divine violence

isak hiemal, the second son of the winter court genevalisse ovalle, high priestess loyal to hybern

[faetbound]

[ leo suter , 27 / 490 , cismale , he/him ] have you seen , isak hiemal the second son of the winter court has entered court? said to be charming + clever , we can only hope their good qualities outshine that they are also volatile + self-indulgent . when asked about them , people are always reminded of: ichor stained weapons and grins of hubris ; a temper with a smoldering fuse that can be lit ablaze without notice ; liquor and music and indulgences that attempt to keep away ceaseless memories ; luxurious pelts that frequently go missing, oft found in the arms of a shivering fae. they are the second son of the winter court. they believe in themselves. may the mother protect them. [ em , 25 , est , she/her ]

more.

[ anna shaffer, 30 | 675, cisfemale, she/her ] have you seen that genevalisse ovalle has entered court? said to be devout + wise, we can only hope their good qualities outshine that they are also subservient + pretentious. when asked about them, people are always reminded of: choices made in desperation, consequences that torment ; an ornate altar to the mother and the cauldron, a reverence for their will ; travel from court to court, invading their culture with that of the high priestesses and hybern ; an ornate circlet of silver and opal, worn through centuries but kept in immaculate care. they are a high priestess of prythian ( currently an emissary in the night court ), and they believe in hybern. may the mother protect them.

more.

[faetbound]

open

genevalisse never quite adjusted to the schedule of the night court. they were unique in the way they conducted themselves, sleeping while the sun was high and waking under a star filled sky. there was no point in resisting unless you were content never finding an open business or another fae walking the streets, and yet gen had trouble all these years later. once a week, she would breathe in the warmth of the sun, letting it touch her skin in a way the moon never could. here she stood on what she thought to be an empty balcony, smiling to herself with her silver and opal circlet set aside on the ledge. although always a high priestess, for a moment she was just another fae.

" the other courts are still adjusting to this way of life, it seems. " she turned her head slightly to greet her new companion, pleased that she was not the only one awake.

[faetbound]

@mothercauldron

much of his time thus far had been in hewn city, but someone suggested a visit to velaris. isak supposed that he should explore the night court to the fullest extent if he was meant to be here until the trial concluded. the court of nightmares had offered many illicit activities, some partaken in and some avoided, yet all unbecoming of the son of a high lord. his recklessness would need to cease sooner rather than later, and the pounding in his head when he awoke only solidified this thought. despite wanting to sleep through night and day, isak pulled himself out of the plush bed to wander his way to this library he had heard so much about.

many fae, all eerily quiet, were already perusing the rows and rows of ancient texts by the time he arrived. there was a specific section he was looking for - military history and strategies - but the volume of their collection far exceeded that of the winter court. isak's eyes scanned the great hall and landed on someone he had not gotten a chance to speak to during the summit. " high lord irin, what a pleasure, " he greeted, although there was always a tinge of mischief in his voice.

[faetbound]

@faemade

the stars had been lovely that evening of the ball. they were lovely here too, but isak hardly noticed. he was not in the mood to gaze at the sky, and it was a shame to do such a thing alone. in hewn city, he lounged on the extravagant terrace of a second floor restaurant. an empty bottle of wine sat on the table with another dwindling slowly. he sighed. what a pitiful sight he was. his eyes surveyed the area lazily, finding something that might catch his eye, and to his luck something did. safiya, the daemati full of woe, was walking by.

" safiya ! " he called down. many turned his way, but he was unbothered. " come up here ! i am in need of your company again and i have more wine to offer this time around ! " there was a grin on his face as he waved over the edge like a fool.

[rcbclliouscourt]

to say delilah was shocked by isak's letter would be an understatement. not the letter itself; she actually had been expecting that. the odd pair having falling into a habit of keeping in touch through frequent letters and having grown so accustomed to it, delilah actually found herself most at peace in her own home when she read his words. yet this particular letter was unlike any other she has received from the lord of the winter court, or simply ever. she found herself reading his messy scribble as if it was written in another language, despite having grown accustomed to his sometimes illegible hand writing, having to read it through at least 4 times before the words even registered.

"Marry me, Delilah Vulari. I beg you. Save me from this torment you have left behind."

