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Chapter Text

     It was on a warm humid morning that Wang Ka Lung met with his uncle for breakfast in the peony gardens. The flowers were in bloom; it was early summer, after all. But unlike peonies, whose beauty was short-lived and precious, the heir to the Golden Realm had only become more beautiful by the day. Everyone knew it. He was the first thing anyone noticed when he’d walk into a room. All chattering would stop, all heads would turn. He was used to the attention. What he wasn’t used to was having breakfast alone with his uncle.

     As heir and practically regent emperor of the Golden Realm, it was in Ka Lung’s nature to try and empathize with his uncle’s point of view. There were certainly times when he would have disagreed with what his uncle had taught him, yet over the years, he had slowly begun to realize that there was a particular intent to his actions, things like hosting banquets for unlikable guests or becoming skilled in calligraphy. Such practices were meant to lift his image in society. Once he’d take over as emperor, it would only make sense to want to be on good terms with his vassals, subjects, and allies.

     And yet, even with all of that occurring, the emperor always made time for himself in the mornings. Ka Lung had observed him tending to his gardens, drinking tea, and indulging in all manners of sweets. His uncle could very well do these things with others or have the gardeners take care of his plants, but Ka Lung supposed he, too, enjoyed such brief moments of quiet bliss. He'd had little reason to question his uncle about his personal morning rituals; that time was reserved to him. Today, however—

      “You must be wondering why I’ve called you to join me this morning.” Yao’s voice was casual, yet there was a stiffness to his words that Ka Lung took to have some deeper meaning.

     Did he do something wrong, the heir wondered? His mind went to the territory deal he had cleared with the Shrikes; he knew he might have given them more territory towards the Beaked Cliffs than he should have, but what use were some dry outcrops to the Golden Pheasants? Or maybe it was when he had insinuated that the visiting Spoonbills had thick accents, given the way they spoke in heavy rolls and nasally breaths. He did think he had gone a little too far, there, but he had apologized for that in a letter, even extending an invitation to the next lunar banquet.

     And then, there was that. That thing he had been preparing for nearly all his life, more than when he had been considered of lower nobility, of the short time he hadn’t been the emperor’s heir.

      “The peonies are beautiful this year.” His uncle leaned his hand out with fingers delicate and open like a paper fan. He grazed his index finger over one of the many pink petals that made up his favorite flowers. “It’s a pity they don’t bloom for long—but that is precisely what makes them so special.”

     A lesson, then, wasn’t it? The heir was accustomed to his uncle churning out proverbs and life lessons. This wasn’t the first time the emperor had talked about his peonies, even. All the same, it was difficult to deny how pretty they were. Thinking of such treasured fleeting moments, Ka Lung’s mind started to wander.

      “I’ve been thinking about expanding my gardens before they bloom next year. I’m planning on building a summer home to house them. The pink ones are pretty, yes, but I want to work on producing a darker color. Who knows? Maybe I can even get them to bloom red.”

     Ka Lung blinked. There was a reason he was telling him this. “A garden full of red peonies would be a wonderful sight to behold,” he carefully responded.

      “Yes. And it will take time. Years, even.”

     Time, thought the heir. He was still relatively young, but he bore with him the weight of the years, all to take the throne. He was losing more of his youth and time every day, it seemed. It was a wonder how he’d even have any to himself once he’d take over as emperor—

     Ah. So that was what this was about.

     His uncle seemed to read the precise moment he understood. He sat himself straighter in his chair and brushed back a loose strand of hair. While he had gracefully aged over the years; Ka Lung had picked up on the creases in his face becoming more pronounced and visible instead of fading back into his once plump porcelain skin.

      “I want to devote myself to personal pleasures. You should understand most of all that time is precious. I’d like whatever time I have left to enjoy myself.” He held his hand up lightning quick. “Now before you throw your usual snark at me and ask if that means emperors don’t ever enjoy themselves, I will tell you that you would be wrong. However, my own interests have come second to the throne since I took its seat. I will also tell you that I am growing selfish in my age. Peonies don’t grow themselves. Neither does an empire.”

     Ka Lung cracked a smile. “So you’re leaving one garden for another, is that it?”

     The emperor smiled back.

     All ships had a name. That was what Wang Ka Lung, His Golden Grace, the emperor of the Golden Realm, had learned aboard the Willow’s Wind. He had also learned from the captain of the fine junk that it was fair weather for sailing. The Vox Maiden must have been in good spirits as of late, he and the sailors humored.

     But it was not all good spirits back at his empire. The newly enthroned emperor’s sudden and hasty departure had thrown his royal advisors and his uncle into a fervor of panic. An emperor wasn’t supposed to desert his empire.

     “I’m not abandoning you,” he had calmly told his ballistic uncle. It was shortly after the ceremonies that he had given his first order: that his uncle maintain the image of being emperor until his return. The commonfolk at large knew little if anything of his enthronement, as he had left so suddenly that the officials didn’t even have time to prepare for celebrations or announcements. That had been Ka Lung’s intent. “I’ll announcement myself when I return. Until then, keep running things as if you were still emperor, Uncle Yao.”

     And, so, Wang Ka Lung, His Golden Grace, emperor of the Golden Realm, was off on a grand voyage, further than any emperor had dared to venture.  He would have been lying if he had said he wasn’t thrilled about having such a privilege. All his life, he had only known of his home in the capital. He had not even remembered the island from where he was born. Everything here and beyond was new to him. He wanted to take it all in and remember it—especially once he would arrive at his destination.

     Willow’s Wind had passed through numerous territories: kingdoms, duchies, republics, tribal lands, and more. By the good graces of Sky and the voice of the world, no major mishaps or delays occurred, and Ka Lung received word of their near arrival from the captain, himself.

     “We’ll be at the Blizzarding Isles in another three days if weather’s good.” The captain was a Gannet, and the first Ka Lung had seen in years. He, like all Gannets, had striking cold blue eyes and sleek black-tipped white wings, the signs of a mature flier. “I must say, though, you packed a lot of cargo to be sailing to somewhere so hazardous.”

     Ka Lung had brought as much as he had because it would be rude to arrive empty-handed, doubly so because the people he was visiting had little to offer of their own. A small junk would not have been able to carry as much, nor house a crew large enough to move those goods. And, Ka Lung supposed, it was to house the many guards his uncle and cousin had assigned to him. An emperor rarely, if ever, left the imperial palace. It was better to be safe than sorry, his family had argued, though he could have done without the overbearing presence of so many men.

     Those precautions felt less justified on the Willow’s Wind’s fifth day at sea. Gone were the calm warm waters of the empire. The skies turned a frequent grey hue of overcast clouds, and rough waves churned around the junk and made it sway. Ka Lung was advised to stay below deck and take shelter until the junk would land at port. That didn’t do much for his nerves. His cabin had no portholes of which to look out, so all he could gauge the sea’s conditions on was the franticness in the voices of the junk’s crew. His guards were of no help, either, as they were trained to protect in combat, not to man ships or battle the natural elements.

     “No wonder why most people fly across,” he mused aloud. Even if he had wanted to do that, his wings had grown out to their fullest length; they were too heavy to lift him off the ground. He missed his days of flying in the dead of night, but he had abandoned that thrill for good reasons.

     Willow’s Wind would endure five more days of miserable storms, two more than initially intended. Morale was low, and anxieties were high. If something were to happen to the emperor on their junk, then they would have to pay a dear price—assuming any of them would survive the voyage. Many a time, Ka Lung feared the brutal western seas would rip the hull apart, and they’d all go sinking together. He would have been the shortest-reigned emperor, then, beating out his ancestor by a moon from an unfortunate illness.

     However, the emperor was determined to hold out and press on. He had waited six long years and toiled too hard to get to where he was. He would not have them turn around just because of a storm. Except better men have died for better judgements. I probably shouldn’t get ahead of myself.

     Nevertheless, Willow’s Wind held fast, and on the tenth day after leaving the calm waters, the rocking stilled, and the frantic voices died away. Ka Lung was invited by the captain to take a look above deck, and with permission by his guards, he was more than thrilled to accept. He nearly dashed above if it weren’t because of his heavy robes and wings weighing him down.

     When he went above, he was immediately greeted by the sudden change in temperature and elements. Every time he took a breath, it was like his lungs were on fire. Beads of cold mist bit into his eyes like angry gnats, forcing him to squint to see. The winds nipped cruelly at his ears, cheeks, and nose until all needed to be bundled in his downy hood. This didn’t seem like any place for an emperor.

