#lesser fae!reader

[potatoplace]

Late Apologies

Eris Vanserra x Reader

@sjmromanceweek - Day 6: Second Chances

ACOTAR x Reader Masterlist | Romance Week Masterlist | AO3 | Moodboard

Summary: 200 years ago, Eris crushed your heart. Now, you're required to attend a ball in Autumn.

Warnings: canon-typical racism towards lesser fae

Words: 2.3k

Author's Note: I hope you guys like this one! I can't believe we're almost at the end of romance week!

18+ only pls

Your eyes flicked between the male in front of you and the ground, unsure of where to look to avoid angering him further. Even if you weren't sure why he was angry in the first place. You should be celebrating with him, not standing here, the five feet between you feeling as vast as an ocean.

"You will leave Autumn tomorrow."

"Like hell I will," you said with no small amount of anger as your wings twitched, unwilling to leave your entire life behind solely because the High Lord's son wanted you to. Especially with the tether that you'd just discovered had gone taut between you, threatening to drag you into his arms. "You don't get to decide-"

"You will leave Autumn in the morning. Don't bother arguing with me. There is nothing about you that could change my mind," Eris snarled, heated amber freezing over in an instant, that ice snaking through your veins as he glared down at you.

"But what about the bon-"

"I will never want you, or the bond between us. Why would I ever want to be mated to a lesser fae?" Tears filled your eyes when his eyes drifted to the wings at your back, the disgust in them too much for you to bear. "And you will never speak of it again. Do you understand me?"

"Why?" The word sounded pathetic even to you as you said it, and judging by the look Eris now wore, he thought the same.

"I will be High Lord one day. And I will not have such a pitiful creature as my lady. You will pack tonight, and be in the carriage waiting for you at first light. Do not be late."

The male stormed past you, heading for the distant Forest House and leaving you in the woods, alone. So much had been stolen from you in less than fifteen minutes.

Your court.

Your home.

Your mate.

🧡🤍🧡🤍🧡

Lucien fussed with his robes once more in the mirror before looking to where you leaned against the doorway. Russet eyes looked you over carefully before a smile slid over his face. "You look lovely tonight, Y/N. You're a lady of Autumn, through and through." You swirled the skirts of your red dress. It was in the fashion of your home court, bell sleeves and delicate golden embroidery along the hem, cuffs and neckline. Tamlin had given it to you after his last trip to Autumn over a century ago, but you hadn’t worn it until tonight. Given your destination, you’d found it a fitting choice, and had pulled on a pair of elbow length gloves in a matching red while walking to his room.

"It's good to see that you're as charming as ever. I've been... worried about you, since the invitation came." When Tamlin had announced that Beron was dead and Eris had inherited the mantle of power, and now the new High Lord was demanding the presence of the three of you at his inauguration ball, Lucien had walked off without a word.

"No need to worry about me, love. My family is what it is, no point in avoiding them for another century. Will you be alright?"

The smile you gave him was tight. "Yes, I'll be fine." Lucien's eyes narrowed as he sensed your lie. "Okay, I won't be fine, but neither would you if you had to see your mate for the first time after they rejected you and still be civil."

You’d opened up to Lucien a few years after you’d been dumped in Spring by Eris, once you’d gotten to know him well enough to trust that it wouldn’t get back to his eldest brother. Thankfully, Tamlin had taken you in when you told him you came from Autumn, but had been kicked out through no fault of your own, and since then the three of you had been close friends. You were lucky that Tamlin had such a kind heart, for saving the both of you. But it was Lucien who could understand the pain of not being able to go home, and the fear of it too.

“I’ll keep him away from you. High Lord or not, he doesn’t deserve to so much as look at you. Tamlin can be the one to exchange niceties with him.” You snorted at the thought of Tamlin exchanging pleasant conversation with anyone outside of Spring. You let Lucien link his arm with yours, slowing walking to the foyer together, each step heavier than the last. Tamlin was already waiting, dressed in a green tunic and pants that were far nicer than what he wore on a day-to-day basis.

“Are you ready to leave?” There was no hint of a smile on Tamlin’s face, no sign of him possibly enjoying the night ahead. Not that you’d expected him to in the first place.

“I suppose so. We wouldn’t want to be rude, after all,” you said with a roll of your eyes. You outstretched a hand to Tamlin, grasping it firmly and waiting for him to pull the three of you through the fabric of the world.