- yet those words come from the man whom even before delilah started to care for, made extremely clear he was to never marry, and only continued to do so as their relationship evolved. the man she was led to believe would never ask this of her, which allowed him to know her unlike anybody ever has. she thought him to be her safe space, only to receive this request. perhaps if delilah didn't believe she loved isak, if the way she felt for him didn't absolutely consume her, this proposal would actual appease her. having lived through her parents marriage, full of passion yet turmoil, delilah was terrified with these emotions towards isak. his promise to never marry was her life raft that he just sank.

the letter left delilah full of anxiety and confusion, unsure how to respond, unsure if she could ever respond. there were no words she could fathom to even start to express her current state of mind. yet, isak made it painfully evident that he couldn't see her if she didn't respond. after what felt like eternity staring at the piece of paper, delilah simply couldn't take it no more. she folded it up, and stuck it in the novel she was reading, knowing she was naïve for hoping clarity would ever fall upon her.

a month later, despite all the chaos happening within the courts, this letter remains heavy on delilah's mind. having read it so many times, delilah could practically recite it word for word. the letter now served as her place holder in the novel she was reading, almost as a reminder of what and whom she is actively avoiding.

even when she walked through the streets of the hewn city, with chaos practically surrounding her, the letter and isak still remained prominent in her thoughts. the timing of the trial of the night court had proved to be less than desirable for the lady. usually, she would have at least half a decade before she would be forced to convene with all members of the other courts, giving her half a decade to ponder over the letter. the trial was less than a month after delilah received the letter, which seemingly passed in what felt like a day- not nearly enough time to figure out how to respond to isak. which left delilah with her least favorable yet only remaining option- avoidance. she wasn't sure how successful that plan would prove to be, but given the circumstances, and the upcoming trial, she found herself having come up with no alternative.

the hewn city was never delilah's favorite place, having always favored velaris. yet, she hoped to possibly escape her anxieties through a visit with amaryllis, a friend who always brought delilah solace and distraction when needed. her eyes scanned the building as she passed each one, trying to figure out which one resided her friend. she almost gave no attention to a fight club as she walked by, before she paused mid-step, her heart pausing with it. before she could think twice, she looked into the fight club, only to see a familiar scarred torso in the middle of the floor.

[faetbound]

isak was unhappy to be in the night court, but hewn city offered many welcome distractions from his woes. liquor was his favored one, downing drink after drink until his mind was fuzzy and thoughts were unthinkable. among those thoughts were the women he found himself caught between. he never meant to love, he feared marriage. for centuries, a night or two with a lovely fae, made clear of his intentions, was enough to satisfy him. how did delilah capture his heart? when did she do so? he hadn't even known there was a heart to capture until she had stolen it away. that letter. that foolish letter written in haste and desperation. she never replied, and he never expected her to. what they were - what little they were to each other - had been made clear since their meeting. why now was he such a fool to believe there was anything more? her eyes and her words mesmerized him into acting like a fool.

and, now, he could worry about delilah no longer. eledenna rosethorne was to be his wife, her identity finally revealed. he did not want to marry, to be tied to someone all their lives, but she was agreeable enough. perhaps they would grow fond of one another. did he not owe eledenna that much? companionship, if love was impossible? and as they spoke for the first time as betrotheds, he wondered if it truly was so impossible. his fear of such an emotion might dwindle with the security of marriage between them, but the future is difficult to predict.

the liquor did its job that evening - isak's mind was blissfully muddled. it was in the bar he found refuge that another fae told him of a sparring club nearby. it was illegal, a place that the son of a high lord should never be found, and isak followed the fae immediately. they waved his entry fee, excited to see the winter court lord take on their best fighters. he exchanged punch after punch, pulling a lead, but soon his exhaustion and drunkenness affected his performance. they got one hit in, then another, then another. his dodges became slow, clumsy, and he was knocked to the ground. isak lifted his head slightly, an ache spreading throughout his entire body, as he debated standing to continue the match. but a sight stopped him cold. delilah was staring at him from the window. he must have been hit in the head too hard; surely he was hallucinating. delilah would not be wandering the streets of hewn city at night, and she would not be spectating a sparring club. it was just an illusion, it must have been. he shook off the thought and extended his arm to be helped up, then resumed his position to continue. it would rid her from his thoughts just as it did before.

