Chapter Text
Fluixon’s mind was a cacophony of sound, overlaid with the noise of his would-be-murderers shouting, snow crunching under heavy footsteps, and his own body crashing through branches and bramble alike. One whipped back, scratching his cheek, as another caught at his coat, ripping the fabric in his haste to escape.
Outrageous. Absolutely outrageous. That was what all of this was. From here on out, Flux was vetting all of his servants, and firing any of the ones that didn’t pass a sophisticated background check. Because this was absurd. Never before had he experienced an assassination attempt so blatant.
A crossbow bolt whizzed by his ear, embedding itself in a tree, and he figured maybe he should save the planning for later.
While the forested area was technically still his estate’s grounds, it was reserved for hunting, an activity Fluixon never enjoyed, and therefore never before had a reason to explore this deep into it… Which meant he didn’t even have a home turf advantage. Drat.
A moment of rest came when he ducked down behind the ledge of a creek. Mud caked itself into his nice leather boots, ice cracking beneath them. By now, he was heaving for breaths, frosty air burning his lungs. Flux had managed to put a decent amount of distance between them, but he likely only had a few minutes, as the assassins tracked his rushed path through the forest. What could he do? Where could he go?
His eyes snapped to—what seemed to be—a small clearing in the distance. Fluixon could barely see it through the trees. At first thought an open area seemed like a horrible idea, but that was exactly why they may not expect it. Flux had a reputation for being tactical and perceptive. Given their decently put together plan, his attackers likely had a good source of information, and were also aware of this. With that in mind, the smartest decision may be to make the stupidest one.
There was no more time to consider. Flux sucked in another ragged breath, and trekked onward, as quietly as he could. Whoever was following him had also lowered their volume, likely frustrated and looking for where he could’ve gone, which was bad. The shouting would’ve been good cover for him sneaking away.
Slowly, the path seemed to clear, as if guiding Fluixon to safety while his pursuers stumbled through the undergrowth. As he got closer, he was yet to hear a single shout of alarm. Entering the clearing, he looked back, analytical. Had he lost them?
Well, no point giving them the chance to catch on. Flux carefully observed the clearing he had found himself in, at first looking for a hiding place, and then with ever growing dread.
It was beautiful. The small clearing was more colorful and full of life than the entire rest of the forest, somehow untouched by the Empire’s ever present winter, blooming vines of wild clematis decorating the trees and draping the space in quiet, the sounds of birds chirping very soothing after the nonstop cries for Fluixon’s death. All that miraculous beauty centered around a circle of mushrooms and buttercups2.
Fluixon recognised the danger for what it was immediately. A faerie ring. An enchanted circle of mushrooms and flowers meant to keep the fae enchained within as much as they were meant to keep humans out– And within it, the fae in question.
Flux’ first thought was that no story had ever done the beauty of a fae justice.
Otherworldly, that was what they looked like. White hair that reflected light in a thousand prismatic colors, skin a tan that only came from an abundance of time in the sun—vivid and vivacious—with two moles that mirrored each other placed precisely under eyes of molten gold. Molten, because they burned with the same life and magic that boiled over from the faewilds and into the clearing.
Their clothes were simple, clean white with golden thread, yet more elegant than anything the high fashion of nobility could imagine even with all the Empire’s coffers to spare. Entirely foreign in their fashion, sandals winding up their legs which would be completely useless in fending off frostburn, and flowing, light fabrics. It was almost… uncanny, how beguiling in their grace a fae could be, how obvious it was that they were different from humans, putting even the most lovely of suitors to shame.
Then, the fae grinned, and Flux was struck with the reality of his situation. He had just escaped certain death, only to happen upon a possibly even more dire predicament. Not only that, but he had just made a fool of himself in front of that certain doom, with how long he must’ve spent staring.
Fluixon straightened his back into something more regal, fitting of his station, and cleared his throat. “Good evening.” Don’t apologise. “I’ve never seen a fae in person, and was momentarily surprised.” Don’t introduce yourself. “I was merely passing by on my way back home. Worry not, I know my way there.” Don’t reveal any weaknesses for them to prey on. “Farewell.” Always end the conversation politely.
