requests still need to be disposed of anyway. What with our betrothal.” He says the last line with a bit of reservation, glancing back at Taako, seemingly waiting. Taako catches it, and his eyes dart away before landing back on Krav.

“Right,” he says softly. “Our betrothal.” He folds up the papers and tucked them away into his jacket pocket. He then grabs a random scroll from the pile. He glances over it for a second, then holds it out to Kravitz with a grin. “Read it.”

“What?” Kravitz asks, looking from Taako to the letter. “Out loud?”

“Yeah, give me the goods,” Taako says, waving it around. “Add some flare to it, make it entertaining.”

Kravitz skims over the text on the scroll for a moment. A smile draws across his face. He clears his throat and holds the scroll out dramatically. Then proclaims, in the worst cockney accent imaginable:

“To my Dear, and Most Desired Bird King—”

Taako throws his head back with a bark of laughter. “Oh No!”

Kravitz continues without missing a beat. “It is with great urgency that I write this letter to you. I am but a homely lass, yet I have so much love in my heart to make up for it! I—up to this moment—have been living a life with great loneliness, and terrible yearning in my soul. I want for nothing more than to hold you warmly to my bosom.”

Taako hisses like a tea kettle. “I can’t!”

Kravitz throws his free hand up in the air and shouts with enough emotion to make Shakespeare jealous. “ I wish for you to whisk me awaaaaaaaaay my Benevolent Bird King—If you wish it! I shall await your arrival. Lovingly yours, Idrena.”

Taako gasps for a breath. He is leaned over a stack of letters, to keep himself from completely doubling over. There are tears in his eyes. “Fucking Amazing.”

“I have others,” Kravitz says, chuckling and tossing the paper into the pile. Taako straightens up at that.

“Other voices?” he asks excitedly.

“Other voices,” Kravitz confirms. He inspects the stacks and pulls out another letter. “All equally terrible.”

“That’s fantastic,” Taako says. He grabs a letter from a separate pile, then searches for a proper place to have a seat. “Let’s have at it then.”

Kravitz runs through a string of different voices, drawls, and speech patterns. Each one sends Taako into a screaming fit of laughter. Kravitz occasionally trips over the terrible writing of the authors, which only adds to the hilarity of it all. Taako tries his hand at a few of them, opting toward the more inquisitive and outlandish, letting Kravitz take on the ones drowning in poetry and incomprehensible metaphors. They both do their damndest to send the other reeling.

It’s a good two hours in when Taako, clutching his sides, says, “Please, we have to stop. My stomach is starting to hurt.”

“Mine too,” Kravitz admits wearily. He sticks one last letter in the pile of toss away letters, then walks over to the desk chair to shrug on the jack that he had, at some point, taken off.

“I can see why you were in a rush to find a spouse already.” Taako says. “Reading through some of these is a trip and a half.”

“For sure,” Kravitz says, pressing a hand to his face. “The sole reason I made the selection was to save myself the headache.”

“No other reason?” Taako says, tilting his head. He doesn’t mean to sound as simpering as he does. Perhaps because he’s expended all his energy on laughter and terrible literature. Perhaps it’s because of how late the night is getting.

Kravitz doesn’t answer, but he smiles in a way that pushes up the creases around his eyes. In the warm lamplight and the piles of untouched love letters he is less the Bird King here, and more just Kravitz. He can laugh without laughing—something that Taako notices in the comfortable silence between the two of them. 

That is, until Taako averts his gaze and forces himself to his feet.

“Well, I…guess I better get some proper shut eye. It’s been one hell of a past 24 hours.”

The smile falls from Kravitz’s face, but he rises out of politeness and leads Taako to the door. “Right, some rest is definitely needed.” He doesn’t look nearly as tired as Taako feels. But that’s what being the Bird king does for you, Taako supposes.

Kravitz guides Taako to the doorway, opening it halfway before stopping.

“Taako,” he says. “Do you remember what you wrote to me? In your letter?”

That gives Taako pause. His eyes flicker this way and that, trying to recall it. He knew that he had kept it brief. A rush job, written early in the morning when he was tired. But he couldn’t remember what the actual message had said.

“Um, not really,” he replies. “Was a long time ago, babe.”

Kravitz nods quietly, and turns to open the door again.

“Hey, would it be rude to ask—” Taako stammers out. Kravitz looks back at him. Taako feels the blood rushing to his face as he surges forward. “Why me? I mean I know it was a lottery. But there must have been some decisive figuring involved, so….yeah.” He rubs the back of his head. “Why me?"