[faedusted]

they'd hardly been home a month before the summons from the king was received and they were forced to pack up and journey once more. and for something asril couldn't help but believe was for nothing. he worried about expressing his opinion on the matter too openly, but he was far from convinced either of the moon siblings had been responsible. and if they were, then were in the gods name was their father's journal? it was a question he'd found himself asking every day since the summons arrived.

despite how happy he might have been to have once more been home, the last month had been difficult on asril. as much as he didn't want to admit it, he could feel a strain forming on his relationship with his brother. their bond unshaken, but something—something was not right. with each passing day it was as though he saw even less of isak and it pained him knowing he was the cause of it.

 ❝ i don't think they'll have much of choice, ❞ asril replied with a lazy shrug.  ❝ we're here upon insistence of the king, not either of them. ❞  the blonde looked to his brother giving him a half-smile,  ❝ i would rather an endless stay at a brothel for the entirety of the trail than buy a home in this mother forsaken city. ❞ he couldn't say why but hewn city was not a place he'd ever elected to spend time in. even all those centuries ago when visiting other courts was a thing of ease.

[faetbound]

would any other court satisfy isak? perhaps it was because winter held an extreme the others didn't. spring, autumn, and night had a desirable balance between warmth and chill; day, dawn, and summer tended to host a shining sun each day. winter, however, contained blizzards and ice, a cold that reached your bones if you were unprepared. as the brothers lounged, he felt unwelcome and uncomfortable. hopefully this trial would end quickly.

in the day court, he felt the proceedings to be tedious and boring. but now? a trial of the high lord and high lady for severe crimes, who were already on the brink of civil war, was certainly an unprecedented event. and history wasn't something isak was keen on making just now. his own worries muddled his mind; now he was meant to witness the possible downfall of the night court.

" i'm sure they have more pressing matters to worry about. we brothers from the winter court can't possible warrant their attention. " isak chuckled a bit. what a strange turn of events this was. " that might not be a terrible idea. perhaps we could get some suggestions from the high lord and high lady themselves. " he reclined on his elbows with a mocking smirk, irritation obvious but directionless. " but haven't you heard? i'm have a betrothed now, and it would be disrespectful to have a wandering eye. "

[phrophctics]

closed starter for isak hiemal — @faetbound

The room had been picked giving her only the time to show up and await for the long postponed meeting, that if she had given a chance would've been postponed for another century. however she could not voice that, just like she had never voiced her disagreement. when her sister had began the conversation she had distanced herself, only her body had been present, nodding occasionally. it hadn't been the first time eledenna's hand had been promised, yet it felt like a tragedy. being promised to nicolai had been a once in a lifetime experience where they had found love and hope, she doubted that would happen a second time. yet, she did not had the heart to disagree with her sister. it was why she stood in that room, eyes lost through the window.

there was a soft knock on the door that startled her and when the door opened her stomach dropped. she swallowed hard before she turned around, letting out a breath she did not knew she had been holding. "lord isak," she says with surprise, the night of the summit still played in her mind occasionally. "you shan't be here, i am expecting to meet someone." she gives him a small smile. "i don't mean to be rude, of course."

[faetbound]

and so the dreaded day arrived. his anger at the arranged betrothal had been made known, but he was careful not to protest outright. what was the duty of the second if not this? he would never be high lord, yet his hand was still a valuable bargaining chip. isak couldn't be angry with asril for using it during a time of unrest. the letter he send to delilah, hastily and in desperation, remained unanswered. it was the only way he could have avoided a forced union and, now that the lady's choice was painfully clear, it was time to accept his future.

isak knocked on the door gently. on the other side of it was the woman he was to marry - perhaps he should attempt to be poised, rather than his usual boisterous self. he recognized the long, flowing hair immediately. she has beautiful eyes. that was what he remembered about eledenna rosethorne since their dance a month prior. his brow furrowed - he asked asril to pick someone he would hate, if this must happen, and there was nothing to hate about eledenna.

he bowed his head slightly, a small smile forming involuntarily at her ignorance. " oh? is it so unreasonable that i'm the one who's meant to be here? " teasing was his default, but it felt half-hearted even now.