     But it was all so…so exciting! He said it’d be like this. That means I’m here. Finally here…

     “Emil…”

     The Gannet captain cocked his head to him. “Say something, Your Golden Grace?”

     “How much longer to shore?” he redirected himself.

     “We’ve got envoys going out to pass on papers. If all’s well, we’ll be able to dock within the hour.”

     Ka Lung’s chest tightened. A whole blasted hour. He was so close! If only he could fly like the rest of the crew, why, he’d be over there before anyone could stop him. He would brave sleet and rain to see that fabled place he’d only read and heard of.

     The hour felt like ten. The emperor couldn’t do anything but wait, so he had wisely decided to do so below deck. It was freezing out there. The winds back home were infrequent and warm. Here, it relentlessly cut through bone like ghostly knives. Ka Lung had thought his outgrown wings would help mitigate some of the misery, but apparently not.

     Finally, when he thought he couldn’t bear it any longer, Willow’s Wind gave a jolt. His heart leapt. They were moving again. In the right direction, I hope?

     The captain came down and confirmed his wishes. “We’re clear to dock, Your Golden Grace.”

     The emperor of the Golden Realm could have just about danced around the cabin. Just a little more now. His mind stormed with imaginative scenarios. He would land and bestow everyone with his presence and gifts, and everyone would be grateful. The lord of the isles would come out to greet and thank him for coming all this way, and then…if all went well…

     No. There wasn’t going to be an “if.” He had come all this way and waited this long. He had made too many preparations and had taken far too many risks. None of this could be anything other than what he desired.

     Except he could scarcely believe it when he felt the junk slow down, heard the men shouting above, and steadied himself when something rattled and plunged below. Landed. We landed. I’m here. He forgot himself for a moment and made a mad dash to collect his personal possessions. Then, he made for the exit when his guards stopped him. He would have snapped to tell them to move if only to refrain from making a scene.

     “Please wait a moment, Your Golden Grace. The plank hasn’t been lowered yet.”

     “May we not wait above?”

     “Not until we’ve cleared the area of any threats.”

     Oh please, the emperor wanted to scoff, if there’s anything up there you folks consider a threat, then Sky might as well come crashing down. 

     His men returned quicker than he had anticipated, much to his luck. “It is clear, Your Golden Grace. There is but one representative waiting at the port.”

     “One?” the emperor repeated. His heartrate quickened. Could it be…? “Let me through. If it is indeed one, then you should have no problems protecting me.”

     He cared not if it looked badly upon his reputation. He had to know. He had to see it for himself. He bundled his robes tighter to his body this time, taking care to bury as much of his face beneath his wings.

     Only…when they did go above, the air was still. Gone were the fierce winds from before, as though the island had heard of their arrival and settled its wrath. The air was unrelentingly cold, but the wind was what had bothered Ka Lung the most. He gave his graces to Sky for that fortune and easily made his way down Willow’s Wind. He briefly thanked the captain when he was greeted to what could only be the Blizzarding Isles’ reigning individual.

     Emil Steilsson’s wings had changed. They were whiter than before with less spots than the last time he had seen them. His hair was as snow-colored as ever, again nearly pure white without any spots or blacked ends. It had grown out, as well, to where he fashioned it in a short braid failing just down to his right shoulder. His face was more defined now. He had aged as he had. But he still gave off that frumpy isolated look that he held those many years ago.

     And his eyes…Ka Lung could never forget those eyes—striking lavender gems with a sparkle of hazel. They captivated him as much as they had when he had first taken a glimpse of them, large and fierce by the light of a brilliant moon.

     “…Hey, Speckles.” He paused. He didn’t know what else to say. Six long years of waiting, bottling everything up, not even the permission of writing a letter to him, and all he could muster was, “Looks like I’m still taller than you.”

     “Is that all you have to say?” Emil Steilsson, the Lord of Gyrfalcons, didn’t sound upset or disappointed, though he did cross his arms across his sweatered chest. Even here, where he commanded respect and authority, he dressed humbly. He had on knitted pale blue wool that went over a tunic, all of this which was covered by a long sheepskin cape and fastened with an iron winged brooch. His boots were heeled and long to give off some illusion of height, though he hardly looked convincing.  

     Ka Lung almost laughed. He thought he was dreaming. None of this felt real. “No, I have many other things to say, too. I missed you, for one.”

     The lord’s arms relaxed to their sides. Ka Lung caught the slightest twitch of his fingers. The sight vanished as he took a bow in front of him. “Then I, Emil Steilsson, Lord of Gyrfalcons, welcome you to the Blizzarding Isles.” He rose and gave the smallest of smiles. “It’s good to see you again, friend. Or do you preferred to be called Your Golden Grace?”

     The emperor did laugh this time. “Ka Lung is fine.”

     In the process of unloading their gifts, others from the islands began to fly in. Ka Lung recognized Puffins, Guillemots, and Terns. Most impressive of all were the subjects of his dearly beloved: Gyrfalcons.

     Before he had become emperor, Ka Lung’s sole encounter of one was that of his old friend—except his friend had only been half-blooded and had proclaimed to have inherited the worst possible traits of his kind. Now he could see why Emil had been so self-conscious. Full-blooded Gyrfalcons looked magnificent. Their eyes bore sharp black markings accentuated with dark brown to jet-black irises. Mature Gyrfalcons had completely white hair and wonderfully white wings with mottled brown spots. In storms, Ka Lung had read that such markings made fliers like these practically invisible, and he could very well believe those texts.

     Most of all, he couldn’t take his eyes off their wings. They were perfect teardrop shapes with black and brown patterning and thicky downy white feathers. Even though they were designed for cold weather, Ka Lung could see the power beneath their finery. Such fliers could brave winds and still fly at speeds fast enough to strike opponents. He’d been nearly outmatched by a halfling on two occasions. How much better could a true Gyrfalcon fly?

     “Your wings…” Emil had been staring since he had reunited with his old friend. Ka Lung was accustomed to it, though he admittedly felt flattered that the lord couldn’t steal his gaze away. “…They’re real, aren’t they?”

     “As real as I stand here.”

     “It honestly doesn’t feel real that you’re here.” The Lord of Gyrfalcons absentmindedly played with his braid. Ka Lung fought the urge to touch him. He wanted to see what he looked like without his hair all bundled together. Was it still as soft as before? “I told my people not to touch your wings. I’m sure they’re tempted.” He flashed a look to see if anyone was watching. Ka Lung did, too, and sure enough, quite the crowd had gathered to look. They might have ignored their lord’s wishes if not for Ka Lung’s guards. “Forgive them. They’ve never seen anyone like you before.” He swallowed. “I suppose I haven’t, either. This is the first time I’ve seen your real wings. They’re…nice.”

     Ka Lung still found his reserved nature cute. “You haven’t changed.”

     Emil puffed out his chest as he had done back when he had been a guest of the empire. “I’d hope you did. Otherwise if your uncle suddenly decided to make you emperor as you were, then I’d severely question his judgement.”

     “Would you like me as much as I was when we first met?” the emperor teased.

     “Do not speak to me that way,” the lord huffed, though Ka Lung could swear there was a hint of flattery in his voice. He was terrible at masking his emotions even now. “You’ve got some nerve talking to me like that when you’re our guest. I don’t care if you’re an emperor or not; the Gyrfalcons and I command these islands. I don’t have to like to you demand respect.”

     Ouch. Ka Lung could have almost been intimidated if the all-commanding Lord of Gyrfalcons wasn’t so adorable. “Well said, Lord Emil. You have my apologies.” He watched the muscles in the lord’s wings relax. No doubt his own wings had atrophied within the confines of the imperial palace.

     “You’re forgiven,” he backed off. “And I must ask for your forgiveness, as well. It really is an honor that you’d meet us so soon after your enthronement. My people are grateful. They’ll not openly express it, so I must speak on their behalf. Perhaps if you were to introduce yourself to everyone, they’ll know why it is that you’ve come and what that brings. The Gyrfalcons make their home in The Spires on this island. That would be the best place to meet them all.”

     Ka Lung blinked. Emil did know why he had come here, didn’t he? He hadn’t exactly written at length, though he didn’t think he would need to. Emil’s half-brother was a powerful seer. He would have informed him of his coming a long time ago. Still, he had to be sure.