Kravitz stares at him a moment, before smirking slightly. “I’m afraid I can’t recall. Was a long time ago, love.”

Taako huffs. “You’re not allowed to use my excuses.”

“I am centuries old, Taako,” Kravitz says, leaning against the doorframe. “Time is a construct that I’m perfectly capable of relinquishing.”

Taako rolls his eyes and says, “Yeah! But so is love, and we hold on to that anyway, dammit.”

Kravitz looks blank at that, before the laughing smile reappears. He slips his hand into Taako and murmurs, “Is it any solace for me to say that...I know why I would choose you now?”

“You—” Taako shakes his head with annoyance and leans forward, gently placing a kiss on Kravitz’s lips. It’s a simple kiss, but one that is fairly sweet. In the midst of it, Taako feels Kravitz squeeze his hand. It seems less cold than the last time he held it. The two of them remain close in the doorway, appreciating the peace and solitude.

Taako eventually breaks the kiss to say, “I should sleep. Big day tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Kravitz asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Taako nods, reluctantly pulling back. He lets his hand slip from Kravitz’s palm and turns on his heel. He starts walking away quickly, though not as quickly as his pounding heart.

This is fine, he thinks. He can do this.

First thing tomorrow evening, he’s going to become the motherfucking bird king consort.

Chapter Text

He watched the birds fly away sometimes. And envied them.

Taako wakes up slowly, much calmer than he has most times upon waking up. The sky is only just beginning to darken. He sits up, and admires the small array of birds flapping just past his windows. He considers falling back to sleep, when something catches his eye.

Draped neatly over one of the long, comfy couches is a garment bag. His curiosity is piqued, and he slips out of bed to walk over to see what kind of outfit is inside. As soon as he opens it and gets a peek, he closes it immediately. His heart begins to race, and he makes a beeline for the bathroom.

He stumbles as he tries to grab stuff to wash off with, dropping the shampoo bottle and spilling soap all over the floor. As he tries to clean up the mess, his mind races about the prior evening. Thoughts tangled up in feelings about letters, and gardens, and the kiss he shared with the king right before going to bed. He wishes his bedchamber wasn’t so far away from the rest of the castle. He wonders if, after today, he’ll share one with Kravitz.

After spending a brief time in the shower thinking about handsome kings and bedchambers, Taako eventually hurries out in a bathrobe, with a towel over his wet, dripping head. His eyes flicker back towards the garment bag, then move on over to the vanity. His hands run on autopilot, as he takes a seat on the stool and starts working the tangles out of his hair. He’s in desperate need of a hairbrush.

He opens the drawer, ready to wince at the lack of jewelry lost and—

The drawer is full. He leans down and stares disbelieving...but it seems packed to the brim like it was when he first entered the chamber. He scours each gemstone, trying to recall if they were the exact ones he had taken, or just replacements. But he had been in such a rush to stock them away he hadn’t noticed any details. 

The fact that the drawer was full now was a little off putting, but also a little relieving. This was a magic castle. He doubts anything could run out anytime soon, and that includes all the little luxuries he’s been provided.

He closes the drawer and opts against putting on anything. If what’s in the garment bag is any indicator, he’s going to look stunning regardless.

Before he begins to get dressed, he notices a small envelope resting on the vanity counter. He opens it easily, as there is no seal to keep it bound together. Inside is a small card, the one that he and Kravitz had gone over at the rehearsal.

I take thee to be no other than thyself, and give only of myself that is true. With this, I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.

Taako squints at the words. They are still just as old and overly formal as they were when he first read them. But he resigns himself to them. He’s getting married after all.

“I take thee—” he starts, then stomps. The sentence doesn’t feel natural in his mouth. He tries again. Lucretia had advised him to say it in bits and pieces anyway. “With this, I am—” He tries, in earnest, to say them. Repeating each word over and over, but somewhere in the course of saying each word, he trips. The sentences break, his voice pitches wildly out of control.

For some can’t say the words. They don’t feel natural coming out of his mouth. He grits his teeth and sets the card down. This is bullshit. He just said he was ready to tie the knot yesterday, what the fuck?

Taako jumps from his seat, throws on the clothes he was sleeping in, and storms out of the chamber.

“We’re not leaving,” Taako declares, to a still, mostly asleep Lup.

“We—” Lup says, rubbing her eyes. She stands in a night robe, peeking halfway out the door to her own bedchamber. She looks at Taako with confusion, before the synapses finally begin to fire off in her brain. “Wait. We WHAT—”

“I’m marrying him,” Taako says, a bit firmer. “Also, I think I’m panicking.”