You fought the bile that rose in your throat when you appeared in the foyer of the Forest House, and failed to suppress the shudder that went through you, shaking your wings. It was hard not to feel self-conscious of them here, when the reason you’d been forced to leave seemed to revolve around the heritage that had gifted you with wings covered in feathered, pitch black wings.

But that was the new High Lord’s problem- not yours.

Tamlin dropped your hand, though Lucien’s arm stayed laced with yours as a maid led you into the ballroom, leaving you at the door with a curtsy. Amber flames burned in the sconces and chandeliers, just as striking as the rest of the room. Fae of all kinds milled about, including the other High Lords. You made a mental note to look out for the High Lord of Night, lest he or Tamlin try to pick a fight with one another.

Servers walked through the crowd with platters of hors-d’oeuvres and trays stacked with flutes of faerie wine and the dance floor in the middle of the room was packed and bursting with energy, even this early into the night. After a glass or two of wine, you’d convince Lucien to join you on the dance floor. Dancing with him had been your favorite part of each ball or party you’d been to in the last two hundred years, perhaps rivaled only by the extremely rare times that Tamlin spun you around the floor.

You could tell where Eris was solely by the throng of people surrounding him, people desperate to have the High Lord’s approval. With a wrinkle of your nose you turned your attention to the intricate carvings in the wooden walls, snatching a flute of wine as a server passed by and murmuring a quick thank you.

Lucien made sure that you ate something every few minutes once you started on your second glass of wine, his hold on you still strong and keeping you from wandering away as you followed the carvings, wondering what story they told. He drank his fair share as people began to approach him, old acquaintances and friends that had him tensing. You didn’t join the conversation, and none of the males seemed to care, or perhaps they just didn’t notice.

“Lucien, can we dance?” you whispered the question in his ear after a male offered Lucien his condolences for Beron’s death, not particularly wanting to see how that interaction would play out.

He nodded, arm pulling you a bit closer before he said, “If you’ll excuse me, my lady would like to dance. Thank you, for your consideration.” Without waiting to hear what the male would say, he swept you towards the dance floor. You entered the dance seamlessly, though you did pull your wings in as tight as you could to avoid brushing them against another dancer.

Time flew by in Lucien’s arms, one song melding into the next. Whatever he saw over your shoulder every now and then had him holding you tighter, glaring for a moment before smiling down at you again. There was a flash of red to your right as the song changed and Lucien growled softly.

Eris. Dancing in the place that would have you spun into his arms. You hadn’t thought a bit about this song, the only one of the last twelve to have a partner change. It would be rude to back out now, and Lucien seemed to sense it as well.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered just before spinning you into Eris’s hold.

The male was smiling- smiling!- at you as one hand gripped your waist and the other held your gloved hand, guiding you just as gracefully as his brother. You hated how pleasantly warm his hands were even through silk, the heat of him soaking through the fabric of your dress. Two centuries, and the male was as handsome as ever, your heart skipping in your chest. “I understand if you would prefer to not speak with me, but I would like to offer an apology and an explanation,” Eris said softly, his amber eyes shining in the matching fires lighting the room. His fire. “Please.” His eyes were filled with regret as they met yours.

You had a feeling he had never said please before in his life.

“Give me a reason as to why I should.”

“My father is dead. The danger you faced because of me is gone.” His words were so quiet you barely heard them, but you had to admit… You were curious what he would say, whether it was lies or not. And then you could be through with this, once and for all. Shred the bond and be free of him, even if it might leave you a shell of a person.

“Fine. You have one chance.”

Relief flooded his eyes before he dipped you in his arms, the song coming to a close. Once you were standing straight again you glanced to Lucien and gave him a small nod before you let Eris guide you out of the hall and into an empty sitting room. You stopped in front of the burning fireplace, crossing your arms as you contemplated how smart it was to be alone in a room with him.

“I hurt you. And I hurt you on purpose,” Eris started, crossing his arms as he stopped in front of the fire.

This is how he’s choosing to apologize?

“That sounds terrible, I know, and yet… I wanted to save you. Just a few years before I met you, Lucien’s bride-to-be was slaughtered by my brothers for being a… a lesser faerie,” he said with a wince. “The only way I could think of to keep you from that fate was sending you away, and making you hate me enough to not find me again.”

“So you sneered at my race and called me pitiful? You couldn’t have just told me the truth and promise to find me when we would be safe?”

