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When asked why she kept her window open at night, Princess Lumine always replied with a nonchalant shrug and an off-hand comment about the stuffy air and sticky sheets that made it terribly difficult to fall asleep. It was, therefore, of no surprise that nobody ever questioned this habit that had appeared seemingly out of the blue. 

Tonight was, naturally, no exception.

As soon as the last maid's footsteps disappeared down the hall, the princess promptly brushed off her blanket and slid stealthily into her slippers. Using the tips of her fingers to guide herself in the darkness, she crossed the darker part of her room until she entered the spot that was illuminated by the scarce light from outside. 

For a moment there, she stood still. She glanced outside the window, but found nothing of interest in the gem-lit sky above the palace. She looked back at the dimly lit chamber. The door was firmly shut, and only a small sliver of light fell through a narrow slit below. Her eyes wandered further until they stopped on her canopied bed. It was equipped with only the puffiest cushions and the best blankets available to royalty, so it was frankly a lie that she had trouble sleeping. 

With a soft chuckle, she let her gaze stray further to the vanity that stood beside her bed. The young woman in the mirror looked back, her eyes gauging the nightdress. She raised a hand, straightening the ruffled edges around her shoulders. She had chosen this nightdress because it was pretty and had a small bow that held the collar together. She toyed with the silky straps, before letting them go.

It was a wonder, the princess thought as she finished inspecting her reflection, that no one had questioned her about her sudden change in taste. Even her oldest maids had merely nodded as she'd mentioned — as casually as possible — that she would like to wear a fancier nightdress. 

Then again, she was of marriageable age. 

As it was always the case, her expression soured at the mere thought of it. Releasing an indignant huff, the princess turned her gaze towards the open window.

She had spoken the truth when she said that she enjoyed the breeze. 

Visitors from the realms above often commented that the air in the kingdom below the earth was stale. The princess couldn't quite tell, for she had never known it to be any different. But it has certainly started to feel that way ever since talks of her future marriage had first appeared in the court. 

The princess frowned, then sighed. She ardently massaged the annoying knot between her eyebrows, making sure that not a single crease remained. 

It would not do to think of far-off matters, she told herself, when there was no guarantee that they would ever come to pass.

Throwing one last, hopeful glance outside, the princess returned to bed. 

After all, there was still a solid hour left until midnight. 

Closing her eyes, the princess listened to the tick-tocks of the old clock, lamenting that it was painfully slow. She heard the guards change shifts outside the gates. She watched how the gem-lit sky glimmered, ever unchanging. Closing her eyes shut, she turned to her side and snuggled into the cushion. Her blanket was too warm, but she buried herself under it nonetheless.

What she waited for always happened the very moment when she was about to fall into slumber.

She wasn’t sure whether it was because of her impatient nature. Rather, she suspected that he who was submitting her to this torture enjoyed watching her simmer under her silken blankets, almost like she was some tender chicken under a creamy sauce that was about to be served for a late dinner. 

She pursed her lips at that thought, wondering if she was nothing but a midnight snack. 

But, as it was always the case, all of her short-lived anger went forgotten the moment she felt a feathery tip brush tenderly against the side of her face.

Like a treacherous little bird, her heart soared. 

Stifling a smile, she squeezed her eyes shut when the sensation traveled further down her chin, following the sweating skin of her neck before settling somewhere around her collarbone. Her weak lips twitched, but she continued pretending even if it was painfully obvious that she laid wide awake.

Her bed sank lightly under the addition of a new weight. 

What followed was the usual routine: playing along, her nightly visitor leaned in, so much so that she could feel his breath tickling against the shell of her ear. Always up for a challenge, he whispered to her all sorts of things that made her neck and cheeks blush. But even then she remained adamant, keeping her eyes firmly shut. She didn’t stir when he tickled her with his fingertips, and stayed firm even when he teased her with a light kiss on her cheek. 

She smiled a little when she heard him sigh. 

Seeing how even this daring action didn’t help him succeed, her nightly visitor leaned in and began to hum. 