Lup glares at him for a solid minute, before shaking her head and saying, “You’re my brother and I love you. But also, if there was a way to legally unsibling you, I’d do it right now.”

“I need you to HELP ME , Lup,” Taako whines, bumping her shoulder and pushing his way into her room. It looks just as beautifully furnished as his room, albeit with warmer colors and an excellent view of the moon.

He’s changed back into his pajamas, so he doesn’t feel ashamed to collapse dramatically over the nearest available couch. He makes a very pretty picture, he thinks, and throws an arm over the side for the drama of it all.

“Taako,” Lup says, taking her time to pull up a nearby chair next to him. She’s rubbing her temples. One thing that Taako is grateful for, is that his sister is smart as a whip, and knows him better than anything. “I know you’ve been thirsting after this guy since we met him, but do you honestly believe you could consign yourself in marriage ?”

“I think I could,” he replies.

“That is the least convincing answer you could give.”

“I think he could consign himself in marriage to me,” Taako says, still not answering the question.

“Frankly, I think that’s more telling about him than it is about you,” Lup says. Taako pouts and reaches out to flick her knee. The jab has little effect.

“Well,” Taako exclaims. “What am I supposed to do when he looks at me like I fuckin’…light up his day...” That last bit is said in grumbles, and a blush travels from Taako’s cheeks to the tips of his ears. Lup turns her face up towards the ceiling and laughs.

“Holy shit,” Lup says between giggles. “Did you really fall for him?”

Taako throws a pillow over his face and groans. “No, it’s like— fuck. He treats me like I hung the moon! Like I scattered the stars, or some shit! Like what am i supposed to do with that?”

“I cannot believe you’re waxing poetic right now.”

Taako tosses the pillow across the room. “I think it could work,” He says, sitting up. “I think it could work and I could be...happy....” But he says happy like the opposite of what happy means.

Lup stops laughing and looks over Taako curiously. His eyes seem to dance around in thought, not quite settling on any one. She reaches out and puts a hand on his knee. She asks, “Then what’s the problem?”

“I don’t want to say it,” Taako murmurs. “I feel like, if I say it...it’ll be over.”

“You’re not making any sense, Ko.”

Taako rolls his eyes and grabs her hand. He puts on a deceptively annoyed face, just for her. “Just walk me down the aisle, okay? And drop kick me if I get nervous and try to bolt.”

“Done and done.”

“Thanks, goofus.”

“Anything for you, dingus.”

They lean forward into a big ole hug, holding there for a few more seconds. The silence of the chamber is abruptly interrupted by a tapping sound, on the window. Taako and Lup pull back to glance in that direction. There, on the other side of the glass, is Kravitz’s raven.

“Hmm,” Taako says, getting up. He sashays over to the window and rests a hand on the latch. The raven looks up at him expectedly. He puts his other hand on his hip. “You’ve got some nerve, and a looooot of explaining to do.”

The raven taps on the window again.

He unlatches the window, and she hops inside. He can’t restrain himself from giving it a light scratch on the beak. She’s somehow built a little nest of affection for herself in his heart.

“This bird certainly likes you,” Lup says, getting up and studying the raven for herself. The bird turns its head, obviously preening for them.

“Of course she likes me,” Taako says. “I’m her favorite.”

“Kravitz,” the bird says.

“Second favorite.” 

The raven takes the liberty to flap up onto his shoulder. He winces, but doesn’t stumble under her added weight. Even in the evening light, there are glimmers of blues and greens under her black feathers. She’s a very beautiful bird. Lup taps Taako’s free shoulder. 

“You better get dressed,” she says with a grin. “Otherwise the bird is going to outshine you.”

“No one is outshining me at my wedding,” Taako declares, aghast. He points at Lup’s face and narrows his eyes. “And that especially includes you.”

The spring gardens look wondrous upon entry. Cherry blossom trees run the inner ring around the large, open courtyard, gently blanketing everything in soft, pink petals. White chairs, decorated with silver bows, are arranged in a small circle in the center.  Birds of all kinds rest either in the bows of the trees, the water of the delicate water lily ponds, or pad around peacefully on the soft sodden ground.

Taako’s breath hitches when he catches sight of it all. Like before, the ceiling of the chamber lights up the room like day, even though it is drawing close to midnight at this point. Already seated are Barry and Magnus. Lucretia stands beside Merle, who is standing over a podium in the center of the courtyard. In his hands is a large book, which he pours over furiously. Even with just this few, the chamber feels full, somehow.  