[witcherladies]

You say this is all life is to you, but there is a vortex of fate around all of us, Geralt.

THE WITCHER (2019– ) — 1.03 | “Betrayer Moon”

[faetbound]

@faedusted immediately upon arrival to the night court

there had been a strain in his relationship with asril since their time in the day court. isak wished to maintain normalcy, some semblance of life before the summit, but something had changed. not enough to grow any true animosity, nothing permanent had divided them, and yet...despite his teasing and jokes, isak found himself avoiding his brother if he was able. an excuse to train, or that he was ill, or had a meeting with their commander. what was it? maybe it was resentment toward the use of his hand as a political bargaining chip. maybe it was isak's own woes ... a growing fear of the betrothal to some unknown lady, a desperate plea sent to the day court lady in haste. he would tell all his anxieties to asril if prodded and, for now, he wanted to keep his thoughts to himself. for both of their sakes.

most courts would go years without meeting like this ; decades would pass without a summit to gather them all. to have two such conclaves in a matter of months was unheard of. the courts had been nervous before, but the tensions would be brimming in the night court. especially now that there was someone to blame - did he believe in their guilt? he wasn't sure. it certainly did put an ironic spin on the conversations he had with both the high ruler of the court of dreams and the commander of the court of nightmares during their last meetings. isak's own innocence was questioned and now a trial was being held in their own lands.

" do you suppose the court of dreams or the court of nightmares will play host to us? i didn't make enemies of either but ... let's say i exchanged unkind words with both during the summit. we may find ourselves in a manor of our own purchase during all this. " he admitted this to his brother in good humor. of course, his temper had gotten them into trouble before, as had asril's. but it was never something they couldn't handle - together. he heaved out a sigh, exhausted from travel, nervous to be surrounded by the other courts, but at peace by his brother's side.

[faedusted]

 ❝ no more sterling than anyone else who fought in the war. ❞ he interjected.  ❝ but sterling is all the same. ❞ there was no doubt in his mind that his brother was an excellent man and would make a fine husband to whoever might be lucky enough.

asril sighed heavily, he'd always known how his brother had felt about such things, marriage, love, mates—all of it. and it pained him to have to ask him such a thing, to ask him to disregard his every instinct for the good of their court. but it was all he'd ever done and the winter lord knew that if this too was something he could do to save his brother, he would.  ❝ i'm not asking you to break that vow, ❞ he said finally finding his brother's face, however difficult it was.  ❝ i'm asking you to help our family. to help our court. ❞

it was wrong to ask such a heavy task of him and it pained asril, but the blonde couldn't help but feel as though their backs were to the wall. and with the loose end of their father's journals now floating around out there, he was determined to gather every assurance of security he could find.  ❝ you don't have to like them, ❞ he reminded his brother lightly.  ❝ by the gods, it might even be better if you hate her. might make life easier that way. ❞ asril added sourly, he shared his brother sentiment on marriage, which made the betrayal of his request cut all the deeper. once a traitor always a traitor, he mused to himself dropping his gaze to the floor.

[faetbound]

" yes, the rake of the winter court is certainly such a catch, " he laughed out bitterly. the brothers had their own forms of infamy throughout the courts. perhaps an alliance of some sort would give them the validity they needed to protect the winter court's autonomy. their father was certainly no help. it was up to them to keep them afloat.

isak mulled it over. no was not an option, it never was. did asril know that? did he know his brother so well to expect his compliance? anything for his court, anything for his brother. this was not a bitter thought, but a resigned one. he loved both dearly. if this was the best course of action, then it was truly time for the second son to perform his duty. " do what you must, " he finally said. " make sure she is someone i'll despise. at least do me that kindness. "

he did not wait for his brother's response. his skin was beginning to crawl, his hands tensing from their tight fists. he needed air, anywhere but here. he strode to the door and left without another word.