He had once told her that he knew all the world’s stories and songs. She was inclined to believe him, considering that he had yet to repeat himself. So far, the longest she could last was until the third song, that is to say, until her poor ear grew all tingly and hot from the sweet breath.

To her dismay, her nightly visitor never seemed to tire. 

With a small chuckle, the princess finally whipped around. 

Her nightly visitor grinned. As it always happened, she forgot what it was that she wanted to say. Tonight, his eyes were as clear as gems, which meant that he was in an exceptionally good mood.

"Well, princess, did you like tonight's story?"

He was laying down on his side, with his cheek perched up on his hand. He wore a triumphant expression, knowing full well that she'd been successfully distracted by his underhanded methods. 

Perhaps she should have been angered. 

But truth be told, the princess didn't mind. 

After all, her maids had warned her. 

There is a god amongst them, her maids had once said, a trickster that fills his victim’s ears with saccharine promises, seducing them to do the unthinkable whilst he dashes away on his wings whenever things get too hot for his liking. 

Replaying her maid’s words, the princess turned to fully face him. 

The god of the stray winds, the princess mused, was just as her maids had described him. He was young, but not too young. He wasn’t tall, but neither was he too small. He had the sort of appearance that pleased the onlooker, instantly making them lower their guard. 

Feeling a little bold, she peeked lower, thinking how there wasn’t much left to imagine about the youthful body that was covered by a few scraps of cloth. For a while now, she has been wondering if that was his usual style, or if that was what she, herself, secretly liked. It was hard to tell when one was dealing with the god of illusions. 

Growing tired of her musings, she glanced at the pair of wings behind his back. Sensing her curious gaze, he chuckled and brought up one of his wings, brushing her cheek.

She smiled, because it tickled. 

Truthfully, had their first meeting been a different one, perhaps Princess Lumine would've been more inclined to heed her maid’s words.

It was common knowledge that no bird could survive under the bejeweled skies of the kingdom below the earth, which is why the princess felt so intrigued when she’d stumbled upon one during her stroll through the palace garden. 

Granted, this wasn’t her first time seeing a bird. 

Merchants from the surface often brought brightly colored creatures — canaries, they called them — to assist workers in the deeper, more dangerous parts of the mines. Besides that, she had heard that birds were a popular present for the noble ladies. Unable to resist herself, the princess had one day secretly asked one of her maids to buy her one. Afterwards, she had spent days after days watching the little creature flit about her room, ignoring the maids’ exasperated sighs when the bird took a liking to painting the expensive vases and velvet furniture with thick strokes of light brown and white. 

For the first time in a long while, the princess had experienced joy. 

The bird was different from the exclusively mechanical life forms of her country. Mechanical forms were cold and dull, and birds were beautiful and fun. Much to her maid’s secret horror, the princess began to toy with the idea that she should populate the boring gem-lit sky with these beautiful creatures. 

But that foolish fantasy only lasted for a handful of months.  

With each week spent in the princess’ chambers, the little creature grew weaker and weaker, until, once upon a dreadfully quiet morning, it grew completely motionless and withered away. Following this tragic event, the princess had resolved to never lay her hands on another such creature of the upper world, convinced that it was by her own negligence that the bird had perished. 

Several weeks passed. 

The princess would have forgotten about this tragic episode, were it not for a certain fateful encounter.

Clutching her chest, the princess stared at the small creature that lay motionlessly on the gravel path before her feet. Tentatively, she took a step forward, and then yet another. With her chest filled with apprehension, she bent down and stroked the pretty white feathers. 

The bird was warm. Its chest was rising and falling slowly — a motion typical for organic lifeforms.

The princess bit her lips, uncertain of her next action. 

Without doubt, the bird was still alive. 

Who could have dragged this poor creature below the earth? Was it, perchance, the work of a stray mechanical lifeform? Or an unscrupulous merchant? Was it thrown away by a noble lady that had gotten bored of toying around with her plaything?

Regardless of its origin, it didn’t have long left to live, the princess concluded grimly. 

And certainly, without doubt, there was absolutely nothing she could possibly do. 