     “Em—Lord Emil…I would like to properly introduce myself to your people, and so I accept, but I came here for something else—something I could only do in person.”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons flexed his wings tight against his body in a cocoon of feathers. “We can speak in private about that later.” He looked over Ka Lung’s shoulder. “That is, assuming your guards will let you out of their sight.”

     “I’ll manage to get us alone.” Nothing would stop him from what he had come here to do.

     It was during his trek to The Spires that Ka Lung wished more than ever to have the ability to fly. The roads were muddy and unpaved, and the emperor had to be carried in a litter so as not to get his wings and long train dirty. He would have protested and proclaimed that he didn’t mind a little mud, but he wanted to look his best when he’d present himself. He had need of his long wings for a little longer, and he would not throw away these precious six years of preening them to perfection all for some time on his feet.

     As there was only room in his litter for a single person, the Gyrfalcons and their lord had flown ahead with the empire’s gifts. There, they would distribute them to those in need and prepare for the emperor’s arrival. Ka Lung had not minded Emil’s leave; he didn’t want him to see him sitting uselessly in a caged cart. In the Golden Realm, his lack of walking could have been attributed to luxury, but here, he was bound to face mockery for being unable to fly or walk on his own. What sort of ruler was that, they’d ask? And Ka Lung wouldn’t do anything but agree.

     Though he was excited to be here, there was little to look at or enjoy. The litter possessed no windows for his own protection against the cold. What scenery Ka Lung had laid eyes on was shrouded in mist and damp and unimpressive. Emil had told him that there wasn’t much to marvel at. But then, where were those waterfalls and ice caves he had talked about? He wished he could have asked his men to stop, so he could look around, but the mud still presented its issue, and he wanted to reach The Spires before it would get dark.

     After what must have been an hour, Ka Lung heard voices ahead, and his men stopped and set his litter down. Someone opened the door to his small box of transportation, but not before laying out a generous roll of carpet for him to set his feet cleanly upon.

     Right away, Ka Lung spotted Emil like a white ghost emerging from the fog. The lord bowed and directed everyone’s attention to something large and dark behind him. Suddenly, Ka Lung’s throat felt dry in spite of the cold humidity. It was all he could do to refrain from stumbling backwards. He could not see the summit, but in front of him stood an imposing mass of black rock rising out of the ground like the teeth of a monster. The fog that had concealed the island rose and covered the peaks beyond view with no indication how high the cliffs were.

     “Welcome to The Spires,” said the Lord of Gyrfalcons. “This is the home of many of the residents of the Blizzarding Isles. I hope it’ll serve you all just as much during your time here.”

     “How do we gain entrance?” asked one of Ka Lung’s captains, a Cormorant.

     “We have a set of stairs carved into the cliffside.” The lord sounded unconfident. “Most of us fly up and down, and the children do not leave their homes until they are at least fledglings. I’d advise caution when climbing.”

     Ka Lung’s men looked at one another and then to the halfling lord. “What manner of joke is this?” snapped the same captain. “How would you expect us to safely escort His Golden Grace to your refuge if you haven’t prepared proper transportation?”

     “Stand down, Captain,” Ka Lung stepped in with a raised hand. “I’d say if you weren’t able to get me safely up The Spires, then you wouldn’t be fit to protect me. However, it’s true the Gyrfalcons haven’t made the proper accommodations.” His lips spread into a smile. “Therefore, it’s only fair that I place full responsibility of my safe arrival in the Gyrfalcons. Lord Emil, are you still strong enough to carry me?”

     Everyone balked. Did they just hear that correctly?

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons was equally shocked. “Ka—Your Grace, you can’t mean to make me take you all the way.”

     “My men are better suited for diving and grounded combat. None would be able to carry another whole person very high. Additionally, my litter is not equipped with the means necessary for airborne transportation, and it wouldn’t matter since the thick fog conceals our vision from your settlement. You’ve carried me before. I trust you can still do it. That said, if you drop me, I’ll permit my men to recognize our alliance as broken and carry out the consequences that follow suit.”

     “Your Golden Grace, I implore you reconsider,” one of his guards chimed.

     “You can’t know that he won’t drop you.”

     “What do you mean by ‘still?’ Has Lord Emil carried you before?”

     “Your Golden Grace, please—”

      “Alright, that’s enough,” their emperor cut them off. “Men, while I appreciate your concern and counsel, I’ve made my decision. Lord Emil, if you may?”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons hesitantly looked upon the emperor’s outstretched hand. With a suppressed sigh, he took it and allowed Ka Lung to wrap his hands around his neck. "You haven’t changed at all,” he sharply whispered into his ear.

     Ka Lung was nothing but smiles. He looked back to give an order to his guards. “You can leave the litter here. Take what you must and follow us to the top. There’ll be no need for climbing.”

     There was a chorus of “Yes, Your Golden Grace,” and then, they were off. Ka Lung felt a powerful leap as Emil kicked off from the ground and shot into the air with outstretched white wings. He had to refrain from letting go of Emil’s neck as they climbed higher and closer to The Spires. The mist was so thick here, he was practically in the clouds. It tickled his cheeks and dewed his hair and wings. How much he had missed this feeling! Higher, higher, he wanted to shout! He didn’t want this to end. If only…

     Lord Emil’s landing was as graceful as could be with another person clinging to him. He opened his wings to catch the air, braked with the wind, and planted himself firmly against a stony surface. He seemed all too glad to drop Ka Lung to the floor. “Safe and sound, Your Golden Grace,” he muttered, giving a ruffle of his feathers.

     “That was much faster than taking the stairs,” he grinned, ignoring the brusque gesture. “You don’t know how much that meant to me, Emil. Thank you.”

     Ka Lung was brought back to those short precious moments six years ago, of how fragile and strong the young lord had been, of his own uncertainties, and of the insurmountable emotions he could feel for another. The expression was a small one, but Ka Lung saw it still. His flattered grace hid away behind his great white wing, and he turned his back to his old friend. “You do realize if I were to drop you, that’d serve more trouble than what it’d cost. I merely did what I thought was best for myself and my people. If you’re on your feet, then follow me. We’re just about there.”

     The emperor followed next to the lord’s side, his guards having caught up rather easily without having to carry the litter. The Lord of Gyrfalcons led them to a large flat clearing in the rock and turned back to face the party. “Well, here is our home.” There was a shuffling of feathers and lull of voices echoing through the rocks. Ka Lung looked above and saw cavities and ledges with white heads of hair and wings looking down at them. Several of them flew down to meet their new guest, and those who could not fly had their parents and siblings carry them. Ka Lung had to stand on his toes to see past his guards. “And these are my people.”

     “It’s an honor to meet you all,” he bowed, taking care to show the outer colors of his wings. “I am Wang Ka Lung, His Golden Grace, and emperor of the Golden Realm. I’ve long dreamt of coming here, and I hope to get to know your culture and the world from which you come.”

     The Gyrfalcons whispered amongst themselves, some marveling at his feathers, while others wondered why an emperor would want to come out to their isolated refuge.

     Emil stepped in. “His Golden Grace has brought with him gifts. Once we inventory everything, we will ration them to those who would have need of them. Furthermore, we would be honored if you would attend a feast tonight to welcome those from the Golden Realm. Everyone is permitted attendance. Please pass the news to your friends and family.”

     Ka Lung couldn’t get enough of their white speckled wings. Those who took their leave leapt off the edge and shot through the air like a firework. Their sharp teardrop-shaped wings cut open Sky like knives. How he longed to feel the air on his own wings again.

     And then, those who stayed behind wanted to get a closer look. With some exchanged approvals with their lord, they hopped in distance of the emperor. Ka Lung snapped at his men to break a circle that had formed around him. He didn’t want to come here as an untouchable figure. If the Gyrfalcons thought of him as arrogant, then they would never respect him.

     “What are you?” they asked. “Is everyone as colorful as you? Can you fly? What is the Golden Realm like? How long did it take for you to get here?”

     The emperor of the Golden Realm answered their questions as patiently as he could. He permitted the children with their fluffy grey wings to touch his train of feathers, and their delighted squeals put a smile on his face. Other children tried to count the number of colors on his wings and competed with who could count the most.

     “Is it really alright for you to let them touch your feathers?” asked Emil with more reluctance than Ka Lung should have.

     “My train isn’t really a big deal. I have to cut it every so often, anyway, since it gets so long.”

     “Is that so…?” The Lord of Gyrfalcons let out a sigh. “When you’re done here, I can show you around some more.”