[faetbound]

@rcbclliouscourt

Delilah, We have spent centuries this way. Near, but never close. I can stand it no longer. Our time at the Day Court made me realize the importance you hold to me, and your absence now has only made it clearer still. I never wish to be parted from you again. Of all people, you should know how difficult it is for me to say such a thing. I know how difficult it will be for you to respond. And yet, it cannot remain unspoken. I have agonized over you - this - long enough. Marry me, Delilah Vulari. I beg you. Save me from this torment you have left behind. If your reply is no, take mercy on me. Do not write. Do not seek me out. There will be no peace without you, but I will be in agony if you keep me near. Isak.

with shaking hands, isak penned the letter, each word more difficult than the last. it was painful to admit such a thing. love had been his greatest fear, marriage even more terrifying. but, as his letter explained, he could not continue to exist this way. and time was running out. asril was seeking out a betrothal on his behalf. it would feel like a betrayal to ruin an important diplomatic alliance, but before anything was official, isak had to try. to ask. to beg. even knowing her answer, the effort had to be made. he reconsidered sending it one last time, then sent it away. there was no going back now.

[flowsgold]

an excuse to damn a daemati demon ⸻ that's the ammuniton safiya believes she just gave the winter lord so willingly ( she can see it so clearly too: she's taken more than she's offered, being given a hand but wanting the whole arm, a monster that knows no limits because her powers give her none when it comes to someone's most precious thing ) and so, she expects the worst. braces herself for it, grip tightening around the cup so much that she thinks she might break it.

and then, she's met with a laugh, escaped seemingly without any hesitation. there's a part of safiya that thinks its loudness conceals poisoned intentions, laugh burdened by what he could clearly see as a lack of respect. the anticipation of such thoughts make the daemati feel as if the marks she bears on her back start burning at it.

only when he speaks does she let go of the tension in her body. "you're being serious." safiya's words are more addressed at her own disbelief than the lord before her, a scoff filled with humour passing her lips. "you must not have run into many people tonight if this is enough to have you thank me." her tone holds humour, relief that she does not need to deal with someone else's bad day. "i think you'll be disappointed, though. i don't know if i'm such a good company tonight."

[faetbound]

" i've run into all too many people - that's the problem . " he heaved out a sigh and surveyed the area for a place to sit. they were in a garden without benches, what a terrible design. although he abandoned his cloak somewhere in the bushes earlier, he still had a jacket to remove that would serve as the perfect place to sit. isak laid it out on the grass, then inelegantly plopped to the ground beside it. " you'll be the perfect company, seeing as you're running away from the same crowd i am. we can hide together. "

it occurred to him that perhaps the daemati wanted to be alone, or that the brute from the winter court was not a welcome presence. regardless, he waved to the jacket laid out for her in an offer of companionship. " tell me your woes, " he offers genuinely. " perhaps i'll have some terrible advice to offer. "

isak was now reclined on his back in the grass, arms pillowing his head, as he stared up at the cloudless night sky. some constellations were unfamiliar, but others he knew all too well. it would have been comforting to see stars that remained through all the courts, were they not at each other's throats right now. " by the way, i don't believe i know your name. "

[phrophctics]

isak;

the winter court was a place of war and brutality - they lacked the finer skills of society. but when he was young, his mother taught him to dance and the memory remained clear enough to emulate. isak held eledenna tenderly, less guiding and more suggesting the direction they move next. a smile, something small and genuine, snuck onto his lips. it was comforting, in a way, to dance like this. he hadn’t much practice, but it seemed easy whilst in the middle of it. “ i’ll have you know, i’m very good at holding my breath, ” he teased and brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen in her face.

isak chuckled at her feigned ignorance. “ you can give me your opinion on those things too, and i’ll listen happily. ” the music seemed to rise in volume as she leaned closer, concealing their conversation from those who might overhear. instinctively, he grip on her tightened a bit and they no longer held a polite, traditional distance. “ i couldn’t agree more, but pretense is everything to these people. a cancelled ball would admit weakness, and everyone here is very eager to prove they are not. ”

Her breath hitches as she feels the gentleness of his fingers brushing against her cheek and on the frame of her ear. surprise washes over her, she had thought she would feel like a fragile base in the calloused hands of warrior who could crush her at any second. instead however she felt oddly secured, almost protected from the whole room. for a blink of a moment it felt like they were the only ones in the room, but she was quick to remind herself that they weren’t. “somehow i believe you, and i am glad the skill shall come in handy.” she retorts once she regains her wits. 