Lup pokes his cheek, bringing him back to focus. He glances at her, walking alongside him. She’s dressed sharply, in a bright red robe over a fluttering white gown, embroidered on the hem with crimson sunbirds. Everyone in the chamber is dressed very nicely for the occasion. Though, fortunately, not as nice as Taako.

He waltzes in, donning a perfectly tailored suit. It’s white, but shimmers iridescently in the right light—which is all the light here. Tiny, sparkling gems are sewn delicately between the swirls of golden embroidery. A long cape hangs from his shoulders, fading from daylight blue, to nightly purple. His hair is brushed back, and tied off with a white ribbon. On his head rests a golden crown, matching the one Kravitz wore the first time they had met. The only thing missing is a specific bird to display, but Taako figures he can worry about that after the ceremony.

“This is pretty darn snazzy,” Lup murmurs, glances around. She raises a brow at her brother. “But I need to know if this is what you want.”

“Of course it is,” Taako whispers back. “We’re going to get married, have a bomb ass reception, and then I’m going to find out how good the bird king is at—”

“ShutupShutupShutup!” Lup says rapidly, trying and failing to drown out the words of her terrible brother.

“Ahem,” coughs a voice. The twins look back and notice Davenport standing behind them. He motions at the path before them with his hands. “If I may be a guide—”

“Right,” Taako says, stepping aside. “Lead the way, Captain.”

Davenport nods and directs Taako to where he is meant to stand. Lup takes a seat by Barry, and Taako does not miss the moment her hands slips into his, resting both hands peacefully between their laps. He’s definitely going to tease her about it later. But for now, he waits dutifully by the podium by Merle, while Davenport and Lucretia take to their chairs. He had half expected Kravitz to already be waiting for him here when he arrived. 

But as he thinks this, all the birds in the chamber begin to still. It has an appropriately dramatic affect, as one by one, each bird that can fly flaps its wings. They all swoop gently around the decorated chairs and people, moving with such a swiftness that Taako has to briefly cover his eyes. The flapping eventually stops, and when he opens them again, Kravitz stands before him, truer than anything.

And Kravitz is—

Well, shit.

Taako really had it in his head that he’d look the nicest at his own wedding. But looking at the king of birds, dressed similarly to how he had when he first appeared at Taako’s door. Though now he wore a far longer cape, and the same blue and green undertones that adorned the feathers of his raven, ever perched on his shoulder. All perfect beauty, soft and sharp at the same time...but with the funniest look of scant nervousness on his face that Taako has ever seen—it almost makes him burst out laughing right then and there.

Kravitz extends a hand to Taako, and Taako takes it, drawing them both together in the center. They take each other in without breathing a word. Taako’s heart beats rapidly, his face warms under the gaze of Kravitz’s absolutely dopey, smiling face. And he feels a fondness that he never expected days ago, but now assumes he cannot go without.

Merle starts saying words, and Taako sort of hears them, but they haze into the backdrop of all the things he sees and feels. He’d give anything to just have the contentment he’s experiencing now last forever. 

It isn’t until Merle closes his book, and Lucretia steps up to address him and Kravitz, that everything seems to zero back into focus.

“You may now say your vows,” she says, gestures at Taako. “You first.”

Taako knows his vows, memorized deliriously to a fault. But as he opens his mouth to say them, something in him stills him to a halt. He shuts his mouth and frowns to himself. Each line feels...too present. Too sudden. Too soon. It’s impossible, he realizes. The blessing—the spell, in one regard or another—won’t take.

He looks at Kravitz with growing devastation, then lowers his head and murmurs, “Don’t mess with faeries, they said.”

“What...was that?” Kravitz asks, brows knitting together.

“It’s dangerous and risky, they said,” Taako goes on, balling his fist with his free hand, frustration rising. “But I did it anyway! I wrote a letter and handed it to a bird. And fuckin...hoped it would reach you. Because if anything, I thought that something would change.”

“I wanted things to change. You know, I’ve dreamed about something like this—about getting whisked away from all my shitty responsibilities and kicking it in a sweet fuckin’ crib with a hot boy.”

These words, these words fall out of his mouth like rain. “But this whole thing, I don’t know! It feels—I have dreams. But the dreams feel like what the waking up part should feel like. And—and I don’t like that. I don’t like always feeling on edge.” He looks at Kravitz, who bears an expression that looks just as hurt as how Taako feels. And Taako winces, but keeps going, his heart twisting as he does. “I know you’re cool, and you care about my well being, and...and I care about you too. But being bird king consort is a lot. Maybe too much.”

Everyone tries to speak at once.