     Ka Lung stayed and made small talk with the Gyrfalcons for a half an hour longer. His guards were patient, and Emil busied himself with the new inventory in the meantime. Among the cargo that the Golden Realm had brought, there were dried fruits, parchments, books, medicines and herbs, salts and spices, inks, and glass ornaments and tools. When the last curious local had left him, he returned his attention back to Emil, who had been conversing with what might have been some kind of archivists.

     “…I should be fortunate there aren’t so many of us to speak with,” sighed the lord once again. “And I suppose you should be fortunate, as well. This must be a pittance of what your court must be like.”

     “On the contrary, I’ve never held court.” As emperor, that is. 

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons blinked his deep lilac eyes. “No? I suppose you’ve multiple officials and advisors to take care of that…Anyway, I’ll give you a tour of The Spires if you’re ready.”

     “We’re ready.”

     Emil led them on foot. It was a quick and small gesture, but the emperor noticed he would check over his shoulder to make sure he wouldn’t stumble over his robes or wings during precarious points on their tour. The Spires were admittedly not suited for traveling on foot, and Ka Lung could see why anyone younger than a fledgling typically stayed in the confines of their own homes.

     “The Spires house the largest number of us in any given place. The children stay here until they are fit to fly. Most activities are taken on wing. You’d be expected to do the same, but for you, Your Golden Grace, we can offer personal comforts on the lowest nooks. There are fewer sets of stairs there. It won’t be anything grand, but hopefully it will be somewhat to your liking.”

     Ka Lung cared little for comforts or the promise of them. He only wanted to see the world that Emil had come from. It would have been so much easier to be able to join his men in flying around. There was so much to do and see and simply not enough time. “I want to see your place,” he said.

     Lord Emil eyed him carefully. He knew he wanted something, not that Ka Lung was trying to hide it. “You’re not tired from your travels?”

     “On the contrary, I was cooped below deck for most of the journey. I want nothing more than to stretch my legs.”

     “I can show you after a few more spots. It won’t take long if we’re only going to the places you can access.”

     “Lead the way, Lord Emil.”

     They were first introduced to the very place they had landed. It was plainly called The Balcony, in which larger public gatherings would take place. This was more for celebrations and, in recent years and today, for distributing gifts brought from the Golden Realm. Emil mentioned that they would be returning to this spot later before dinner, so everyone who cared would be able to get their formal introductions to the new emperor.

     Next was the library. Paper was a precious commodity, as there weren’t enough trees on the islands to produce their own. What little books and scrolls the Gyrfalcons did have were allowed to be borrowed by residents and returned in a period of time. Compared to the imperial palace’s own archives, the one here could hardly fill a wing on gardening, alone. Nevertheless, Ka Lung was pleasantly surprised to see residents young and old being able to browse the selection so freely. Knowledge was typically reserved for the privileged and wealthy in the Golden Realm, and books were no exception.

     “If you would like books, I could provide you with some,” Ka Lung offered. “Or paper if you need it.”

     “You’ve done enough, Your Golden Grace; I couldn’t ask that of you. Besides, we wouldn’t have enough space.”

     “Then you could allow your people to check out more books.”

     “Perhaps,” the lord mused. “I would have to see if there’s a demand…since you’re offering, that is.”

     “Still as modest as ever.”

     The feathers bristled on Emil’s wings. His speckled patterning make them appear as sharp quills. “Do you take issue with my reservations?”

     “No, quite the opposite. It’s…excuse me. I hope I don’t sound demeaning when I say it’s reassuring that you haven’t changed in that way, you being a lord longer than I’ve been an emperor.”

     The lord gave a ruffle, and the spikes on his wings flattened back to his snowfallen patterning. “Lukas did tell me that I’d always be modest, though is it bad of me to hope he’d be wrong for once?”

     Ka Lung laughed, his voice catching the attention of what few patrons were in the library. Embarrassed, the Lord of Gyrfalcon took that as their cue to leave. He took the emperor’s party around the residential lodgings next, those that could be reached on foot. The dwellings were carved into the rock, itself, while others were supported by felled whole trees and stuck together with mud, clay, and straw. Ka Lung wondered if Emil had been born and raised in such a place as modest as his personality.

     “You know, I hope your brother’s visions are true. My uncle did say I could use some modesty and that you were a great example.”

     Emil’s ears seemed to perk up to that. There was some color in his cheeks. “He mentioned me?…How is your uncle, by the way?”

     “Mm, still kicking.” That wasn’t totally a lie. Yao was practically raring to kick him after the stunt he had pulled. How long was he expected to keep up the charade of playing emperor in his nephew’s place? Ka Lung had promised he wouldn’t be gone long, but now that he had finally arrived and seen Emil’s face, he wasn’t sure he wanted to return so soon. “And how is your brother?”

     “He’s…fine. Well, as fine as could be.”

     Ka Lung’s eyes twinkled gold in the faint sun. “He’s mate to the King of Swans now, isn’t he?”

     “He is.”

     “I mean to visit the Kingdom of Swans before I return to the Golden Realm. I’ll have to congratulate them and apologize for not being able to attend their wedding.”

     “It’s fine. Lukas already knew you wouldn’t be able to go. By extension, I knew you wouldn’t be there.”

     “Still, I’m sorry. If I was more proficient in my duties, I may have been able to see you sooner.”

     Emil made a quiet sound. He averted his gaze and trailed towards the open center of The Spires. “I should show you where we bathe.” Ka Lung and his men followed.

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons led them to a lower part of The Spires where the path was flat and smooth. The mist was thick here, and Ka Lung thought some of the fog had rolled in from the tops of the peaks when he discovered it was actually steam. “It looks like everyone walks through here instead of flying.”

     “Correct. It’s because our wings are too heavy to fly after drenching them in water, although it’s less of a concern for me. We normally dry them off closer to the hot springs, but in case anyone can’t wait that long, we’ve considered the option of walking.”

     In an opening at the bottom of the stairs, jagged black rock gave way to a breath of thick steam, and for a moment, Ka Lung felt like he was walking into the jaws of a gigantic living, breathing beast. Through the steam, he heard the sounds of light chatter, and further still, he could see white-winged Gyrfalcons wading in clear pools of water.

     “We use these pools to bathe and soak. It’s customary to clean yourself before you plunge into the pools, so the springs stay clean. We’re never short on hot water, so we typically take a bucket and wash off with that first.”

     “Does it matter who uses the baths?” Ka Lung noticed young and old, alike, soaking in the hot springs.

     “No, they’re completely communal. We have hot springs like this scattered all over the island, so they’re open to anyone who finds one. Your men are also permitted to use them as they like, assuming they clean themselves beforehand.”

     Ka Lung smirked. “The Cormorants and Gulls would sooner take a plunge in the ocean, but I’ll let them know the privilege is open.”

     “Is that so? Then, I suppose all that’s left is to show you to your living quarters.”

     They walked back up the stairs and through a series of tunnels. They looked to be manmade, as the edges were too smooth and unnaturally glassy. Had Gyrfalcons dug these, Ka Lung wondered?

     “We have a lodge that is currently vacant,” Emil explained. “We can provide some simple sleeping provisions, though…I suppose we’re accustomed to sleeping in a single room per family or party. If you don’t want that, I might be able to ask someone to free up a private space for you—”

     “What about your lodgings?”

     Emil blinked back his astonishment. “Mine? I-I don’t—Ka—Your Golden Grace, even if you wanted that, I don’t know if you’d be permitted—”

     “It’s what I want, so I shall see that I get it. I’ll sleep on the ground if there’s no bedspace for me.” This, of course, was met with feverous protesting from his council and guards, of which Ka Lung had to silence them and remind them of his position. “You embarrass me by questioning my judgement. As much as I appreciate your concern, I’ll ultimately decide what I deem best for me.”

     However, Lord Emil was equally hesitant. “I still don’t think that’s a good idea. They’re very…catered towards a Gyrfalcon’s accommodations.”

     “We are in Gyrfalcon land, so I should accommodate myself to it.”

     At last, it seemed that Emil came to the realization that his guest of honor would not be moved on his decision, and so, he relented. “Sky help me…Very well. If you’ll have it no other way, you’ll need to permit me to carry you to my quarters.”

     “Permission granted,” Ka Lung immediately responded with a grin.

     The emperor would have had a much better time soaring through the air had he not been accompanied by his guards. They had insisted they come alone to know where their very important emperor would be staying, which made sense, Ka Lung supposed. He was ready to be rid of them for the rest of the day if only they didn’t have to return to The Balcony for that special dinner.