Color flooded Eris’s cheeks and he uncrossed his arms, shoulders slumping for just a second and you nearly reached for him then, the bond flaring in your chest for the first time in years. “I am sorry for the way that I treated you, the words that I said. I cannot go back to change my actions and undo the hurt I caused you, but I can change our future. I will apologize to you every day until you know that I mean it, and spend every moment that I can to win your trust. If you will let me, that is.” Eris waited for you to respond for a minute before speaking again, “I will respect your wishes, no matter what they are. I have no desire to cage you, or force you to be my wife.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, wishing you were a daemati so you could know exactly what he was thinking, if every word was the truth. But… he seemed sincere. And promised to let you go if you wanted to. And the bond felt so strong, glowing brightly for the first time as you wavered in your decision.

“Make me things.” The words slipped out of your mouth without a thought, and you could see the surprise you felt reflected in Eris’s eyes.

“Make you things? Like what?”

“Figure it out yourself,” you said, his slightly stunned look making you smile a little. “The whole point of apologizing and attempting to court someone is to prove that you mean it. So prove it by surprising me with things you’ve made yourself.”

“And if I do, will you give me a chance to court you?”

You grinned. “Only if you do a good job.”

“Y/N, Tamlin wants to leave. I guess Rhysand got on his nerves again,” Lucien said as he burst through the door, a worried look flitting over his face when he saw how close the two of you were.

Somehow, you’d drifted together while you were talking.

“Go, Y/N. We can speak more later.” Hope was in those amber eyes as he held your gaze, taking your hand in his and placing a gentle kiss to the red silk. The heat of his lips seeped through to your skin, melting your already crumbling resolve a smidgen more. “And I’ll think of something.”

You let out an amused huff before crossing the room to meet Lucien. “I’ll look forward to it, Eris. Now, let’s go find Tamlin before he gets into a brawl.”

General Taglist: @daughterofthemoons-stuff @lilah-asteria @meritxellao @twismare @wrenisrad @icey--stars @le-nottibianche @archerxnn @littlest-w01f @human169

[potatoplace]

Mother Knows Best

Poly!SJM Week 2025: Day 2 | @polysjmweek

Kallias x Viviane x Reader

Poly!ACOTAR x Reader Masterlist | Event Masterlist

Summary: Your High Lord and Lady, your closest friends, have called you in to see them for dinner. You're worried they know of your feelings for them, but it turns out, you have nothing to fear.

Warnings: mild angst but nothing bad

Words: ~2.2k

Author's Note: here's Day 2! A tiiiny bit late but who cares lol. I really liked getting to write this pairing, I'll definitely be doing more of them in the future!! Also if something doesn't make sense, yes it does. Read it on AO3!

18+ only pls

🩵🩵🤍🩵🩵

Your knees ached from kneeling on the cold marble for so long, your heart heavy from the prayers you’d been repeating in your head for over an hour.

You blessed me with such friendship, and cursed me with affection.

Please, just let me live without these feelings.

Let me stay with my friends.

Let them love me back.

Over and over, you prayed to the Mother to solve your problem. To keep you from being made to leave your court, to keep you with your oldest friends, the ones you love.

You had grown up in close proximity to both Kallias and Viviane, being an orphaned fae living in the Winter Court’s grand temple, connected to the High Lord’s palace. Your pale blue skin and curved, white horns on your head had made you feel out of place among so many High Fae, but Kal and Viv?

They had befriended you without a thought.

And while Viviane had moved away when you were all in your second century, the three of you had stayed thick as thieves, sneaking away every night before Winter Solstice to Kallias’s cabin, and any other night you could manage. You would stay up all night, catching up on the goings-on in your lives, drinking just enough spiced wine to warm your bodies against the inevitable blizzard raging outside.

Though even without the wine, or the blazing fire in the fireplace, their presence alone would have kept you plenty warm.

Your… Feelings for the pair had arisen on one of those nights, when the three of you had snuggled close under a blanket, Kallias and Viviane on either side of you. The closeness of them, the soft puff of their breath on your neck, the gentle brush of their hands.

Of course, it didn’t help that they were so kind and considerate, always willing to listen to you. And oh, how they brought you so much joy without even trying. Hearing about their day, or even the random, strange thoughts that would pop into their heads never failed to bring a smile to your face, spark the flame of joy within your chest.

And in the last century and a half, those feelings had never faded, only growing stronger with each passing day.