With that, Flux turned sharply, directly away from the fae circle without looking as if he was returning from where he came. This chance meeting would simply become an interesting story he told at noble gatherings. In no world would it become a tragedy, of how Fluixon, prince of the Aculon Empire, had wandered into the forest and been swept away by the fae, like so many before him. He was not that foolish.
“Wait!” the fae shouted from behind him, voice pleading and panicked. “Wait, don’t leave– It’ll be so embarrassing if you leave! Come back!” they begged.
Fluixon stopped in his tracks. What ridiculous nonsense was happening here?
Fae were meant to be refined, elegant, and dangerous. At first glance, the fae within the circle had seemed just that. Beauty as boundless as the wilds themselves and eyes twinkling with magic and mischief. However a fae certainly would never beg. Beg a human, no less.
The mere absurdity of it had Flux looking back to face them. “How is my leaving embarrassing?” he asked.
“Woah! You actually came back! Wow, I–” The fae straightened up, trying to look professional in a poor imitation of Flux himself, their gleeful expression betraying them. They were obviously overjoyed by this turn of events. “Hello! Uh, what brings you to my wonderful side of the woods, traveller?”
“I already explained that to you,” Fluixon replied. “And you didn’t answer my question, which is only fair, since I seem to be doing you a favour by humouring you.”
They frowned, but it didn’t seem like they were angry with him, despite how obvious it was Flux was aware of the faerie rules. Instead they just looked ashamed. “Well… I only really recently came of age, and you’re like, the first human I ever talked to?” They nervously scuffed their shoe against the ground. “And it would be really embarrassing if I messed this up.” The fae leaned back, a hand on their forehead and dismayed look on their face. “If everyone finds out the first human I ever talked to ran away from me, it’ll be all they talk about for centuries!”
Fae couldn’t lie, so this one had to be telling the truth. That was… interesting. Flux had never really considered what a young fae would act like. He supposed the claim made sense, since it would be odd if fae were simply created already experienced in hundreds of years of trickery, but Fluixon had never heard a tale about it. He had most definitely never heard of someone encountering a child fae.
“I’m not running away from you, I simply have important places to be,” Flux said, voice clipped. Technically that was true. He was walking away. In any case, the only people he was running from were his assailants. “However… I suppose I could stay for a bit, to ensure you won’t be too badly embarrassed.”
It really wasn’t a wise decision, but Flux was far too intrigued to walk away without any answers. Besides, a young, inexperienced fae could hardly outwit him.
The fae’s eyes brightened, and they were practically bouncing on their heels. “So, can I have your name?” they asked instantly, almost cheekily.
“No, but you can call me ‘your highness,’ as that is my proper title,” Fluixon answered easily.
The fae tipped their head to the side. “Your highness…?” Then, they startled, as if suddenly remembering something. “Oh! Are you a prince? Wow, my first human is so special.”
Fluixon’s expression narrowed into a glare, irritated by the implication that this fae owned him by virtue of laying eyes on him. “Yes. Prince of the Aculon Empire,” he announced with pride. “Which I belong to.”
A mischievous smirk was all Flux got in return. “Aculon, huh?” The fae laughed. “I have no idea what that is! This is so fun.”
“Indeed… and if you want to get a human’s name so badly, you’ll have to try much harder than that. Everyone knows that old trick by now,” Flux sneered.
The fae kicked at the ground within their circle childishly, pouting. “I had to at least try. What happened to bring you this far out anyway, princey? And don’t lie this time. I may not be able to taste lies of omission, but I can still tell,” they said, annoyed.
He dodged the question once again. “My name is not princey.” The goal of any prolonged encounter with a fae was to gain more information than you gave.
“Well you didn’t give me any name to call you!” they complained loudly.
“I did,” Flux deadpanned, unamused by the blatant disrespect of his title. “I told you to call me your highness. Aren’t fae meant to value etiquette?”
“Well, you were rude to me first, trying to ignore me, so I think it’s fair.” The fae crossed their arms, looking away. “And you won’t answer any of my questions! So rude, princey…”
In any normal conversation, calling someone “rude” was just a mild insult. When it came to fae, such a thing could be a death sentence. Experienced or not, a young fae surely held the same power as an older one, and Fluixon had to treat them with the same respect. Mostly, at least.