“Why don’t we—”

“You have to—” 

“Just think about—”

“Shut up!” Lup shouts, stomping her foot. “Let him finish.”

Taako continues, eyes dancing between Kravitz and everyone else. “I’m waiting—I’ve been waiting for that moment for when the haze clears, but it hasn’t. And I’m scared. Because, yeah, the ground I was trodding before wasn’t stable—But this? This feels like fuckin’ quicksand. And I look around me, looking for something to escape to and all I see—” he gestures at the iron bars of the chamber. “All I see is a cage.”

He turns away after saying that, terrified of what he’ll see. It’s all true, the things he says. But it’s also fairly uncouth for a faerie ceremony, and he’s not sure what that entails.

After a brief moment, he feels a soft, if cold, hand cup his chin and lifts it up. His eyes raise expectedly, and he is met with a kind, if solemn, look of understanding.

“Taako,” Kravitz says, very softly. “I am a big believer of fate. I have always been. As we are fated to die, we are fated to, well—love, amongst most things.” He lowers his hand. “I am grateful for the amount of time we’ve had, because I think that as I get to know you, I find more in you that I am enamored by.” 

Before Taako can even think of a way to respond to that, Kravitz reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out an envelope. It’s white, looks a bit weathered, and torn open. He offers it out to him.

“What’s this?” Taako asks, taking the letter gingerly. It looks familiar.

“It’s the letter you sent me,” Kravitz says. “I’m giving it back.”

Taako looks up at Kravitz, eyes brimming. “Krav, I—”

Kravitz puts up a hand. “I brought you here without attending to your thoughts and feelings. And I forced you into a situation which, in fairness, hasn’t allowed you very much freedom. And I am sorry for that.” He smiles, sadly. “So, I won’t keep you any longer.” 

“Babe—”

“Goodbye Taako, I love you.”

Chapter Text

Taako wakes up, head fuzzy. He’s laying on the couch in his living room. The living room of the house that he lives in. As he carefully sits up, he half expects himself to have woken up from a very, very engaging dream. 

That is, until his eyes fall on an envelope, resting on the coffee table in front of him. He shoots to his feet and grabs it. His eyes dart around the room again. But the house looks much nicer than it’s supposed to be. The furniture looks new and stylish. There’s vibrant paint and artworks on the wall. A part of him feels like the house should look run down, or taken over by a new tenant. Like he’s been away for some immeasurable amount of time.

Everything looks the same, albeit just a bit dusty. He checks his phone. It’s dead. He glances at the clock on the wall and realizes that he’s late for work at the bakery. Very late. Potentially fired late. It’s an aggravating thought, losing another easy job. But that doesn’t matter

He frantically turns on the tv. The news is on. He waits to hear what the date is. The broadcaster announces that it’s a Tuesday. It’s still September. And yet, it’s been a few days from when he last remembered.  The fading memory of what moments before had been reality, continue to be at odds with where he finds before him now.

It’s not a dream, it happened, but it’s fading.

He goes down the hall, towards his room. The envelope is still held tightly in his hands. 

Entering, he can see that everything is where he left it—if a bit scattered, here and there. His eyes fall on the unmade bed and tossed around clothes he’s thrifted over the years. The walls are covered with posters, photos, and magazine clippings. A sort of disorganized vision board that only he could decipher. 

Some of the faces in the photos are familiar, but not too familiar. There’s one of him in the aftermath of a mud run that Magnus dragged him into kicking and screaming. There’s one of him pulling an all night study sesh with Lucretia, both of them balancing as many pencils as they can on merle’s sleeping form. There’s one of him and Barry attempting to wash Davenport’s car, and getting covered in suds themselves. The moments of when these things occurred are lost in a haze in Taako’s memory, but the kindness that he feels towards them remains warm in his chest. 

There’s some people in some photos that he can’t quite place names to, and this sets him back into a worried spell.

He spots his phone charger still plugged into the wall. He plugs in the phone, then grabs a duffle bag from the floor and tosses it on the bed. He’s working on autopilot now, throwing some of his clothes and a few mementos in, caught between holding on to the memory quickly slipping from his brain and the obligations he was working towards just a few days prior.

He’s startled by the phone ringing, having turned back on when he wasn’t looking. He picks it up, excited by the familiar name.

“Lup!” He exclaims. Of course, Lup.

“I’m here, Koko,” says Lup, over the phone, and he relaxes a bit at the sound of her voice. “I’m on the train with Barry. We should be in Goldcliff in the next thirty minutes.”

