Title: In My Heart, In My Head (Part Eight)
Pairing: Dark!Fae Steve x Fae!Fem Reader, Fae!Bucky x Fae!Fem Reader
Summary: The elements were fractured by the gods. The remaining fae courts exalt their most powerful of their elements to preserve balance to rebuild in unity. But corruption for power can turn the tides when some see a foothold to gain more power. The reader's mother, to gain access to the land for an allegiance, traded her to the bearer of the earth element as their bridge between their sides. The reader has no intent of staying away from the sea while her magic is bonded to bring pain while her mother and the earth bearer try to extend their power. And she won't be kept away from the person who holds her most dear.
Warnings (overall): Non-con, angst, death
Part Seven || Current fics
Sighing, you sat on the bay windowsill, looking out over the Land court. It was truly a lush place – you had never seen so much greenery in your life. When you had visited before, most had been spent at parties and you had not had the time – or day light, really – to observe it. Especially from such a high point as your room in the tower. It had a beauty your court did not. You found yourself wishing to explore in the city but you were forbidden to leave the castle. You staying here was being played close to the chest and venturing out in the open would eventually start rumors if people questioned who the woman was with the castle guard.
You only left your chambers for meals and to visit the conservatory. That latter at last allowed you near the nature you wanted to investigate.
It sounded as good as anything at the moment to pass the time. You had no one to converse with outside of your handmaids. You were sure you could feign civility and join Steve’s inner court for frivolous conversation and fake company, but the idea of putting up a front did not sit well with you. Gratefully, Steve had not yet forced you to make an appearance at any of their get-togethers.
Slipping off the windowsill, you made your way to the bedroom door. As usual, the guard was waiting there for you and fell in line. They were always changing, so you did not bother asking their names.
You listened to the stream flowing through the conservatory, meandering and breathing deeply. The serenity of the water at least brought some comfort to you. Even if your powers were muted, you could still rejuvenate yourself by simply stepping into the stream. It was the only body of water that you knew of in the castle or surrounding it. You kicked your shoes off and bunched the hem of your dress in your hands to avoid wetting it. Walking to the center where the water came up halfway your calves, you sighed in contentment. There was a pool further up behind you but you had not brought a handmaid to carry dry clothes.
Moseying along, you hummed quietly to yourself. The guard kept their distance, giving you a semblance of privacy.
Suddenly, Steve stepped into your sights along the bank of the creek. You came to a stop, waiting for him to speak.
“I should have expected to find you here,” he stated. He reached out his hand and you took the hint, coming to the bank. You reached up taking it and he helped you step out of the creek. His gaze flicked to your bare feet and tossed a look over your shoulder. “Here.”
One of the guards had picked up your shoes and brought them over, placing them close to you to get back into.
Steve held out his arm, and you took it somewhat confused. He had not offered it before when you had been walking around with him. He guided you away from the creek and cut right to the chase.
“We are leaving in the morning to go to the edge of the kingdom. Early. Before the sun rises so we can get up into the hills before the city wakes.”
“Just us?” you asked and swallowed sharply when you realized how that sounded. If Steve noticed, he did not show it.
“And the guard. Wilson will be there with us as well. I don’t expect trouble, but you never know when you are approaching another court unannounced. Especially because we are going on a lesser traveled path; hidden.”
“It will only be a few days trip. We will pack lightly. Most of it is by horseback but some will be by foot. Do you have better shoes?”
You looked down at the delicate pattern of your sandals and shrugged, “No?” You had never needed them.
“I will have the staff find you a pair that fits better so you do not hurt your feet.”
“Thank you.”
Your attention was drawn and you inhaled deeply, a smile coming across your face. You gestured at a bush that wove and grew along the path beside the pair of you. “Those smell lovely.”
“Jasmine.”
You traced the small, white flowers delicately. “They are one of the best flowers I’ve ever smelled.”
“Perhaps whenever you go home, you can take some to propagate. As a gift.”
Running your eyes up and down his face, you saw he was sincere. You nodded, “That would be delightful.”
A pleased look glinted in his eye before he moved to continue steering you through the garden. He pointed at a colorful bush. “Those are hibiscus. They do not have much of a scent, but they make lovely decorations. They are used in spring the most for center pieces and crowns for the folk to wear in the solstice.”
He picked one for you, handing it to you. You took it carefully, holding it close to your chest. He gave you a comforting, fleeting smile before turning his head away again.
Passing that bush, he pointed ahead. “Now, that one looks odd, but you can actually cook it…”
<><><>
You were high up in the mountains, standing in between two high ridges on the path. You could not see the border to the Air court, but you could feel it. Magic was moving in the air and seemed to speed up whenever you stepped closer to it. The soldiers with the pair of you were erecting a camp to stay the night and then you would head back in the morning. Getting back inside the castle without prying eyes would prove more difficult, even if he was planning to return the company after night had fallen.