Indeed, there was absolutely nothing, and yet, stealing a glance left and right, the princess let out a resigned sigh and carefully gathered the little creature, enveloping it with her skirt.

Much as expected, the palace guard shot the bundle of cloth and feathers a skeptical look. 

“Another toy, Your Highness?"

At his inquiry, the princess wrapped the bird a little tighter, ignoring the curious glances and craned necks as she scurried over to her chambers. Once there, she quickly found a basket which she lined with her silken robe, trying not to think of the exasperated sighs that she was bound to hear as soon as the maids found out what she had done.  

As far as she could tell, the bird's condition neither improved nor worsened over the course of the day. Nighttime arrived before she even noticed. Having ushered the maids out of her room, the princess placed the basket near her bed, before climbing in herself.

Her sleep was restless. 

Chased by relentless dreams and memories of her first mistake, she twisted around, turning from one side to the other. She woke up often, feeling disturbed, and yet unable to recall the nightmare. During those moments, her fingers kept chasing after the little bird, and upon finding it still there and very much breathing, she closed her eyes, relieved. 

She didn't know how often she had woken up in this manner, but it must have been somewhere close to the early hours of the morning that she had finally fallen into deep slumber. 

It was then that she had a vivid dream. 

The sky in that dream was a bright blue, and for some reason, her eyes didn't feel the least bit strained as she peered greedily into its unfathomable depths. The flowers around her wore vibrant colors and gave off a sweet scent as she stumbled through the lush fields. With a smile on her face, she jumped across the glimmering creeks and meandered around the green trees. They were much thicker and greener than the ones that grew in the palace garden, and yet they didn’t seem strange to her.

Drunk on the joy of discovery, the princess soon stumbled upon a clearing. A big apple tree stood there, its branches heavy with juicy fruit. A young man waited for her below that tree. He grinned when he saw her. His voice rang as clear as bells when he called out to her, stretching out a hand for her to take. 

The dream ended shortly before their fingers could touch. 

With a feeling of mild disappointment, the princess awoke within a nest of tangled up sheets and strewn pillows.

She sighed, uncurling the blanket from her leg. Then, parting with her recollection of the sweet dream, she glanced over to the basket. 

Confused, she rubbed her eyes. It took her a few heartbeats to realize that the basket was empty. 

In an instant, her heart fell somewhere into the pit of her stomach, before starting to hammer against her chest. 

Her head twisted about, scanning the chamber.

Where was the bird? Had it flown away, and gotten lost in the depths of the palace? Or worse, what if a maid, convinced that she was doing her a favor, had already retrieved its corpse? 

Shedding her sweaty blanket, the princess took a deep breath, composing herself before calling for the maids. To her relief, neither one of the women had done anything of the sort, the guards' testimonies proving that not a single soul had entered her chamber that night. Towards the end of her interrogation, one of the servants pointed towards the half-opened window which she had overlooked in haste, reasoning that the bird must have gotten better and — in the true nature of wild beasts — had escaped while the princess was sound asleep.

This could have been the end of the story, if not for a certain fateful night, about a week after the previously mentioned events.

Armed with cookies and a bottle of wine, the princess had spent the entirety of her evening glowering at the list of potential marriage candidates when she heard a light tapping sound. She ignored it even when the sound repeated, figuring that it was just a coincidence. When the tapping sound came a third time, however, she finally snapped out of her reverie with an annoyed sigh. 

She glanced about, her gaze eventually settling on the window. Suddenly, the cookie she’d been eating fell right out of her mouth. Without fully registering what she was doing, the princess crumpled the list of candidates and threw it off the table. 

“It’s you!” she gasped. Jumping out of the chair, she scurried over to unlock the window. The moment she opened it wide enough, the little bird jumped happily onto the windowsill. Still shocked, the princess rubbed her eyes. "I can't believe it, it really is you! You survived!"

As if sharing her joy, the bird let out a series of chirps, before suddenly focusing on something beside her. Following its line of sight, the princess found that it was staring at the half-empty wine glass that she left on the table.

"Oh, are you thirsty? Wait a moment, I shall fetch you some water."