Of course, you had never spoken aloud your attraction, your love for either Kallias or Viviane, utterly afraid of rejection. You saw the way they looked at each other, the pure love in their eyes, even if they were too stubborn to admit it yet. Early on, you suspected that they were mates, with the way they were always on the same wavelength.

Kal had been busy being raised as the High Lord’s heir, most of his days crammed full of meetings and lessons. Viviane had been trained as a courtier, as well as honing her magical abilities with the help of Kallias, their powers so similar. And when Kal had sent her to a large border town, near the Summer Court, she had taken a position of leadership in their armed forces after excelling in physical combat, once given the chance to learn.

You had joined the priesthood early, as soon as you had been allowed by the High Priestess of Winter. She had taken you in at the age of two, the closest you had to a mother. In the four centuries you had been alive, you rose to the top of the ranks, your devotion to the mother and the people of Winter your top priority in every way. Just before the rule of Amarantha, you had earned the title of Head Priestess, just a step below the High Priestess, Jayna.

However… Amarantha had slaughtered most of the priestesses in Winter when your court had rebelled, along with the two dozen younglings who’d had their minds shattered by her daemati. Your near-mother, Jayna, had been among those killed.

In a cruel twist of fate, you had been given her position by Amarantha, her maniacal cackle still ringing in your ears some nights when she had appointed you, laughing about how distraught the Mother would be to see such pitiful scum, a lesser fae, in charge of one of her temples.

But when Kallias had been freed, nearly fifty years later?

He had officially appointed you as High Priestess, a new, more ornate circlet made for you to wear, made to fit easily around your curved horns - a detail that hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Before that, though, before he had given you your title, he had rushed to Viviane, confessing his love and asking for her hand in marriage. Not even a day later, you had married them using your title as High Priestess, your heart so, so happy, but so, so broken, three sharp, jagged pieces constantly digging into your chest.

You were so, unbelievably happy that your friends were married, and even happier that they were happily mated, their bond finally having come to life after the wedding night.

You only wished to be a part of it.

Over the past two years you had slowly withdrawn, leaving your friends space to learn their new relationship dynamic without your presence, an unwelcome third wheel.

Not that they’d indicated any discomfort with you being near them, but… You needed to give them space.

To give yourself space.

But earlier today, while you were taking your lunch, a note had arrived, sealed with Viviane’s personal seal.

Asking you to dinner, saying the three of you had something to discuss.

You’d managed to make your way through the rest of the day without giving away how utterly nervous you were feeling, performing blessings on those who came, seeking your help. An hour before you were due to arrive at the High Lord and Lady’s personal quarters, you sought the guidance of the Mother herself.

Well… Begged for guidance, help from the Mother. She had never led you wrong before, though you wish she’d allowed you more power to save those who had been under your care during Amarantha’s rule.

But now?

She was giving you nothing, no hints as to what to do in this situation.

And you were out of time.

With a sigh, you stood from your kneeling position at the altar, lowering your invoking stone back to your chest, resting over silvery blue robes.

You knew the way to their shared rooms so well, you could have walked the path with your eyes shut. But the closer you came to their door, the slower your steps, the more your nerves told you to turn around.

That wasn’t a possibility, though. You have to face them, even if it’s for the last time, for them to kick you out of their court.

You took a deep breath when you stood before their door, preparing yourself for whatever may happen once you enter. One knock and the door swung open, your hand still poised to knock again.

“Y/N! It’s so good to see you!” Viviane exclaimed, throwing her arms around you and squeezing you tightly, her vanilla and cinnamon scent washing over you as her silver hair bounced over your shoulders. She pulled back to look at you with her sparkling blue eyes before saying, “I feel like it’s been forever! And your hair looks gorgeous, by the way.” Her fingers ran through the ends of your hair, half an inch longer than when she’d last seen you, the natural curls of your azure hair a bit more noticeable.

“Thank you, Viv, and yes… It’s been a bit since we’ve met, just the three of us,” you said as she tugged you inside, closing the door behind you.

Their private dining table, made to seat four, was already set with dinner, steam rising from the roast chicken, and you could spy potatoes, carrots, and onions in the dish surrounding the bird. Kallias was busy pouring the wine, sparkling white, your favorite.

He looked up when you and Viviane approached him, a warm smile crossing his face when he saw you. “Y/N, it’s lovely to see you again dear,” he said before setting the bottle down on the table and approaching you, arms outstretched.