her chuckle echoes alongside his, and hope comes to life in her chest as the familiar sound she had thought forgotten. “i cannot fandom you enjoying such topics, my lord. but i do must complement your disposition.” the rebuttal with the winter lord was easier than she had ever imagined, it was probably that easiness that made her forget their closeness they were in, as if it was the most normal thing for the two of them. eledenna tilts her head back to see his face more clearly, she tries to read it, she was after all an observer. “foolish traditions in everyone’s heart, is it not? but also foolish of them to think they can go on without appearing weak after everything that has happened under their roof.” her words are daring, she knows, but they come out before she can stop herself.

[faetbound]

she has beautiful eyes. the thought was sudden, invasive, but not necessarily unwelcome. isak had quite the reputation amongst the courts for seducing fae at any opportunity he was presented with. the charming son of winter, who always knows just what to say. but this thought was not born from his debaucherous proclivities. rather, it was a realization that came without warning as his gaze lingered on her for just a little too long. he averted his gaze, embarrassed for the first time in a very long time.

" to the contrary. i am very interested in fashion and music and even decor. the dryness of the pastries, however, i must disagree on. " his smile stays firm as their volley of teasing continues on. he let her go just far enough to spin her, as the dance demanded, then pulled her back to resume their previous position. now that distance had been introduced, however briefly, he was more aware of their proximity. he didn't mention it and danced all the same. " i couldn't agree more, my lady. everyone here is waiting for the end. i doubt anyone will feel truly safe until they return to their own courts. " isak was accustomed to speaking feely like this, never having much tact or diplomacy. he was surprised to hear eledenna, from the poised spring court, speak the same.

[rcbclliouscourt]

being here with isak doesn't feel real. yet, when she was with him, delilah was the most authentic version of herself. with him, the expectations and facades that burden her fade away, allowing her to simply exist. it's both exhilarating, yet terrifying- the way he effortlessly comes back into her life every so often and pull back the curtain she's worked so hard to put up as if it was nothing, only to leave her with a mixture of refreshing vulnerability and a gnawing fear of the uncertainty his presence brings.

feeling his hands tightening around her waist only left delilah wanting to get closer to the man she desired, yet her grip on the bottle of wine in separating them couldn't be tighter. it was only when his forehead met hers, his hand now caressing her cheek, that her eyes fluttered shut, her face leaning against his palm. delilah knew that with his warning, he was hers- at least for this moment. she debated whether to continue to lean into this sensation, this touch, this connection, or to turn and run away, just as she did that morning. with her lip caught between her she opened her eyes, was when she knew- if he was only hers for the moment, it was a moment she couldn't loose. " your warning is not needed, " she said softly, slowly moving the bottle from in between them, her eyes following it as she placed it upon a shelf besides them, before turning back to him. slowly giving into her desires, she let her fingers entwine around his neck, his skin feeling electric under her touch, slowly bringing her face to his. " i missed your pretty face," she whispered, her lips practically on his, her nose brushing against his. " deeply. " without a second thought, delilah fully gave into her longings, her lips finally finding his.

[faetbound]

it was always her, even when it wasn't, even when it couldn't be. to call it a dalliance, a friendship, would be an insult to what they hid away from even each other. but isak knew when he looked into her eyes that she felt whatever he did, and he knew that she could see the same in him. for a solider of winter, covered in battle scars and skilled with a blade, she was the most terrifying thing in the world.

the bottle was gone and so was any space left between them. he pulled her in tightly against him, one arm enveloping her entirely, the other tangling in her hair. closer. he needed to be closer - they had spent too long too far apart. her lips brushed against his and isak remembered all the things he tried to forget about her. would he truly be able to walk away this time? when she made him feel like this? his lips moved against hers, fervently, hungrily, as if they were not fae who had centuries but humans who only had brief moments of time. " you have ruined me, delilah, " he whispered against her lips, then abandoned them to trace along her neck.