She turned, ready to call for a maid when the bird leapt past her and landed next to the glass. 

She gasped, moving after to prevent a disaster. "Ugh, what are you doing? You aren't supposed to drink that! My maids will behead me if you spill the wine!"

But something shifted in the princess’ vision just before she could take hold of the glass. She blinked hard, confused, before refocusing her eyes on the spot where she'd last seen the bird.

Instead of the bird, she found a young man perched up on her table.

"You won't mind if I take a sip, right?" he chirped in a cheerful voice. Not waiting for affirmation, he quickly helped himself to the wine. "Ah~ That was good! Oh, you wouldn't have any more of that delectable stuff? You see, this poor bard's throat is actually quite dry after all that flying~"

For once, the princess didn’t have to comment on his terrible manners. Rather, she was entirely busy staring at the pair of wings protruding from his back. 

As far as the princess knew, there was only one entity in the entire world that possessed a pair of remarkably white wings to pair with eyes that were a replica of his favorite, bright-blue skies. 

The Winged One. The Trickster God. The One Who Must Never Be Trusted. 

People below the earth had many names for the one they considered their enemy.

The princess grasped her dress, uncertain what to do about this deity that had descended upon her. By all means, she was aware of her duty to call the guards. 

And yet she didn’t. 

Instead, she simply stared. 

The winged god smiled sweetly, almost as if he could read her thoughts. Unashamed of his brazen act, he gulped down the rest of the wine like it was simple water. She’d barely blinked before the glass was empty. 

He grinned, holding the glass up in her direction. “You wouldn’t happen to have more, Your Highness?” 

As if guided by magic, she bent down mechanically to search the floor below the table, quickly spotting the bottle next to the destable list of marriage candidates that she’d discarded in her excitement. 

Seeing the list reminded her that she wasn’t dreaming. 

Throwing the crumpled paper a disdainful glance, the princess thought that, strangely enough, she wasn’t the least bit inclined to reject this god’s plea. 

Even if, technically speaking, he was the worst enemy of her country.

The princess blinked, emerging from the memories of that day. 

A red fruit was dangling playfully in front of her eyes. Supporting herself with one arm, she rose on the bed and turned to fully face it.

"Oh? What's this?" 

Venti smiled, pleased to have captured her interest. "An apple! I'll let you have it if you give me a kiss~"

Snatching the fruit from his hands, she pecked his cheek, before shamelessly turning all of her attention to the treat. Rolling it from one hand to the other, she marveled at its perfectly round shape and its delectably red color. Even the fruits that the palace imported rarely looked this good. She wondered if he had plucked it shortly before his visit. Bringing it up to her nose, she inhaled the pleasantly sweet scent. She wasn’t hungry, and yet her mouth filled with water.

“Incredible,” she breathed out. She swiftly took another greedy whiff of its scent. “I didn’t think it possible, but the real thing is so much better than what you’ve shown me in dreams!”

She smiled, about to take a bite when she finally took note of her pouting companion. 

"Had I known that it would steal your attention, I would have buried it deep inside the soil!" he complained, his lips pursed. "Or rather, I think I should’ve asked for a grander price! It's a shame, really, for my cheek has already grown cold." 

Without prior notice, he leaned shamelessly into her shoulder and let out a pitiful whine. She chuckled, and brought her hand up to brush through his locks, while the other raised the apple to her lips. For a while, he indulged in her ministrations, and the princess enjoyed the juicy fruit. 

Then, suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his lips turned into a devious smile.

In one swift motion, he parted from her shoulder. His twinkling eyes peered straight into hers. She stared back, surprised. The winds swirled excitedly in the blue of his eyes, briefly rendering her speechless. 

No matter how often she witnessed it, she still couldn’t quite get used to the magical elements that the people above took for granted. 

Tilting her head, the princess parted her lips from the half-bitten apple.

"Say," he said, trailing one of his fingers across the hand that was still holding the apple, "what do you suppose we do if this poor bard gets sick?"