Right. Goldcliff. The university. Taako remembers Lup getting that grant, and dragging him by the ear into working with her and Barry. He’s not sure how she got it, or when. But something inside him calms by just hearing her voice.

“You’re still going to meet me there?” she asks. “They didn’t squeeze two extra seats in the administration for nothing, bro. Gimme your word you’ll be here by this evening.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” Taako says, rubbing his eyes. “I just...haven’t packed yet.”

“Taako.”

“Be there soon, goofus,” he says. “Promise.”

“Alright, dingus,” she replies. “See you later.” And the line hangs up.

Taako sets a time to keep himself on track, then continues packing. After sufficiently filling the duffle bag, Taako—envelope still in hand—hurries into the kitchen. Everything rests in place, albeit a bit emptier than it did before. They were planning to move soon, a thought told him. He’s not sure when though. He routinely checks everything, eyes falling on the recycling bin, resting on the floor near a bag of compost. It was his turn to take it out this week. It was also his turn from the week prior since he owed a favor to Lup. He just hadn’t taken it to the recycling center because neighborhood pick up was shit and he was either too busy or too tired to bother.

Taako crouches down and sifts through the piles of old newspaper and expired coupons. He came upon three unopened envelopes. They are simple, cream colored, and possess nothing to indicate postage. He flips one over and on the lip of the envelope is a sentence: Congratulations, you have been selected.

Taako scoffs. They looked so generic before that they couldn’t not be scam letters, and nothing about this is different now. He leaves them in the bin and gets to his feet. As he does, the light catches on the envelope still in his hands, revealing an iridescent embossing of a flock of birds in flight.

He stares at it for a moment, before hurriedly tucks it into the inner pocket of his jacket.

There is a shortcut from his home to the metro station. Through the woods that divided up a good portion of the town. The way there is the same, but the neighborhood on the way to reach it has changed. The houses look neat, and sturdy. There’s no barking dogs or distance sirens. He hops over a fence and cuts through the foliage, having a bit of a difficult time with the duffle bag in tow. He comes across and open clearing, perfectly encircled by a row of trees,

In the center of the clearing rests a heaping mound of stone and moss. The old water well, now looking much older, and much more abandoned than he had ever seen it before. Still, cresting the top of the mound, rests a ring of mushrooms.

He starts to walk towards the well, almost transfixed by it. But then the alarms on his phone goes off, snapping him back to focus. He runs past the well and through the clearing. He cuts back into the forest and does not stop until he’s reached downtown. He turns a corner and hops down the stairs of the busy entrance of the station.

He dives between crowds of people. The morning rush is gone, but the lunch rush will be building up soon. Taako buys a ticket at the counter, and weaves through interlocking gates and dimly  lit hallways to the tunnel of his stop.

It isn’t until he’s sitting down on one of the hard, metal benches, that he hazards pulling out the envelope and giving it another look. Even in the shoddy, incandescent lighting, it looks shimming, and crisp. The only sign of disturbance is the neatly cut opening at the top. 

Pigeons strut and coo along the tile flooring, pecking at whatever they can get with their little bird beaks.He finds their fluttering amusing, setting the envelope aside to watch them. Something about them makes him feel a little sad. He doesn’t know why. 

He hears the rush of feather flap beside him, and he expects it to be another pigeon, approaching him with hopes of food.

“Sorry, I don’t have any granola one me,” he says, turning.

“Taako,” says a voice.

He stares. Perched on the seat beside him is a raven.

“Taako,” she says, again.

“You,” he whispers. He says you , like he knows her, but she’s just a bird. He glances around suddenly. Everything feels alright, but—no. It's off again. Something is wrong. The trip to  Goldcliff, the pictures in his room, the niceness of his house. It’s all good, and familiar, but also unfamiliar, and wrong. And there’s something missing that he can’t say. Someone—

He looks back at the bird, still watching him expectantly. And everything floods back to him. The castle. The council. The gardens. The sea. The birds. The king.

“Is this—it this...real?” he asks the bird, without thinking.

“As real as it needs to be,” the raven replies. “Would you say that this is better?”

“No,” he says. “I don’t.”

The raven nips at its feathers. “A pity. And I would’ve thought you’d prefer this to your old life.”

“I do, but—”

“Or maybe you’d rather go back to the fae realm. A cage, as you so eloquently called it.”

“I wanted time!” He groans, not caring if anyone around can hear him. “I wanted time to figure it out. To sort through the feelings, and the magic, and everything. Yes, I wanted peace and luxury. And yes, I wanted freedom and agency. But mostly, I wanted time.” He turns away and leans back in his seat, not looking at her. “Shit, can’t believe I’m getting lectured by a magical fucking bird!”