[faedusted]

 asril's back stiffened in his chair, his lips forming a tight line at the sound of his brother laugh and he wished he could have a laugh too. to have seen it a jest and nothing more. to not ask his brother what he was about to. ❝ i am serious, ❞ he began, his eyes drifting to were his isak now stood.  ❝ but it's not me who has to marry, ❞ his face was heavy and his eyes sorrowful, as though the regret welling up in him dared to spill over his eyelids.  ❝ i am no prize to be won—not in the eyes of the other courts. do you think i don't how they whisper about me even now when i enter the room? the horrible things they sneer as i pass? ❞ 

he rose from the seat and began to pace, agitation beginning to take hold and overwhelm every other feeling on it the matter. perhaps in another life, had things been different, marriage could have led to a nice life, but they weren't. and to so many of the other high lords and ladies, asril was nothing more than a traitor to prythian.  ❝ no one wants to marry a traitor, ❞ he said flatly with a shake of his head before looking to his younger brother once more.  ❝ but a handsome warrior with a sterling reputation, we could have our pick of any of them. ❞

[faetbound]

isak's expression turned grim, and there were two equally important angers raging in his head - the first came from the unspilled tears of his brother, the tainted reputation that led asril to hold everyone far, far away. did they not realize his worth? his intelligence, his mercy, his talent? isak did, always had. his brother was his hero, his best friend, the person he knew he'd be near for all of his life. So, to hear him speak of himself in this manner made isak feel sick. the second, however, came from that same person's next request.

they had witnessed the beheading of their mother by her own mate - their father - standing side by side. he knew what a heavy request this was, to marry one who might betray, to walk into a prison or torment with little hope for escape. isak's fists clenched and the room grew cold once again. did asril know of the one woman he might marry, but whose alliance would be hard won? surely, the day court was not on asril's mind.

he stayed quiet for a while, attempting to keep the ice at bay. " my reputation is no more sterling than - " he began his argument, but he choked up just a few words in. it had never been easy to fight with asril, who defended and protected him without hesitation - it was equally difficult to tell him no, especially if the winter court was to benefit from such an arrangement. " i swore to never marry. you know this. you know why. would you truly ask me to break that vow ? " there was strangled hurt and anger in his voice, but isak knew his own defense was weak. this was the job of a second son, especially one who had spent centuries recklessly taking advantage of the privileges of hiemal. his duty had come and what a terrifying duty it turned out to be.

[withincellsinterlinked]

Audaces fortuna iuvat. What’s that, more Greek? No. No, it’s Latin.

[rcbclliouscourt]

feeling his soft touch on her hip, his breath on the back of her neck, sparked something inside delilah, igniting emotions and desire that only isak has been able to make her feel. having him so close, being alone with him, having this spark inside her; its all she has longed for since she left him sleeping in his bed, leaving him to wake up alone the last time they were together. while she regretted leaving that morning, she knew it was a safer option for her heart, knowing it would have been easy to break had she had stayed.

" for most, i would never do such a thing, " she started to respond, turning in his loose grip, her breath catching as she found his face now dangerously close to hers. the bottle of wine was the only barrier between their bodies, as she now held it close to her, the back of her hand brushed up against his muscular chest. " yet, for reasons unknown, i always find myself making exceptions when it comes to you, isak. " she felt her breaths start to get heavier as she studied his face. for a mere moment, she allowed her gaze to drop to his lips, remembering how intoxicating his kiss is, before her eyes darted back to his, practically daring him to bridge the gap for her.

[faetbound]

a reputation as a rake protected him from this - his beating heart, her breath on his skin, the feeling of her beneath his hands. the longer they were apart, the easier it was. but here she was, in front of him yet again, and he felt overwhelmed by her presence. she left last time, he might leave this time. all that was certain was how temporary their meetings would always be, neither brave enough to overcome the many struggles in their way. isak would never welcome in the part of him that yearned for something more with delilah - those feeling were more dangerous than any foe with a blade.

his hands gripped her hips tightly as she turned in his arms, keeping her from distancing them once again. they were too close for that to happen - only an insignificant bottle of wine between them, eyes roaming each other's lips. isak couldn't find any room for teasing and flirting. " i'm warning you. " he rested his forehead on her own, one hand coming to cup her cheek. one last chance to turn, because there would be no going back once his lips met hers.