"That would be rather awful," she agreed, trying not to chuckle. The touch tickled more than she’d liked to admit. She set the apple on her nightstand, figuring that she might as well play along. "It would be dreadful if my poor bard were to lose his voice. Why, I reckon that it would be a loss for the world!"

He gasped, faking a scandalized expression. 

"Precisely! As I thought, Your Highness understands me so well~" 

Perching herself on one arm, the princess shot him a curious glance. All of her senses were telling her that she was walking into his trap. And yet she didn’t mind in the slightest. "And since you are my honored guest,” she said, “I suppose that it is my duty to ask how I could possibly help?"

In a swift motion, he leaned in close enough so she could feel his lips brushing against her ear. 

Her breath hitched. 

She didn’t need to look down to know that his nimble fingers had undone the bow that kept her nightdress decent. 

The bed creaked under their shifting weights. 

His body was pleasantly warm as he leaned fully into her, coercing her to fall back on her pillow. 

She closed her eyes, and laid in eager wait. 

She wasn’t disappointed. 

Without wasting a single breath, he kissed her ear, and whispered in a voice sweeter than sugar, "Say, have you ever heard of the drink called honey and milk?"                                                       

The maid was almost done with the princess’ chambers when she felt something crunch right below her feet. She gasped as images of broken jewelry flashed right before her eyes.

Their princess was forgiving, but the same couldn't be said about the head maid. 

With her foot still frozen in place, the maid let out a calming breath, reminding herself that their princess wasn't prone to leaving jewelry on the floor, which was why, surely, it was nothing important. When her heartbeat evened, the maid raised her foot, her eyes narrowing as she tried to pinpoint what exactly she had stepped on. 

Below her foot were tiny stones of unremarkable color.

The maid sighed, convinced that they must’ve gotten stuck to the princess’ shoes during one of her strolls. Relieved, she bent down, ready to sweep it up when she finally got a closer look.

Setting the broom aside, she picked them up. She then hummed, surprised. 

"Seeds? Oh, silly princess! But… Now that I think of it, isn’t the next batch of fruits only scheduled to arrive one week from now…?"

Suddenly, cold droplets of sweat formed at the base of her neck. Swinging her head left and right, the maid swiftly wrapped the seeds in a handkerchief, and without taking a single look back, she scurried off to report a most urgent matter.  

When the clock struck midnight, the princess gathered her skirt and climbed onto the windowsill. Once she had made it safely up, she circled her arms around her bent legs. The stone felt cold to her bare feet, but she didn’t care. Wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders, she gazed outwards, across the many towers and bridges, all the way up the tall wall and towards the sky. Thick fog had settled in earlier in the day, so she couldn’t see the gems dotting the upper rock.

Not that she took much notice of this detail.  

The princess let out an impatient sigh, before resting her cheek sullenly against her knees. 

She recalled her last meeting with Venti, replaying it over and over in her head. 

A shy smile lit up on her face.

Feeling self-conscious, she turned her face away from the window, lest a sharp-eyed palace guard sees her dreamy expression. 

Who could have possibly known that silver tongues could paint the sweetest of dreams? Her nurse had never told her that it would feel so good to be touched there and there .

She cupped her cheeks, suddenly embarrassed. Both wanting to recall everything and clear her head off this sin, the princess stretched out her legs and shifted just a little closer to the outer side of the windowsill. There, she glanced down at the far-away ground that she could barely see, swallowed and quickly looked up again. 

At long last, her brain registered the thick fog on the skies. 

She squinted her eyes, wondering if, despite his promise, Venti wouldn’t make it. The palace had many towers, and her own chambers were located in an unremarkable location that looked just like any other. Certainly, even for a god in disguise, a journey into her kingdom was not without its perils. There was the heavily guarded grand gate that led to the upper world, and then the many mechanical lifeforms that populated the middle and lower caverns. She was certain that the list didn’t end with just that. Truth be told, she hadn’t seen much of her own kingdom. Unless it was yet another time to show herself to the common folk, she was mostly forbidden from leaving the palace. 

The entirety of the princess’ meager knowledge of the world beyond the walls came from her maids, guards and the occasional merchant that was permitted to do trade with the royal palace. All goods that came from the upper world were accounted for, and all living beings put under quarantine until it was determined that they posed no threat. 