     Emil took him to one of the highest spots in The Spires. The fog here was so thick that the emperor could have reached his hand in front of him and seen it vanish. Even if I could fly, I wouldn’t be able to see. They landed on a firm stony ledge where all the world was white. Ka Lung looked around and couldn’t even find stairs leading up to this spot. He wondered if Emil had been raised here or perhaps on one of the lower levels.

     Furthermore, there was barely any space for more than six fliers to balance themselves. Those that made it to the lord’s dwellings either had to squeeze together or struggle to hover in place. “There isn’t enough room for all of you,” Ka Lung said to them. “Those of you who aren’t captains, return to The Balcony until further orders are given.” He watched them take their leave, which left five captains. That’s four too many, Sky curse my uncle.

     “Please accept my apologies, Your Golden Grace,” fretted the lord. “My quarters were never meant for so many people to stand on. Public matters are almost always handled down below.”

     “Apology accepted,” Ka Lung hastily responded. His excitement overshadowed any pride he should have maintained as an emperor. He wanted only to go inside Emil’s house and see what sort of life he lived all these years on this foggy peak.

     “Right then, if you would follow me…” Emil withdrew into the mountainside and practically disappeared in the fog with his white wings camouflaging his backside. Two of the bolder captains walked in front of Ka Lung while the other three surrounded him in the back.

     Tucked into the peak was a structure that resembled a hut. Its roof was covered with earth and sod, while its exterior was otherwise covered with crudely masoned stone slabs and stuck together with the same mud and clay as the other dwellings below. It wasn’t any more impressive than what Ka Lung and his men had seen of their tour, and the emperor was almost disappointed that someone he had pined over would come from such a place.

     Well, I suppose modest dwellings make a modest man. He wondered then if the lord had been wary about showing him this place because of that fact. He literally had come from almost nothing; a lord as himself would have no luxurious palace, or castle, or even a manor. It was no wonder why they had to bargain so much with their Phoenix feather those six years ago. Oh, Emil…

     “I’m sure you must have some reservations about staying here now, Your Golden Grace,” said the Lord of Gyrfalcons, his lavender eyes unable to meet his. “There isn’t any access on foot, and it’s dangerous for you and your men to fly up and below these peaks without familiarizing yourselves with the surroundings. The interior isn’t much more impressive. It’d almost be better for you to make the long trip back to your ship if you prefer your usual comforts.”

     “Your Golden Grace, this doesn’t come as a question to your judgement, but Lord Emil is right: that might be wise,” an Anhinga captain softly grunted. He was clearly as unimpressed as the rest of his party.

     “Nonsense,” Ka Lung stubbornly stood his ground. “I’ve lived in a palace nearly all my life, and for me to hide away in those same luxuries won’t help me understand my people’s or our allies’ circumstances. I will eat as Lord Emil does and sleep and wake as he does. One of you may stand guard at a time, if that makes your positions justified for making the journey here. The rest of you may take your leave and help with the cargo on Willow’s Wind.”

     “We should at least see what the inside looks like,” suggested another captain.

     The lord blinked. “I speak the truth when I say all of you might not find yourselves very comfortable, but I will not refuse your entry.” He turned and opened the front door, which was surprisingly heavy-looking for something so simply constructed. Ka Lung supposed it was to keep the heat inside and the cold outside. He didn’t have to duck when he entered, though he nearly feared his precious wings would scrape up against the sides of the stony edifice. Fortunately, he made it through unscathed.

     The emperor almost balked when he saw the inside. The space was smaller than his bedroom closet. There was a fireplace close to the entrance with a steady flame going. A shelf and some carved plates and bowls rested on the opposite end just over a tiny wooden table. There was a chair with a small bookcase of weather-worn books, draped with what looked like a woolen blanket. In the far back were two rather sizable beds, though Ka Lung suspected they had always been meant for a lord and his family to share. How can even a single person stand to live like this? The mattresses sat atop a series of sturdy-looking dressers, where Lord Emil no doubt put most of his artifacts. There was a small desk beside the leftmost bed with a candlelight lamp, some ink and quills, and a handful of trinkets of Winged Ones from a forgotten age. It was about as modest as modest could get. Ka Lung couldn’t even see anything that might betray a sign of status or wealth in this literal hut, and a small part of him was starting to wonder if his obstinance was going to lower his credibility simply by being in here. 

     “Well?” The Lord of Gyrfalcons’ sharp gaze seemed to pierce into Ka Lung’s very thoughts. He had already suspected he would be shocked or disappointed, though something about his eyes was waiting for what the emperor actually had to say about this all.

     “It’s perfect. I will even have my own bed. This is exactly where I want to stay.”

     Ka Lung could tell from the subdued groans and sighs of his captains that they were equally as unimpressed if not questioning their new emperor. Nevertheless, his mind was made up, and he would have it no other way. “Two of you bring my trunk up here. It’ll have everything I need. The rest of you, consult amongst yourselves how you will take your shifts. I want to speak with Lord Emil in private for a moment, so take your leave.” Shoo.

     In a twisted sense of fortune, the captains were all too happy to exit the hut, possibly then wondering what their own accommodations were going to be. Most of the captains came from families of high-ranked nobles, officials, and scholars. To be brought all the way here should have been an honor in any other regard, but then, their emperor had to go and fall in love with the Lord of Gyrfalcons.

     At last the door closed behind them. Ka Lung could have exploded. He wanted to throw himself over Emil when he saw how still and small he appeared. It wasn’t just his physical nature; his very pride seemed to have shrunken him.

     “I-I’m sorry you have to see me like this.” His voice was soft and low. A stinging stab pierced Ka Lung’s chest. He had been putting up his walls since they had arrived. “…I’m surprised you came here at all. I don’t know what you were expecting to see. Probably not this.”

     Ka Lung held himself together for just a little longer. “Aren’t you happy to see me, Emil?”

     He didn’t even hesitate. “I am. Very much, Ka Lung.” The emperor’s heart lightened at the sound of his name used so sincerely. “It’s just that it’s been so long. I was afraid. I couldn’t hear from you. I couldn’t know anything about you. I thought you had forgotten about me—”

     Unable to hold himself back, Ka Lung threw his arms over Emil’s shoulders and embraced him. His body had changed. His shoulders were wider, and his jaw more defined as it dug into his chest. And yet, the way Emil quivered and clumsily wrapped his own arms around Ka Lung’s waist brought back a familiar sensation.

     “Never,” he whispered, his lips getting lost in Emil’s white silk of hair. He smelled of the earth, sea, and sky all at once. He exhaled through his mouth and felt the paler of them shudder. “I thought about you every day. I dreamt of this moment for six years, Emil. I really did miss you.”

     Emil’s laughter was muffled in his robes. “I missed you, too.”

     Ka Lung could have collapsed from relief. He, too, had feared that perhaps in that long wait, Emil had forgotten about him, as well, or perhaps that he had not thought of him in fondness. He would have had no way of knowing. It had been the uncertainty that had wracked his nerves night and day.

     But none of that mattered now. They were together.

     A soft sound uttered somewhere from Ka Lung’s robed chest. Emil pulled himself away and brought an upturned palm to his face. He sniffed and then tried to laugh away his embarrassment. “Wonderful. I told myself I wouldn’t get emotional.” He wiped away a preformed tear from the corner of his right eye. When he tried to wipe away another from his left, Ka Lung took his hand away and instead kissed his tear as it fell. A sharp salty taste tinged the tip of his tongue, and he was brought back to when he had last seen Emil cry. The halfling lord had been so vulnerable, so unconfident. Ka Lung wasn’t going to let him feel that way about his affections anymore. So, he kissed him deeply on his lips.

     Emil’s body froze more in surprise than shock, but the moment soon passed as he returned Ka Lung’s gesture. He didn’t let Ka Lung take the lead this time; he followed with his own movements, like a dance only two could complete.

     It pained Ka Lung to have to break their kiss. He had finally gotten Emil alone. He needed to let him know why he was here. “Emil, listen, I need to tell you something.” His voice was more exhausted than he had thought himself to be. It was like he the many times he had gone out for a flight and had to hide his bated breath from his prying uncle. Was it because of their kiss? Or maybe he was nervous about what Emil would say? Or perhaps both.

     “Yes?” Emil’s eyes were large and focused. He always did have fascinating eyes. Ka Lung had never seen anyone else’s with colors like them. They were one of the many things that made him so special.