Standing there watching Steve prep his runes, there was something that you had been itching to ask but had not plucked up the courage yet. It was sitting in the back of your mind, worry weighing heavy depending on what the answer was.
“May I ask a question?” Steve paused, glancing over at you. “Will they not know you’ve done this? Won’t Lord Odison feel the push against the border? You both erected it, correct?”
“Yes and no. This is my side of it,” Steve explained, placing a hand on the knee he was not currently kneeling on. “I would feel it if someone crossed through it or tried to manipulate it. There is… space between the two of our sides. Miniscule but it exists. Odison’s spell is his own. They are side by side. But we did forge them at the same time. The only one who will feel this will be me.”
That was curious. You knew the border with the Fire court was forged together with their magic and your mother’s. And the border between yours and Steve’s was separated by the strait.
He seemed amused when he asked, “Are you afraid of being found out?” You nodded and he gave a light chuckle. “I would not propose this if I thought there was any chance we could be caught immediately afterward. What would the point be?”
“Right,” you responded, giving a tight smile.
Steve went back to work and you watched his hands move. Despite the size of his hands, he was precise and graceful about drawing. You recognized them all but were interested in how he had chosen to link them to reinforce his magic.
Standing up, Steve beckoned you closer and you knelt down in the dirt next to him. “It is all very lackluster, I’m afraid. Just like when I bound you. But it will make a monumental difference all the same.”
With a flick of his wrist, all the runes rose from the dirt, glowing green and floating before the pair of you. Steve’s hand came to rest on your collarbone without warning and your breath hitched with his hand so close to the swell of your chest. That he did notice, his lips twitching in amusement. You felt silly for reacting so puerile – a man simply touching you making you twitter.
“Breathe,” Steve guided. You focused on your breathing, pushing the embarrassment away. His voice sounded like velvet in your head, “Help me.” You felt him touch the first rune, the spell beginning to take fold from him and through his touch to you. His finger tips touching your skin began to glow blue. And you saw trails of it snaking around his arm and across his chest to reach his opposite hand. Your blue mixed with his green glow as he traced each rune, mumbling the spell underneath his breath.
A few beats after he finished tracing the last rune, he lifted his fingers from your chest and the light dissipated.
Running his eyes over the runes disappearing into the air, he breathed, “That should do it.” To you, louder now, he said, “That was a good first run.” He stood up and you followed his lead, brushing off the dirt on your skirt. “They should have your tent done soon. If you would like to wander, please bring a guard with you. Just in case you encounter an animal.”
“Or someone from Air that is wondering why someone from Water is so close to their border?” you half jested.
“That too. I have some paperwork I’ve brought with me but I will see you at dinner.”
“See you then,” you said, turning on your heel.
Uneventful is right. You had expected something more dramatic than that. But perhaps you should be happy that it is so simple. The faster you helped him complete the bolstering, the quicker you would be able to get home. And be back with Bucky.
<><><>
To your dismay, Steve’s lack of request for you to join his court did not last when you had returned to the castle. Upon parting with you in the main entrance hall, he told you he would like you to join the inner court the following morning for a brunch. It was not a good look that they knew you were there and you refused to engage. This was supposed to be unity. Not showing your face displayed anything but that.
You had two handmaids at your back when you entered the large room. It was adorned with large plants in ornate containers. Several plush couches as well as an array of love seats and armchairs were placed around the room, facing each other for easier conversation. You were the first one to arrive. It was ten minutes to when Steve had told you to be here. Considering how punctual Steve had proven himself to be, you would have imagined his court would make sure they were there well before the time to ensure they would be present when he arrived.
Settling down into a love seat, your handmaids sat on either side of you, clasping their hands in their laps the same way you did.
“What a surprise,” Tony’s voice sounded from behind your couch. Rolling your eyes, you sighed. Beside you, you swore you could feel the handmaids tense as he got close. You turned your head as he rounded the couch and came to the armchair next to it. Flopping down, he swung a leg over the arm, reclining. “You’ve graced us with your presence, princess.”
“Lord Rogers requested my attendance,” you responded curtly.
“Hmm… well, I can see you took care to make yourself presentable,” Tony said and you cocked an eyebrow at the insinuation that you did not take care regularly. His eyes shifted to the handmaid, Wren, to your left. She was averting her gaze and he commented with an air of annoyance, “You left early this morning.”
You barely held yourself back from scrunching your face in disgust.
“I had chores, grand duke,” Wren said timidly.
“Chores be damned. You know I hate waking up to a cold bed when I had gone to sleep with someone beside me,” Tony chastised.
“Yes, sir.”
Tony rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to you. He briefly smirked and you knew he had only embarrassed the girl to show to you that he always had ears and eyes on you whether you liked it or not.