All things considered, she supposed that a bird was, indeed, the only animal that could reach the palace without getting caught. And even if a bird were to be seen crossing the palace, nobody would pay it much attention, as it was well known that it would perish soon. 

The princess sighed, burying her face in her knees. 

Not entirely without envy, she recalled the beautiful pair of wings that the trickster possessed. As much as she’d liked that thing that he’d introduced to her during their last encounter, she felt that she wouldn’t mind asking for something else instead. 

“I wonder if I could ask him to take me out on a stroll in the skies? It would be nice if he could turn me into a bird.”

She pressed her lips together, hardly believing what she’d just said.

She glanced back to her small chamber. A part of her wondered when Venti would finally grow tired of these visits. Surely, he could reach far nicer places with those wings of his?

Her sullen musings were interrupted by a soft fluttering of wings. 

Something, or rather someone, tackled her from behind. With a soft gasp, she slid off the windowsill and landed on her feet. 

A familiar chuckle tickled her ears.

She gasped, twisting around in his embrace. "Venti!"

He flashed her a pearly white smile, prying away just enough so she could see his face.

"Hello, Your Highness! Have you been waiting?" 

“And what if I was?” 

His grin grew wider. Releasing her shoulders, he perched himself up on her windowsill, while she remained standing. The white wings on his back fluttered merrily, obscuring the entirety of the view behind.

A question burned on her tongue, but she wasn’t certain if she wanted to ask it. Just what did he find so amusing about her boring little chambers? What did he like about her company, and what motivated him to come back for a visit? 

Locking her curious eyes with his amused ones, the princess let out a soft sigh. 

She supposed that it didn’t matter, or rather that her question could wait for another time.

She smiled, brushing her worries aside. “So... what did you bring me this time?” she asked cheekily, eyeing his empty hands and flat pockets. 

He grinned, pointing towards his mouth. 

She gasped, scandalized, yet at the same giddy at his shameless request.  

Her lips parted eagerly as her hands found his, their fingers interlocking.

Just as their lips were about to touch, the door to her chamber swung open. 

In the next, shocking moment, her chamber exploded with angry light. 

Her breath stopped when she recognized the guard’s heavy footsteps.

She squinted, instinctively shielding Venti.

As she turned, she felt Venti’s fingers slip away from hers. At the same time, one of the guards grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the window.

"Don't let him lay a single finger on the princess!" 

“Where are the archers? Call for the archers! We mustn’t let the enemy escape!” 

“The princess… Is the princess alright?”

Amidst this chaotic shouting, the princess could make out a mad fluttering of wings. She covered her face, and sank to the floor as she prayed for his safety. 

When she finally dared to open her eyes again, she found the room full of red-faced guards, distraught maids and stray feathers.

For better or worse, the winged god was nowhere in sight. 

The window in the princess’ chambers has been locked ever since that night, and her strolls reduced to a few handfuls where she was followed by several guards. 

There was little pleasure to be found in her current state of life.

There was, she mused, perhaps only one good thing about this boring monotony of her supervised life: it quickly made her accept the fact that she would never see Venti again. 

Rather, was it not obvious that their short acquaintance was never meant to last? Just as the maids had prophesied, the winged god had gotten his fill, and flitted away as soon as his endeavor turned dangerous. 

After all, the world was full of princesses, but there was only one trickster god.

Tonight, an entire month after their tragic parting, the princess sat rigidly on her bed, feeling much like a prisoner sentenced to execution. She wore a tight white dress with too many ruffles and lace, and her feet were packed into lacquered shoes that had been decorated with large crimson agates. A heavy diadem of noctiluscious jade made her head ache.

She didn’t know if it was because of the incident with Venti, but the talks of her marriage had suddenly accelerated, leading up to the current day. Truth be told, she didn’t even know her groom, though she supposed that, ultimately, they were all the same. 

Her shoulders stiffened. Even now, after having somewhat accepted that she would never see Venti again, the entirety of her being was against this marriage. 