“I stumbled upon this circle while running, I truly was not looking for this place,” Flux said honestly.
“Yeah, I’m sure the people following you weren’t either,” the fae agreed.
Right. Well, Fluixon wasn’t sure why the fae was interrogating him, when they clearly already knew what had happened. “How did you know there were people after me?” he questioned.
The fae looked past him, at the forest, like they knew something—could feel something—Fluixon did not. “The trees are real gossips.” Their eyes flitted back to him. “How do you think you got here, anyway, without them following you? Really, you should be grateful to me for saving your life.”
Whatever that comment about the trees meant, Flux was not too keen on finding out the implications of it. “I guess we could call it even, then. You helped me by bringing me here, and I helped you by saving your reputation.”
“That feels a little one sided…”
“Not really. I’ve evaded plenty of assassination attempts before, I would’ve found another way, but I won’t deny that you did help me.” Even if it was against his will, and Fluixon would rather end up dead in a ditch than end up as a nameless.
“Sure,” the fae finally conceded. “We’re even, your highness.” They stepped closer to the edge of the fae circle, squinting their eyes at him. “Is that why they were chasing you? Because you’re royalty? That feels a little silly. Humans are so odd.”
Flux’ eyes narrowed. Nothing about this was silly, but he supposed fae didn’t have a lot of empathy or understanding for human struggles, too far removed from it with their immortality and innate power. “It’s part of the fight for succession. Only one of us can become Emperor, and as the third prince of seven, it’s a little… competitive.”
The fae laughed loudly, joy resounding like wind chimes with a cooling breeze. “Competitive? Sounds rough, that’s for sure.” They pouted, looking a little puzzled. “But like… I still don’t get it. You’re fighting to “become Emperor,” but people are hunting you? So it’s like, literal fighting?”
“They want to eliminate me before I come of age, since I cannot be crowned until then,” Fluixon explained. He assumed the fae court must work differently, hence their confusion. Either that, or the fool was just entirely unaware of politics, which was equally as possible.
“That… sucks,” they trailed off. “Talk about an eventful childhood, huh?”
“Your eloquence on the matter astounds me.” Flux was seventeen, so considering the succession squabbles were ongoing, he was in for an equally eventful adulthood. “Now, I have a question for you.” He stepped just a little closer to the fae circle, careful not to crush a single flower under his boots, attempting to look regal and imposing– difficult, with his run ragged appearance, and whatever few inches of height the fae had on him. “Why did you insist on knowing how I got here, if that was your intention the entire time?”
At that, the fae paused. Silence stretched, allowing the sound of chirping of birds and rustling of leaves to wash over them, as the fae seemed to mull over how they would respond. Then, almost casually, they shrugged, and said: “I wanted to know what your time of most need would be.”
What?
What could that possibly mean? Was the fae twisting their words, so it was technically an answer to Flux’ question, but incomprehensible– or was there some strange magic that only allowed people to find this circle under special circumstances? Either way, “That makes no sense.”
The fae sighed. “It doesn’t, does it? Unless: It’s fate! Now just take a step into the ring, hm?”
With that, their moment of tension was broken, and Fluixon’s curiosity died with it. He backed up. “You certainly have a way with words.” Initially, Flux had been interested by the endless unknowns about the young fae, but this conversation was not going in any useful direction, not to mention he risked losing life and limb with every word he spoke. “However, I have places to be, and the whole castle is probably in a riot wondering what happened to me. So, I will have to take my leave.”
“Wait, wait– Princey! Don’t go yet!” The fae called out to him once again.
Fluixon ignored them, intending to walk away without looking back.
“Come on, we barely talked, we haven’t even– Princey.”
He reached out a hand, pushing a flowering vine aside to step back out into Aculon’s glacial chill, already feeling the weariness return to his bones.
Fumbling for anything that would cause Flux to hesitate, suddenly, the fae asked: “Do you want to make a deal?”
“A deal,” Flux echoed.
“Yes! A deal.”
“Why would I ever want to make a deal?”
The fae gave him a funny look. “Well, you stopped, so…”
They had a point.
Fluixon scoffed. He didn’t walk back to the fae circle, but he didn’t leave, either. “Whatever you want, if it’s for my name, lifespan, or liberty, no.”