“My son was right, you are an interesting one.”

“You’re damn right I’m—” Taako replies. He snaps to attention. “Wait, what?”

He nearly leaps out of his skin when he sees that there is not a large raven sitting there, but a woman.

She sits up straight, with both hands, gloved, crossed over her knees. She wears a long evening gown, and a black, wide brimmed hat that partially obscures her face. Her dark hair pours in rivers over her shoulders. She reaches out to pat Taako’s hand, despite not looking directly at him.

“We tend to forget how valuable time really is, until we lose momentum.”

Taako’s mouth hangs open. Speech right now is a bit of a difficulty. “You—your—”

“I was the Queen of birds and songs and night,” the woman says, eyes still on the empty tracks. “But then my time to rule came to its end, and I made preparations for my son’s ascension to the throne...and my descent into the sea of souls.” She finally turns to look at Taako fully. Her features are immaculate and beautiful. He can see the family resemblance. “My last act as queen was to provide guidance for my son’s betrothal.”

“Um,” Taako says. He thinks back. “You were the bird at the well.”

“I was.” She smiles. “I put the letter in my son's hand. But he was the one who chose it out of thousands.”

“But that was—I-I submitted it months ago." He tilts his head. "Have you been a bird this whole time?”

“I have," she replies. "My son has a kind heart, Taako. It carries him away sometimes. I wanted to make sure he was making the right decisions. So I took the place of one of my sentinels. And I have held that position ever since.”

“You saw me stash the jewelry,” Taako says. “And ask for the portal.”

“I did,” She replies. “And I saw you risk your life to aid my kingdom, and meet my son at the alter.” She points to the envelope in his hand. “I also stole half of the correspondences that were sent to you and tossed them away.”

“You did what?” Taako asks, leaning forward. “Why?”

“To get my son meet you in person. I assumed that from the moment he saw you, his mind would be made up. He would either leave your doorstep with or without you.”

Taako is silent at that for a moment, taking everything in. He says the next thing without thought, then instantly regrets it: “You’re rather chaotic for a former queen.”

“That is the thing about ravens,” She says, almost grinning. “We are quite mischievous.” 

Taako feels an angry heat rise from his chest to his face. He’s so close to yelling he could burst. “Did....did you tell him that I couldn’t do it. That I wouldn’t be happy with him.”

“No.” She replies. Her voice, already soft, softens more. “He thought so himself. Not from any sneaking around on your part, I’d assume. He has worked with souls for a very long time. He can tell when one isn’t ready to settle in the place it ends up. The blessing not taking wasn’t wholly your fault. He had his doubts too.”

There is a distant rumbling sound of a train that is fast approaching.

“Oh,” Taako says, leaning back. He looks at her and gestures around. “Is Kravitz…here?”

“No,” she replies. “Not in this iteration of your life.”

Taako frowns. “Then fuck this. Give me back the sucky version. Or let me have my overhyped, escapist fantasy, damn.”

“It would seem that no matter what, you won’t be pleased.” The rumbling noise grows louder.

“That’s my fuckin' decision to make,” Taako declares. “No amount of wish fulfillment or forced joy is going to make me happy. I reached out to him and he chose me. And yeah, neither of us really knew what we were getting into, but if I had half the chance to try again, I’d choose him too.”

“Hmm,” the woman says. She stands up. “Alright then.”

The train whizzes into the station, and the doors open, and people bustle in and out. The people move around him in predictable patterns. Following through the routines of their lives like morning birds in seasonal flight. Coming and going without regard for anything and anyone else.

“You may have my blessing, Taako,” she says. “As a treat.”

The woman steps into the crowd, and Taako loses sight of her. As he does, he realizes that that’s his train. He grabs his bag, but stops when he feels the old letter burning like a brand against his chest. He quickly pulls it out, sitting back down and ignoring the world around him. What did he write to make Kravitz feel the way he did about him, he wonders.

He pulls the paper from the envelope and unfolds it. There, in his own swirly handwriting, reads the following:

Sup, Bird King—Can I call you bird king?

I don’t know if this has been brought up already, but the whole choosing-a-partner-via-bird process seems a little sketchy. But I shouldn’t be one to talk, since I’m submitting a letter too. 

They say that people who get taken by faeries are the ones that are highly prized. That’s why folks guard their kids so fiercely. My sister and I—I have a twin sister by the way (If you don’t let her hitch along for the ride, she’s going to beat ass and I don’t want it to be mine. We’re a package deal, homie.)—we’ve never been highly prized. Which is a fucking shame. We’re both ace chefs, and that goes double for using magic. But we wouldn’t be anywhere if we didn’t have to constantly jump at opportunities. And our metaphorical legs hurt. From the metaphorical jumping.