Though it was not like she ever had a choice to begin with. 

With a sullen sigh, the princess glanced down at the bouquet that she’d been told to hold. As if to remind her of the place she belonged, the bouquet consisted strictly of the only flower that grew abundantly in the underworld.

The princess didn’t usually have anything against flowers, but this time only, she grimaced at what it implied. 

Suddenly, somebody knocked on her door. 

“Another wedding gift, Your Highness.” 

Unlocking the door, the maid bowed, avoiding the princess’ eyes as she left yet another basket in front of her bed. 

As if she hadn’t gotten enough of those, the princess thought grimly as she let out a sigh. 

When the door was closed and locked, the princess glared at the basket. Like a mechanical doll, she set the bouquet down, got up and picked it up. 

She was ready to toss it under her bed when she heard a strange ruffling sound from inside. In a heartbeat, she tore down the pretty bow and the silky cloth. 

Her mouth parted in surprise at the familiar white bird that looked back with a pair of mischievous, blue eyes. 

She sucked in a breath. Instinctively, her eyes snapped to the door. She sat the basket gingerly on her bed, before quickly covering it up with the curtain. 

Ignoring the ruffling sounds from her bed, she  scurried to the door and checked if there were any steps outside. 

Only then did she go back and brush the curtain aside. 

“Venti!” she whispered fervently to the young man that said cross-legged on her bed. “What… No, I mean…  How did you even get in here?”

He chuckled softly, brushing a stray lock of her hair aside. “Why, isn’t it obvious? I’ve been sent down as a wedding gift!”

“Of course.” She rolled her eyes. “And now you’ll tell me that some king from the upper world wishes to congratulate me on my marriage?”

She’d said it in jest, but she hadn’t expected Venti’s laid back expression to grow serious. 

“In truth,” he sighed, taking one of her hands and wrapping it in his, “your brother has asked me to find you.”

She blinked, digesting her words. Feeling at a loss, she glanced about. Her gaze fell on the discarded wedding gifts, and on the slightly damaged bouquet that was laying on her bed.  Suddenly, she felt a surge of anger. “Don’t you think,” she exclaimed with a broken chuckle, “that this is too much of a joke, even for a god of trickery?”

But Venti smiled, ever patient. “Tell me, Your Highness, have I ever tricked you?”

She looked down. “But I don't have a brother,” she said, suddenly unsure.

“Princess Lumine,” he said in a peculiar tone that he sometimes used when he was telling stories, “have you ever seen your Queen Mother, and your King Father?”

Her eyes widened.

She hasn’t. She… hasn’t. Now that she thought about it, all she’s ever seen were her maids and guards. 

Venti smiled, perhaps reading her thoughts. “And why do you think it is so?” 

She remained motionless beside him, but her eyes darted nervously about the room. Venti still held her hand. His grip was deliberately loose, but she didn’t let go. 

Dread filled her stomach. 

“But this is absurd,” she said slowly. Her hand tightened around his.  

He chuckled, meeting her wandering gaze. “Say, is there anything you want, princess?” he said suddenly, seemingly changing the topic. “You know that I can make any of your wishes come true.”

“Of course! For one, I don’t want this marriage. And not a minute longer do I wish to stay in this chamber!” She blinked, surprised at what she’d just said. She grabbed her throat, then looked confused at her smiling companion. “No, w-wait!”

“Yes, princess?”

She bit her lip. Perhaps it was a bad time to ask, but she needed to know. “Why you, Venti?” she cleared her throat when he looked back, puzzled. “I mean, why did you come here? Couldn’t my…” — she stumbled over the unfamiliar word — “ brother … have sent somebody else to retrieve me? Or better yet, why couldn’t he do it himself?”

She took a calming breath. For a moment, Venti was silent. Then, suddenly, he let out a merry chuckle.

“An excellent question! Why, I have often wondered about it myself. Perhaps it is because he heard that you were fond of birds. Or perhaps it is because you are exceptionally pretty!” He winked, confusing her even further. Not waiting for the words to sink properly in, he pushed the curtain aside and promptly slid off the bed. “Either way, isn’t it wiser to ask him yourself? Come with me, princess! Unless, of course, if you wish to marry and remain in this dreadful place!” He then pulled her close, and took the heavy diadem off her head, tossing it backwards. 