“What about the shine in your eyes when you laugh?” They needled, voice playful but words dangerous. “Or–Oh, this is a good one! That grouchy temperament of yours, would you trade that?”
Flux levelled them with a glare.
Peals of laughter rang out, at Fluixon’s own expense. “I’m joking! It’s not that, it’s not! I promise it’s not,” they placated. Then, the fae cleared their throat, smiling nervously. “I wanted to ask you to return to this fae circle once you’ve come of age.”
What a strange proposition. Fluixon’s curiosity was going to be the death of him. Not only had he humoured a fae, but now he was even considering dealing with one. “Why?” he asked.
”Because… I like you,” the fae said simply. “I’m not sure how long it takes to be friends with a human, but I think we get along pretty well! So, if you don’t die before you become an adult, I want to see you again.” They smiled warmly, perhaps the most honest smile Flux had seen from them yet. Something sharp panged inside his chest. “Besides, humans age pretty fast, so it’s not like I’ll have to wait long… Like, five years, maybe…?”
It seemed the fae had a deep misunderstanding as to how quickly humans aged.
Fluixon folded his arms, suspicious, but interested. If this was all the fae truly asked of him, he could fulfill it easily. “What would I get in return for doing you this favor?” Flux further questioned, digging for hidden intentions.
They tapped their chin thoughtfully. Flux was beginning to notice how expressive they were. He wondered if it was on purpose, to make people let down their guard, or if it was yet again due to their age and inexperience.
Actually, how much older were they to him, relatively? Just based on appearance, the fae looked very similar to Fluixon himself. Faeries lived for thousands of years, and this one seemed under the impression that five years was a short amount of time for someone to mature, so it was possible they were centuries old– Yet, they acted like a teenager.
“Oh! I know!” the fae exclaimed, cutting off Flux’ train of thought.
Holding out their hand, they closed their eyes, concentrating on something. Then, slowly, from the fae’s palm, petals began to form, with a warm glowing light which expanded and bloomed into life. From nothing, there was now Something. Fluixon was mesmerized, but also discomforted, feeling like he had just seen something no human was ever supposed to see. It went against every law of matter the great thinkers of their time had ever taught.
“This is a yellow rose3,” the fae began to explain.
“Looks like it,” Flux agreed.
The fae gave him a quick glare before continuing. “A yellow rose, which is cursed so that whoever you gift it to will fail at a key moment.” They grinned, clearly proud of themselves. “You said you were fighting to become Emperor or whatever, right? Just give this to whoever else you’re competing with.”
Fluixon almost laughed. His amazement at the rose was quickly wearing off, ruined by the fae’s terrible offer. While it was clear they had put a good amount of thought into the gift, it was not only off the mark, but their intentions were still far too obvious. “I appreciate the thoughtfulness, but I have no need for such a thing,” he said.
“What?” Their smile dropped, clearly disappointed, and perhaps even offended. They retracted the arm offering the flower, holding it close to their chest. “How could you not? You’re literally doing the whole– succession thing!”
“I am,” Flux affirmed. “I will succeed the throne and become the next Emperor of Aculon, and I will do whatever it takes– Be that deceive, conquer, or kill whoever opposes me. But I am going to do it my own way. That is the only way winning will be satisfying to me, and the only way I can get revenge for the outrage I have been put through.” He raised his head high. “If you had any idea what I have been through, and what I have seen, you would understand. I refuse to snag such low hanging fruit, rather than bear the fruits of my own efforts.”
The fae listened quietly through his whole spiel, almost enraptured. Something strange and almost hungry flickered across their face before melting into disappointment. “I mean… I guess, if that’s your reason…”
Flux snorted. “I also find it a little interesting, how you say you like me, and then try to curse me.” He watched as the fae’s eyes widened slightly, shocked. “After all, you said whoever you gifted that flower to would be cursed to fail at a crucial moment, correct? But… you were the one gifting it to me.”