     “I came here to this place to court you. Officially.”

     A small gasp left Emil’s breath. “I suspected that was one of the reasons you came here. Then your dance…” He smiled then, and it was the first time he had done so since being reunited, Ka Lung realized. Seeing it was like a clear sunny day breaking through this dreary place. It made him want to kiss him again. “…you’ve perfected it for me.”

     Not nearly as perfected as your existence, Emil. “Would you like to see it?”

     “I’d very much like to.” He held out a hand, knowing very well that Ka Lung would have leapt at the chance to perform immediately. “Not here, not now. We’ve a welcoming celebration for you, and I’d like to get that done with first. That’ll be one less thing on my mind.” Again, he sighed. “I’ve meant to do so many things if you ever returned. Now—”

     “Now that I’m here, we can do them,” Ka Lung finished for him. There was something in Emil’s tone that troubled his ears. He was sincere in his being here, that much was true, yet there was something lingering in the air like a bad smell, something akin to hesitance.

     “I…Yes, I suppose now that you are here, we can.” Emil’s eyes wandered to nowhere in particular. His white eyelashes prettily flittered in the cold dewed air. “It feels like I’m dreaming, Ka Lung. To even say your name to you aloud doesn’t feel real.”

     He cradled his neck in the palms of his hands and brought him in for a kiss. “I’ll kiss you as many times as it takes to convince you this is reality.”

     Emil laughed again, more openly. Ka Lung had a feeling the Lord of Gyrfalcons seldom laughed. It was more melodic than even the most blessed song from the Vox Maiden. “Then perhaps I shall need more convincing,” he teased.

     He kissed him again.

     Word must have spread throughout the Blizzarding Isles, for Gyrfalcons weren’t the only race in the feast’s attendance. Ka Lung could recognize Guillemots and Terns well enough, but he then saw stocky Puffins with large personalities and Skuas with short tempers and pride more than enough to compensate. There were also various races of Shorebirds: Plovers, Oystercatchers, Snipes, and Godwits. Lord Emil explained that it was mainly the work of the Shorebirds who could be credited to most of the evening’s bounty.

     “Their legs and arms are longer than any Raptor in these parts,” he informed His Golden Grace, “and they don’t catch a chill even when wading in the tides for hours.”

     “Pity we don’t have too many of them in the Golden Realm,” the emperor responded, impressed. “There’s a high demand for shellfish and not enough laborers to catch them.”

     Emil suspiciously glanced his way. “You’ll not convince them to go with you. Besides, the seafood found here is specifically adapted to cold waters. It wouldn’t be the same taste or work in the empire.”

     “Ah well, then I’ll have to enjoy what I can while I’m here.”

     “And I hope you will, or I’d be a poor host.”

     Ka Lung was already enjoying himself. He’d never seen anything like this: a long oaken table laid out from one end to another, covered with meats, pickles, stews, bread, and steaming fish and shellfish. He was given a spot in the center of one long end, opposite Emil, who sat on the other center. Ka Lung’s captains sat in equal numbers next to him, and leading down on both sides were his remaining guards. Those who could not fit at the long table sat on woolen cushions on The Balcony. He suspected the men who sat closest to Emil must have been important figures, too, as they wore fine cloaks of richly dyed wool with iron brooches.

     Dishes were placed in the center with Emil offering the first cuts of meat and breads to the emperor. He cut the pieces, himself, if permitted, to Ka Lung’s pleasant surprise. He had not known Emil was able to work a knife, but then, as a guest in the Golden Realm, he had not been given a chance to demonstrate that skill.

     They didn’t have to wait for all of the food to be passed to guests before starting on their own meals. Ka Lung started with a bite of flatbread, finding it hard and earthy and lacking any semblance of flavor, but he managed to finish the first piece by itself. Gyrfalcons and Swans had a respectable culture of breaking bread together, and he did not want to insult them with a slight of expression. The rest, fortunately, could be soaked in stew, which he found to have a little more flavor than the meat, mostly thanks to the butter and roots.

     There isn’t any salt. An island surrounded by the sea should be able to make use of its salt. What happened to all of the spices we sent them? Or is this what they normally eat? Such questions plagued Ka Lung’s mind the entire feast, almost horrifying him with brutal reality, and while he had a good time trying foods he would have otherwise not given a second glance, he couldn’t help but feel pity towards Emil yet again. It wasn’t just his living conditions that were modest; the way in which he sustained himself was pitiful, as well.

     When I take you away from this place, we will dine like the emperor and empress we were meant to be. His aspirations and imagined flavors kept him sustained more than the food, itself. It was easier to smile knowing of what was to come with Emil by his side.

     “You don’t have to use flattery. I know you didn’t think it was good,” said the lord after the last of the local guests had flown home. He looked no more hopeful than Leon was satisfied with the meal.

     “On the contrary, I enjoyed your company. You’ve fine folk under your lordship. Oh, and I quite liked the shellfish. It was very fresh.” That wasn’t a lie, although he wished there had been more seasonings in the tender flesh.

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons rolled his eyes. “I’ve been a guest in your palace. I know what it is you eat on a daily basis. A day’s worth of food under your host would make the finest chef here blush.”

     “Obviously. I’m so beautiful, they’d be flattered in my presence.”

     Emil scoffed. “Sky will come crashing down on the day you learn some proper humiliation.”

     Ka Lung didn’t want Sky to fall so soon, not when there were legions to fly over and lands to explore. He wanted to do it all with Emil. He was his esteemed guest and betrothed. He wouldn’t say no. Well, he’ll probably give me some pushback, but when’s that ever stopped me?

     “I’m tired,” he suddenly announced to his host. “I want to bathe.”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons did not indicate any notion of entertaining the emperor. “I showed you the way to the hot springs this afternoon,” he simply said.

     “And I recall in that conversation that there were several other springs dotted on this island if one took the time to look. You’re the reigning lord here, yes? Then you must know a secluded location or two. My body is sacred. I’ll not sully my allure with the eyes of commoners, even if I respect your people.”

     “Sky above, I’ll not carry you out of The Spires. Your captains won’t be able to fly at this time of night. They’ll be besides themselves if they find you missing.” He leered with knowing ferocity. “I know you’re not planning to tell them. I’m not daft. They won’t let me take you away and alone. And I appreciate you wanting us to get a moment’s solace to ourselves, but it’s not so easily done here, Your Golden Grace…not with the way things are.”

     Ka Lung equally knew the Lord of Gyrfalcons would have his reservations and reasons. But he also underestimated his power. He was the emperor of the Golden Realm. His word was law. Once upon a time ago, his word would have even been considered the messages of Sky, itself.

     “If I want it done, it will be so, Lord Emil.” And I mean that with more than just with my men. “My men are disciplined. They’ll allow me to go wherever I please, should I give the word.”

     Emil took a step forward and fanned his great white wings out. They spread like a sudden gust, making Ka Lung give a slight jolt. “You forget that I was willing before because we were in a tense state of bargaining—you the host, I the guest. I had to be complicit then. You didn’t even ask if I wanted to take you.”

     Ka Lung froze. Of course. How could he have been so short-sighted? He’d gone ahead and assumed Emil would want to spend time with him on his whims, yet he hadn’t considered his actual wishes. He didn’t feel any different from the worst of his uncle. Emil was his friend, his beloved, and he had easily cast aside his feelings.

     “Forgive me. I should have. I’m so used to—No, I don’t have any excuse. That was ill-worded of me.” He bowed as low as his robes would allow him to. They threatened to sag off his waist and shoulders before Emil stopped him from stooping any lower.

     “Stop. No, it’s fine. I…” The lord heaved a sigh. “…I should have understood, too. This is who you’ve been training to be, and it’s natural for you to think this way.”

     Ka Lung started. “That isn’t—”

     “But if it’s of any consolation, I do want to take you, Ka Lung. I…I know a place.”

     The emperor calmed himself and his feathers. He had hardly noticed his wings had bristled into a fortified rainbow. “Let’s be off before my captains notice.” And before I make a further idiot of myself.

     He had just time to grab some furs and a change of clothes. Emil had said to meet him around the back of the library, where a diving ledge made way to open Sky. There, they could take off in the direction of that special place. The emperor almost tumbled over his robes making his way down the steps. He couldn’t see very well in the darkness, and tonight was but a half-mooned sky—not that it would have been much help, considering the overcast weather.