Even with your promise to yourself to give them space, you couldn’t help but melt into his hold, inhaling his refreshing pine and snow scent greedily.

“It’s good to see you too, Kal,” you said with a nervous smile when you pulled away. “The food looks lovely.”

Viviane smiled brightly at you before tugging you to the table, settling you into a chair before taking the one to your right, Kallias sitting to your left. He began carving the roast while Viviane dishes out the roasted vegetables and cut a fresh loaf of bread into thick slices.

Your hands rested uselessly in your lap as you watched them work, twitching every so often when it looks like they need help, but they never truly do.

And by the time the food was plated, your stomach was so twisted in knots all you could do was push food around your plate, occasionally taking a bite when you could manage.

It took maybe ten minutes for one of them to knock you out of your stupor.

“Y/N, is something wrong?” Kallias asked, concerned enough that your eyes snapped from a roast carrot to his ice blue eyes, fear in your heart that you’d been caught.

“Wha- what do you mean is something wrong?” you laughed nervously. “Nothing’s wro-”

“Don’t say that,” Viviane interrupted, a sharp look in her eye. “You’ve been avoiding us for the past year whenever you can, and don’t say you haven’t because you have.” She fixed you with a stare when you opened your mouth to deny the accusation. “And now you’ve barely eaten a thing, and you can’t even look me in the eye,” Viviane noted sadly.

“Don’t try to act like she’s not stating the facts, Y/N,” Kallias said gently, taking one of your hands into his. “We miss you, and we just want to know why. Why you’re pulling away from us.”

With both of them staring at you, their beautiful, concerned eyes watching your every move, you fell apart. You wrenched your hand from Kallias’s grasp to bury your face in both of them, wanting to hide the tears welling in your eyes, even if you knew it was useless in the long run.

You were still here, in their rooms, with few ways to escape the conversation other than fleeing the court entirely. And you weren’t willing to do that, unless you had to.

“Hey,” Viviane said softly, a delicate hand pulling yours away from your face, revealing red eyes with tears pooled in them. One fell down your cheek and Kallias’s thumb brushed it away. “Please, Y/N?”

More tears fell at her plea, and you shook your head. You wouldn’t - couldn’t tell them.

“Will you at least let us tell you the reason we invited you for dinner?” Kallias asked quietly, a hand cupping your cheek gently.

Tell you something? Probably that you’re banished from the court, your mind hissed at you.

But you needed to hear one way or the other.

So you nodded your head.

Viviane took a deep, calming breath before speaking. “I-I wanted to tell you that I love you, Y/N. And I… I’ve loved you for a long time,” she whispered.

Your heart caught in your throat - this couldn’t be real, could it?

Kallias turned your gaze from Viviane to him with a gentle hand on your chin. “I have loved you since we were younglings, Y/N, barely old enough to wander the city without guards accompanying me. I have loved you, and I wish that the mating bond would snap to include you to, I care for you so deeply. And Viv has told me the same, we just…” Kallias sighed.

“We can’t live without you, Y/N. Please, please come back to us,” Viviane pleaded as she held one of your hands tightly in hers.

You could hardly believe what you were hearing - Kallias and Viviane, your friends, your longtime crushes - they had felt the same way about you as you did them for years? A giggle left your lips at the idea, the sheer stupidity of the three of you.

The swish of Viv’s hair told you that she and Kal had made eye contact at the noise, likely exchanging concerned looks.

“Is… Is everything… Okay?” Viv asked shyly.

You giggled again. “Everything is- oh, Mother!” you laughed. “You’re telling me that we could have been happy together all this time?” You looked at the two of them, eyes bright. “Really?”

Viviane grinned at you. “Really,” she breathed.

“When you put it like that, the three of us do seem a bit foolish,” Kal chuckled before pressing a kiss to the back of your hand. “So? Will you have us?”

You smiled wide as you answered. “Yes!”

Immediately you were pulled from your chair as the two pushed it back, pulling you into their arms. “Oh, thank the Mother,” Kallias sighed.

It was Viviane who kissed you first, her soft, pink lips pressing gently to yours. Kallias’s followed shortly after, pressing more firmly to yours, more sure.

Tears filled your eyes for an entirely different reason.

Perhaps the Mother sent you no sign, no course of action for a reason. To be here.

The Mother knows best, after all.

🩵🩵🤍🩵🩵

General Taglist: @daughterofthemoons-stuff @lilah-asteria @meritxellao @twismare @wrenisrad @icey--stars