With the unpleasant weight gone, she could suddenly think much more clearly.  

“But my window is locked,” she protested when he began to pull her towards it. Still, she followed him, stepping out of her gem-laden shoes. 

“Piece of cake~” he chuckled, snapping his fingers as soon as she shed her ruffles and veil. 

With a clacking sound, something fell off to the other side of the window. The nails and hinges made protesting noises, but the window opened regardless.

Before she knew it, she’d been hauled up by a gentle breeze to stand on the windowsill beside her abductor. 

He stepped forward first, then turned around, still holding her hand. His figure obscured what lay behind the frame of her window, but she swallowed nonetheless, remembering just how far away they were from solid ground.

She had dreamed about this, of course, but the real thing was far more scary than what she’d imagined.

Her eyes snapped to his, searching them for any hint of trickery. “But… I can't fly!” she protested, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “I don’t even have wings! And… and… I still don’t recall ever having a brother!”

His eyes twinkled merrily at her ramblings. He took both of her hands in his. “Would you believe me if I told you that you have both?”

She looked down at their interlocked hands, distracted by a sudden, prickling sensation. 

“I'll carry you,” he urged. “You only need to trust me.”

“Trusting the god of trickery?” She laughed, despite herself, and he chuckled with her. 

The fear of the unknown still held her captive when somebody knocked on her door. It must have been a maid, about to deliver another gift. 

This small sound was enough to make her resolve grow, pushing the fear aside.

With a decisive breath, the princess took a tentative step forward just as he took one step back. Their eyes locked. She took another step, and then another. She heard the tell-tale sound of the key being inserted into the lock. Her heart raced. Her mind was telling her that she’d taken plenty of steps to have left the windowsill, but she was too afraid to look back.

What if the magic left her the moment she did it?

When the door opened, she leapt ahead, burrowing her face in his chest. Somewhere behind her, a maid gasped. Something fell down. But all she could focus on was the fluttering sound of  his heart and the merry laughter as he carried them upwards. 

When she felt that they’d gone far enough from her tower, she glanced up. Her abductor was grinning, and the elements in his eyes were swirling stronger than ever before. 

“Well done, princess! I knew you could do it!”

Despite the rush of excitement, her eyes narrowed. Something was strange in the way that he’d phrased it.

“But I haven’t done anything,” she said, even more confused when he answered her with a strange, amused sound.

“Silly princess! Have you forgotten that I’m a trickster? It’s not me who's carrying you, but you yourself!”

It took a few heartbeats for the words to sink in. She held her breath. Her eyes widened to the sizes of saucers. She whipped her head, only to see a pair of dainty wings protruding from her back. 

She opened her mouth, unsure if she wanted to scold him or hug him. “You… you……! Ugh!”

But the more she looked at her own wings, the more she forgot what she’d ever been angry about. 

“Princess,” Venti called out, putting a firm hand on her shoulder, “much as I like that you are clinging to me so tightly, I think it is time for you to look down and face the truth.”

She blushed, prying away but remaining close for safety. There were imprints where her hand had clutched the fabric of his clothes. 

Mildly embarrassed, she followed his gesture. His pointing finger led her all the way down to where they’d come from. 

At first, she marveled at the entirety of the palace. From where they were floating, it looked like a giant maze. It took her a while to spot her own window among many other similar ones. But when did, she let out a shocked gasp. 

“See?” she heard him say, “A princess as pretty as you has nothing to do with these greedy creatures of the abyss.”

Indeed, her window was crowded with unfamiliar creatures. They wore the maid’s uniforms and the guard’s armor, but their faces were obscured by hair and covered with masks. With their disfigured limbs and sharp claws, they scratched the window, wailing in anger.

She shuddered. “To think I was about to marry one of these creatures!” 

This time, the winged god only smiled, before pulling her towards the sliver of light that, like a ray produced by a beacon, penetrated the thick fog.