“You should wear that shade more often. It compliments your skin so well. I’m sure you could have the castle seamstress find it to craft you something for the fall equinox.”
To Iris on your right, you said dispassionately, “Remind me to burn this gown when we get back to my chambers.”
Tony gave a bark of a laugh. “Ah… princess. You’re always so frigid. Tell me, does that grunt actually find warmth in your bed?” Your eyes widened at his impertinent question, and he gave a lopsided grin. “You’re not so sneaky. You probably shouldn’t kiss him outside your chambers. Out on a balcony, anyone could see.”
“He’s not a grunt. He’s a sergeant,” you snapped. “And it’s none of your concern.”
“Touchy,” Tony purred.
You were going to retort something but sat up straighter hearing other people entering the room now. Instead you glared at Tony once more, earning yet another sly smile from him, before turning your attention to address the others entering the room.
<><><>
Steve had brought you up into the mountains again to add more spell work at the border at the same spot. It was as unexciting as it had been the last time, but Steve had opened up a bit more to you this time throughout the trip, keeping you close at meals and divulging more intimate details of the kingdom. And hints about himself and what made him the way he was. He had even slipped into calling you by your first name. You still refused to refer to him by his first name since he had not given you permission yet.
Currently, you found yourself sitting across from him on a bench. He had invited you to walk with him on the grounds. He brought you to an alcove in the greenery where a fountain bubbled with benches surrounding it. You figured he wished to discuss the next steps; he had mentioned that on your ride back. That there was more that would be required in the future to truly add the level of protection he desired.
“That is a lovely fountain,” you complimented.
“It was a gift my grandmother had made for my grandfather. He liked to listen to running water and wanted his own space to think.”
“A thoughtful gift then.”
Steve made a murmur of acknowledgment, moving his eyes away from you to stare at the fountain. You shifted, not sure what subject to breech next but he looked deep in thought, so you decided not to disturb him. Silence fell between the two of you, the space filled with the sound of the fountain and the animal life nearby. It really was a beautiful fountain, carved porcelain of five tiers, with ivy climbing from the base. Whoever had crafted it had taken care, paying attention to extreme detail in the ornate carvings. You leaned on one hand, watching the water flow down.
“I am tired of beating around the bush,” Steve broke the silence.
Your brow pinched, “About what?”
“I need an heir.”
Your mouth fell open in surprise that he would share that. You were not sure how else to respond except to say, “Oh?”
“That is another reason you are here.”
You gave a light laugh but upon seeing his unmoving expression, it died in your throat. Your blood ran cold; he was all too serious about the matter.
Surely your mother had not agreed to this. She knew you loved Bucky.
“You could certainly find someone within your court?” you sputtered, sitting up straight. “There are many lovely women.”
“What better way to fortify a boundary than the joining of two lines of magic so intimately?” Steve said more as a statement than a question. He was not really looking for an answer – he was already sure of himself. With a ghost of a smile, he added, “And don’t sell yourself short. I know you’ve seen yourself.”
Floundering, you stammered, unable to formulate a sentence. Instead, you stood quickly enough that your head spun, and you made to walk off. You wanted – no needed – to get away from this conversation. But Steve’s voice cut sharply through the air.
“I did not dismiss you, Y/N.”
Shaking, you stopped at his command. Slowly, you turned back towards him, finding him still staring at you intensely. He stood from the bench and stalked over to you, staring deep into your eyes.
“I am not proposing marriage. I have no intention – or interest – of courting you or anyone at all. I find it a waste of time and I hardly would like someone to share my bed chamber let alone my throne. Your mother understood this. I am to send you back once you’ve given me a child. And I will, as promised.” He paused for a moment before saying, “That is unless you ask to stay. I know some women cannot bear leaving a child after they’ve held them. I wouldn’t fault you for it. But again, to be clear, you will not be queen in my court. You could keep your chambers, and you would still hold your station as royalty from your realm. But not mine.”
His eyes searched your face, and you were sure you looked dumbfounded. He raised his arm, his hand reaching for you. Jerking away, you tried to escape the caress. But that only made him grip your chin, holding you in place.
“You are shocked. I suspected this would happen. But, you have a duty to not only your kingdom but to mine now. Don’t you forget that.” His grip loosened ever so. “I suppose I should let you mull over this. I’ll leave you to the fountain to get lost in your thoughts. But I will be coming to you sooner rather than later, Y/N.”
His hand fell and he stepped around you, leaving you tongue-tied. You heard him from what sounded like somewhere far away order one of the guard to stay with you and to escort you back when you were ready. You tried to swallow but your mouth was dry. With him gone, tears filled your eyes and you clapped a hand to your mouth to stifle the sob that wanted so desperately to escape.