As Fluixon spoke, the fae’s expression darkened, before they looked away, sheepish. The yellow rose withered, curling in on itself as the avaricious4 yellow petals turned brittle and black, dissolving into dust. “...I was,” they admitted. “But come on, can you blame me? Like, do you know how tiring the court is? It sucks! Literally! I can feel the years draining as people argue about stupid stuff and I just have to sit there and smile and be the reasonable one,” they ranted, disgust leaking into their voice with the last few words. “Ugh. I think I’m gonna be sick just thinking about it. You know, when I first started, I was scared of like, starting a war by accident, but now that almost sounds like more fun.”
Strangely, Flux was able to understand where the fae was coming from, having spent so much time faking smiles at drawn out meetings with nobles that danced around the truth. “I don’t see what this has to do with you attempting to curse me,” he said.
“Well, maybe you would just, I don’t know, just trip into here?” They shrugged, smiling without a hint of guilt. “Which would be pretty rude, so then you would have to give me your name, and then we could be friends!”
“That’s not really how you normally go about making friends with people,” Flux remarked, pained by the strange roundabout logic.
At that, the fae looked dejected, staring at Flux like a puppy whose owner had left them on the side of the road. The flowers circling them seemed to droop, as if reflecting their disconsolate demeanour. It was sickening.
“...Fortunately, there is actually something I may want, as my part of this deal,” Flux said slowly, carefully. He was already on the backfoot here, from the fae’s interrogation earlier, and didn’t want to reveal any more of his cards.
The fae immediately brightened. Not only that, but the whole clearing seemed to, a shudder of something Other rolling across the area and causing the very trees to shake with it. It was almost terrifying, to see how even a shift of emotions in a faerie could have such a clear affect on the human world. No wonder there were so many stories of conflicts in the faewilds causing the earth to crack and wild storms to ravage the lands.
“I knew there had to be something, Princey! What is it? Tell me,” they demanded.
Before asking for what he really wanted, Flux decided to test the waters. “Well, first, I want a name to know you by,” Flux said. “It’s a very simple request.”
Rather than being excited by such a deal, however, the fae just looked confused. “What? But that’s not fair at all, I could give you just any old nickname.”
“I thought fae were supposed to love making deals in their favour?” Fluixon said.
“...What I meant was, that sounds like a great deal, Princey! Hahahaha…”
“Alright then. My second request.” This was what Fluixon truly wanted from the fae. He held up a hand, with three fingers extended. “For three years, I want you to swear not to try and steal my name, meaning you cannot lure me into a fae circle, nor can you trick me into giving up my name if I somehow end up near one.”
“For three years…?” The fae’s brows furrowed, clearly deep in thought. Flux tried to keep his shoulders relaxed, even though he could feel his anxiety kick up, as the seconds of silence dragged on. Finally, they seemed to come to a conclusion. “Oh, is that how long you have until your coming of age? Wow, that’s even shorter than I thought. Sure! We can do that, Princey.” They clapped their hands together. “In exchange for returning to this circle once you come of age, I promise not to trick you into giving away your name or stepping into a fae circle for three years. In order to fulfill this deal, I will grant you a nickname, which you may use to call upon me when you return here. Do you agree?’
Fluixon exhaled a quiet breath, and kept his face neutral. “It’s a deal.”
“Great!” The fae held out a hand to him– Just like before, with the flower. “You may call me with the name Saps.”
Saps.
With that name came a strange sense of knowing. It was as if someone had reached into Fluixon’s head, and unearthed memories long forgotten– only, he had never met Saps before. The feeling was uncomfortable, invasive even, and Flux was momentarily stunned by it. He mumbled the nickname to himself, quietly.
“That’s enough of my name for you to get my attention,” Saps continued, unaware of Fluixion’s internal confusion. “Only if you’re near here though, obviously. Don’t expect me to show up in your castle, princey.”
Fluixon barely held his tongue, tempted to taunt the fae, saying he wouldn’t be welcome there anyway. That was a classic way to royally incense a fae’s wrath. “I’ll see you soon, Saps,” he said instead. “And no more stalling. I do actually have to leave.”
The fae sighed dramatically. “Do you though?”
“Goodbye, Saps.”
Saps smiled and waved. “I’ll see you in three years.”
Once Fluixon’s back was turned, and he was a good enough distance away from the clearing, he finally allowed that giddy, evil grin onto his face. Three years? Yeah right. No, Flux’ eighteenth birthday was in six months.