     He found Emil waiting where he had said he would, sitting on the ledge with folded hands and wings. When he looked back to see him, a stray breeze caught his fair hair and feathers. His braid trailed in the wind. His wings looked to be a snowstorm all on their own, beautiful and ferocious. It took Ka Lung exhaling in the chill evening to realize he had been holding his breath.

     “Ready?” asked Emil, standing.

     With an old feeling stirring in his heart, Ka Lung grinned and leapt to him. A flustered lord shot his arms out and caught him. “Ready.”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons muttered a curse to himself before jumping into open Sky. His wings caught the breeze and lifted them both high above The Spires. Ka Lung whooped and laughed into the wind. The air was cold and stung his throat like a stubborn illness, but he did not care. He loved this feeling more than—well, almost more than anything else in the world. It was even better now that he was with Emil.

     “Quiet, you idiot. You’ll catch your guards’ attentions.”

     “Nah,” scoffed Ka Lung, “they won’t know it’s me. They’ve never heard this kind of sound from me.” To prove his point, he whooped again. No one came. “See?”

     “Great Sky, could you at least keep it down for me? You’re practically screaming into my ears. And hold on, why don’t you. I don’t want to dive after you again.”

     Ka Lung clamped his mouth and held onto Emil’s neck. In spite of wearing less than he was, his body temperature was warmer here. Gyrfalcons must have been used to such frigid climates. Unable to resist the urge, he dotted small kisses on his neck, and the lord shuddered and rocked in flight.

     “Stop that,” he scolded him, though not sternly. He sounded more exasperated than frightful. “I’ll drop you, Your Golden Grace. That’s a promise.”

     “Then you’ll catch me.”

     “Not before I let you taste open Sky.”

     Ka Lung barked a laugh. “I’d love nothing more.”

     He couldn’t see where they were going, and Emil said nothing of their destination. A halfling of Gyrfalcons and Swans, Emil Steilsson was not built for flight by night, yet he somehow knew exactly where to land. Ka Lung felt the rise of steam envelope his skin before they even touched the ground. As before, the halfling lord unceremoniously dropped him on the ground with the intent to let his bottom squash the earth, but Ka Lung was quick to land on his feet, much to the former’s frustration.

     “We’ve arrived,” said Emil. “It’s quiet here. There are rocks you can sit and change in.”

     Ka Lung got a better look when the island wind blew away the steam. There was a single clear pool of still water surrounded by moss and mossier rocks just big enough for a small group to dip in. Judging by the amount of steam, alone, it must have been hotter than it looked, even if it was exposed to the open air.

     “Bathe with me,” he practically ordered his companion.

     Even in the darkness, he was sure that the Lord of Gyrfalcons was blushing an adorable shade of red. “If we both bathe, it’ll take forever to dry off and fly back.”

     “Good. We’ll have more time to ourselves.”

     “Ka Lung,” Emil started with a frustrated tone and then relented into a calmer voice, “words can’t describe how elated I am that you still think fondly of me. The feelings are mutual, I can assure you, but…”

     “But?”

     “…Don’t you think you’re being too liberal with this? You are the emperor now, and I’m still…” Emil sighed and leaned into a rocky alcove. He hugged his legs to his chest. “You’ve seen how I lived. And you know of my half-brother’s standing and of my new relation to royalty, yes, but I’m still just me. Perhaps that ‘me’ is regarded as something you’ve sought and thought highly of, but in all that time, did you never stop to wonder if maybe there was someone better for you?” He clutched his legs tighter. “That day when I bowed back to you, I knew it was right in my heart for myself, but if that was never meant to be reciprocated to the very end, well, then, I…I spent these six years trying to accept that I might not see you again.

     “I know it’s awful of me to think so lowly of myself, but now that you’ve seen where I come from first-hand, you must know why I’d feel such reservations. I really am nothing special, Ka Lung. I’m just a lord of a lonely rock.”

     Ka Lung had had enough. He marched over to Emil and pushed aside his legs and arms. He forced his hands onto his shoulders and shoved him against the rock wall. He had approached so suddenly that Emil hadn’t the time to react but stare dumbfounded at him. “How many times…? H-How many times do I have to say that your very being is exactly why I love you, Emil?” My voice…I’m shaking. “You don’t have to be afraid to be who you are with me. I don’t have to be someone I’m not with you. I want us to be like that together and always. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point, and that you still can’t see it…!” He stopped to catch his breath. He could see the steam exhaling from between his teeth.

     See…

     “Emil?” His grip relaxed some. “What are you afraid of? It couldn’t be the future. Is it me?”

     “That…” Emil started and then looked painfully away. “That isn’t it. You wouldn’t have known. I only learned of it recently, myself.”

     Ka Lung’s golden pools of eyes trembled in confusion. “Wouldn’t have known what?”

     “Lukas, he…when he realized he was in love with Mathias, his visions—anything in remote relation of him—disappeared from his foresight. So much of that was tied to me, himself, and the kingdom…he almost went mad with fright, Ka Lung.

     “I was so worried for him. So was Mathias. Lukas kept thinking he was useless without his visions to protect me and the kingdom. He’d only been so assured in me because he used to know what to anticipate—”

     “And now he can’t, is what you’re saying,” Ka Lung finished, now with better understanding. That reassurance had played a large part in letting him meet Emil, he knew. Those visions had given the then-heir the determination to protect his title and their alliance. The emperor never thought to stop and think of how much credit had been owed to that royal seer in finding himself and his love for Emil. Yet now, to hear that that ability was severed because of such an intimate emotion…was that really worth the price of foresight? “Then…it is the future that you fear.” Our future.

     “…Yes.”

     “Still,” Ka Lung perked up his head, “your brother married the King of Swans. He did it knowing he might not be able to see the absolute future, anyway. He must love His Majesty in spite of his mishap.”

     Emil’s expression seemed to indicate he knew that, as well. But… “It was easy for them. They’ve known each other for so long. Mathias always saw Lukas as his near equal. I think everyone always knew there was something between them that was inevitable. You and I…as much as I would like to hope it otherwise, I can’t say we’re the same.”

     “Because it’s not easy?”

     The lord faltered. “N-No. Well…perhaps. I…I may share in my brother’s fears of the unknown. Perhaps I had always felt reassured of my future because it could be routed and perfected…” He folded his hands together. His pale fingers interlocked with one another in a nervous fidget. Even now, such an amazing being was reduced to this. Ka Lung wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be alright. “…but now that certainty is gone, Ka Lung. My brother and I can’t guarantee that our being together is the best course of action. Your possibilities are so much more endless and filled with potential than mine.

     “And yes, I know. I know you love me.” His voice choked in that acknowledgement. “That you’re here is proof of that. But I can’t help but still wonder…”

     Ka Lung squeezed Emil’s shoulders. He lowered his head and forced him to look at him. “What do you want, Emil? Because I’m doing what I want. I’m still here. Because regardless of all these futures or whatever you want to call them, I believe this is the best decision.”

     Emil swallowed. His lilac eyes pooled with what might have been tears, but he blinked them back. “If I could untether myself from what I was, I’d choose you.”

     He had his answer. “There, then. You’d choose me. That was easy, wasn’t it?”

     “…Is it?” The lord didn’t sound too sure.

     “It is. I’m an emperor, and in case you don’t remember, I worked very hard for it.”

     Emil hopelessly shook his head and laughed. “I do remember, Your Golden Grace. All too well.” He exhaled in an airy voice. He seemed lighter in Ka Lung’s grasp. “Fine. I’ll bathe with you.”

     Ka Lung needed more time getting out of his clothes than his beloved counterpart. Emil had on simple wools and a cloak of sheepskin. His body was impeccable and pale underneath and seemed to glow in what faint moonlight seeped through the clouds. He braid he kept bound, which dangled and swayed to and fro like a silent windchime. He was absolutely beautiful.

     Next, Emil removed the thinnest inner layer of his clothing. The years of flying around the island had left his body and wings toned yet thin. Ka Lung only got a glimpse of his bare skin before he submerged himself in the water.

     “Don’t we need to rinse ourselves off first?” he asked, remembering what the lord had instructed earlier.

     “Not in these private pools. There aren’t nearly enough people to taint the waters.” To Ka Lung’s amazement, Emil dunked his entire head into the scalding waters and emerged unbothered. He wiped away the water from his face and sleeked back his bangs before opening his eyes. “What’s wrong? Do you need help changing?”