What I'm getting at is: I’m not afraid of shooting my shot. Even into the realms of the fae. I think the idea of ruling a kingdom of birds (is there a kingdom of birds?) sounds pretty cool. Certainly sounds better then the fuckshit I got going on right now. You don’t have to take an interest in me, I just wanted to throw my hat in the ring. Using a lottery like this, with the amount of submissions that has been sent in, the process for finding a spouse must actually be pretty lonely, huh?

No one else will have me. And maybe no one has had you either. So if you’re reading this, cheer up. The best way to find what you’re looking for is with time. And until proven otherwise, we have all the time in the world.

Stop by if you’re ever in town,

Taako

He continues to look at the letter, as the train sounds its last alarms, closes its doors and whizzes away. He sits there and looks at the letter, still held tightly in his slightly trembling hands. He turns his face away and rubs his eyes with his sleeve.

One of the passengers from the recently exiting train pauses a moment, before taking a seat a short distance to Taako’s right. Taako ignores them, putting the letter back in the envelope, and tucking that back into his jacket. His eyes fall on the still strutting pigeons, going about their business. He sighs.

“Don’t suppose any of you guys can point me in the direction of the bird king?” he asks. No reply.

“Do you always talk to birds?” asks the person to his right, amusement clear in their voice.

Taako rolls his eyes and mentally prepares to snap at this person. “Yeah, I think they make for interesting conversationalists.”

He turns to see who’s bothering to get amusement out of his predicament. A young gentlemen sits to his right. He’s dressed in a long trenchcoat, and a sharp suit underneath. He’s startlingly handsome, standing out from the drabness of the station. Taako’s heart skills a beat or two upon seeing him.

“I take it you have an affinity for pigeons?” the man asks, raising a brow. His tone is politely distant. Just small talk to kill time before the next train approaches.

“Well, ya know,” Taako says, rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re cool and all.” He bites his lip, not knowing what else to say. He just keeps rambling. “But I’m partial to...ravens? And doves, actually. I figured...what with the black versus the white, the yin yang of it all would sort of pair kinda nicely—”

“Doves are pigeons.”

“Right. Yep. I absolutely knew that. One hundo percent.”

A silence grows between them. Taako looks back at the track awkwardly. He can hear the announcer's voice on the intercom, the next train will be approaching shortly. The man beside him doesn’t say another word. Taako drums his hands on his knees. His legs bounce. The next train will come, and he’ll have to go away. 

Taako takes a huge breath and scoots closer to the stranger.

“Go with me,” He says, though it’s more of a plea.

The man stares at him with concern. “Go with you...where?”

“Anywhere. Home. Out of town. Out of this world. I’ll get another ticket. The ride’ll be long and probably boring as shit. And who knows what we’ll deal with when we arrive. But...” He pulls out the letter. “I wanna be with you when I get there. For you to be with me.”

The man stares at him a moment, then laughs out loud. He says, “I thought I had seen everything that should be seen. Yet I am met with new surprises every day.”

“Then you haven’t seen everything, babe.” Taako grins and throws his hand. “You in?”

Kravitz takes it without hesitation. “I’m in.”

There is the familiar rushing sound, like that of a train, rippling and whirring. The tunnel rumbles, and they both stand up, expectantly.

As Taako turns to see it, his breath catches at what emerges: Not a train, but a flock of thousands upon thousands of birds. Swooping with terrible, beautiful synchronicity. 

They fill the caverns of the station, avoiding every commuter with the deftness of flowing water. The birds rise from the depths of the dim and crowded hallways, up the stairwells and out into the clear, open skies. The collective swooping motions draw passersby to a standstill. A city of people watch as the flock spirals into the air.

Down below, Kravitz squeezes Taako’s hand. Taako looks at him, and the sight of his smiling face makes his heart feel full. Taako leans forward and pulls him into a kiss. Kravitz gives into it, holding Taako close. The folds of his jacket whip around them both, as they are enveloped in the updraft. Lost in the foray.

In an instant, the flock dissipates. Every bird vanishes in a stunning array of feathers. The people in the station—once holding on to their hats and bags for dear life—glance around in stunned silence. There is no sign of either of the two gentlemen who were sitting on the bench moments before. The feathers, shimmering and beautiful, fall gently to the floor.

Taako has (very politely) kidnapped the Bird King.