     “…Actually, yes.” It was the privilege of an emperor to have multiple layers of robes and silks adorning his body, but that had been emphasized by the fact that an emperor could afford the employment of tailors and seamstresses. There were none here, and Emil did not look like he had put on anything fancier than a fine fur coat in his life. Ka Lung would have to do this on his own.

     Emil was smiling at the helpless emperor in a way he only did when they were alone. “Goodness, if you were to fall into a lakebed, you wouldn’t be able to free yourself from your clothes. There isn’t an easy way to remove everything?”

     “Not without help, and fun fact, one of my great great great grand uncles actually died that way. He fell off a boat, drunk, wearing some half a ton of silks and glass beads for a lantern lighting festival and drowned.”

     The lord was not smiling anymore. “We can’t have that happening to you.” He just about flew out of the water and ruffled his wings. The stray water splashed Ka Lung’s face and rained on his robes. “Ah. Sorry. Here.” He spun around him and examined the knots tied in the back. He pulled on a few sashes, found a pin somewhere in the front, and had to undo a cord or two. Like magic, everything fell loose enough for Ka Lung to wriggle out of.

     At last, I emerge from my silken prison! He lifted his arms out with two layers of linen and silk left to go when he remembered his wings. The shoulders caught on the facets in the backpiece and pulled him backwards. Emil had to steady him lest he fall and crush his precious feathers.

     “Great Sky and all that is good above, this isn’t worth it!” The lord strained and struggled to keep Ka Lung’s balance. “Your wings are so…!”

     “Magnificent, I know.”

     “…heavy!”

     With a final grunt, Emil pulled off the last robe from Ka Lung’s body and fell on his raw bottom. His Golden Grace, emperor of the Golden Realm, toppled front-first into the spring. There was a violent splash followed by an even violent-er yelp. The water was hot! He tried to scramble out in fear of being boiled alive, but his wings became water-logged and weighed him down. He managed to only cling onto the slippery mossy ledge by his forearms and determination.

     Emil, having recovered, clambered to the edge of the spring and looked upon him. “Ka Lung! Are you hurt?”

     Before answering that, he had to catch his breath. He’d grown sedentary, ashamed though he was to admit. His muscles had all but atrophied into skin and bones, and he looked more feminine now than even Emil did (not that he saw anything wrong with it). “I’m fine,” he lied. His body was sore and scalding all over. “My pride took a little beating, but hey, if it’s only you here, that’s not so bad. Please forget you ever saw that.”

     The lord collapsed on the ledge and sank his legs into the water. He allowed his whole body to slip in after them and joined Ka Lung in the hot spring. “No, Your Golden Graceful-not. It will be a memory I’ll hold onto forever: my one and only beloved unable to help himself out of his own clothes.”

     “In the Golden Realm, it’s a privilege to be able to be helped.”

     “Among my people, we’d call those infants and the crippled.”

     That shut him up.

     The silence gave Emil a chance to wash and preen. Ka Lung mirrored his movements, first adjusting to the heat of the pool, then rubbing the sweat and dust from his skin, finally distributing his natural oils and reattaching the follicles that made up the feathers in his wings. Then, they helped one another, refamiliarizing themselves with one another’s bodies. Ka Lung’s hands glided down Emil’s neck and broadened shoulders. He ran his fingers lower along his waist and felt bold enough to snake down his thighs. Emil studied him, in turn. He fingered his bright red feathers and fanned through his barred golden collar. The larger primaries he took in his mouth and preened as Ka Lung once had for him. 

     “Pretty,” Emil murmured amidst his grooming. “You’ve always been pretty.”

     “Pretty charming—? Ow!”

     Emil had bitten into the radius section of his wing. “Just pretty. I’m stronger than you, so don’t test me.”

     Ka Lung smiled through the pain. “See? Even you can admit your strength.”

     “I wasn’t talking about—” The lord caught himself. “You’re so stupid.”

     “Stupid that I’d fall in love with someone like you?”

     “…Yes.” Emil gave pause. “When are you going to dance for me?”

     Ka Lung’s eyes flashed. He hadn’t forgotten. His body ached to show off right now if they weren’t subjected to the water. “I’ll need a stage. When I find the perfect place, I’ll court you, Emil. I want only for you to see it.”

     But the lord just balked. “You didn’t even think about where you were going to perform? What kind of romantic are you?”

     “Hopeless?”

     “What a stupid answer for a stupid man.”

     Ka Lung laughed away the insult. “I jest. But, no, I’m not lying about not having a stage. Back home, the palace grounds are so spacious and wide. There’re plenty of places made for dancing. You remember. Isn’t there a place that has something like that around here?”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons pondered that. “I suppose there is one good place. It may be…intimidating, but it seems like it fits your character.”

     What’s that supposed to mean? “Will you show it to me tomorrow?”

     “Fine, why not?”

     They preened some more, of themselves and then for one another. When they both looked satisfied, they sat and listened to the loud quiet of the night. Ka Lung let out a breath of condensed steam, doing a great impression of a dragon. He let his head hang back on the mossy ledge and craned his neck to the heavens. When he opened his eyes, he gasped.

     Hearing him, Emil snapped alert from his stupor and looked to him. “What is it?”

     Lights. Thousands, no, millions of them, glittering like a sea of jewels. He’d never seen so many gathered in one place before. They were so brilliant. So many. Among them were strange clouds that flowed through Sky like a milky blue river. He could not see where it began, nor where it ended. He didn’t have words to describe the sights he saw. He didn’t have an expression for what he was feeling. He felt nothing ill, no apprehensions, not a single doubt, nothing of fear. Only absolute wonder.

     It was…something he had felt before.

     “I…” His heart stirred. “I remembered something.” Emil hummed and moved his gaze onto him. “When I still lived on the island with my parents, I once saw a night like this. My father took me into the mountains, and we stayed until nightfall. I remember it being so dark. I think…I must have been scared at first. Back home, my parents never let it get so dark. I don’t even think it was possible; there were always so many lanterns lit, I’d never known a world without light.

     “But then, my father pointed up at Sky and showed me all the stars and said, ‘It’s not dark. Look. More lights than you can count. If you did try counting them all, you’d be older than me and still not finish.’”

     Emil softly smiled at that.

     “But, I asked, why hadn’t I been able to see them before? Why only here in the mountains? Then, my father told me that we make our own light; it’s just that there are so many people in the city that all of the lights shine too brightly for the ones further up in Sky.” He chuckled. “I think I asked him something like, ‘Does that mean the brighter ones are more important?’ And my father…maybe he laughed at me? Or maybe he laughed at my question. I don’t…Hah…I don’t remember what his answer was, Emil.”

     Something heavy yet hollow crept over him in knowing he would never quite know. His father was gone. So was his mother. Perhaps, if he believed it to be so, they had become their own lights in Sky, and they were looking down at him. He was finally able to look back.

     Emil must have sensed his longing and joined him looking above, for he knew the feeling, too. He searched and found his hand in the pool and took it. “You’ve always been the brightest light in my life, Ka Lung.”

     He smiled and then kissed his hair. “Even when I was the Nightswift?”

     The lord rolled his eyes. They were amethysts in the starlight. The prettiest lights in the world. “You were covered in soot and dust, so no.”

     Ka Lung laughed, then Emil. After a time, they fell quiet again.

     The silence overwhelmed them. But there wasn’t anything that needed to be said. Ka Lung felt in his heart, mind, and soul that he had all of the answers he would ever need. He was right to come here.

     They remained there until their skin pruned and the oils of their feathers swirled on the surface of the pool in iridescent slicks. Emil noticed it first when he repositioned his neck to stretch and noted the lateness of the hour.

     “I want to stay here,” Ka Lung protested their return with a whine. “It’s warm and pretty. You, too, Emil. Stay here with me.”

     “Your wings weren’t meant to get wet, Your Golden Grace. I thought you wanted to be perfect for your dance.” He was already stepping out of the pool. Being half-Swan, his feathers were more waterproof than the less-adapted emperor, and the steam and water beaded effortlessly off him. “Ka Lung, come.”

     “So soon? We haven’t even done foreplay yet.”

     The lewd remark earned him a soft kick to his head. “You know what I’m talking about. Let’s go. Dry yourself, and maybe you won’t have to sleep on the ground.”

     Ka Lung let out a groan and tried to leave the hot spring, but his wings were drenched through and through with water. He wasn’t as strong as he used to be—well, that and his wings had grown out too long—and it hadn’t settled in just how tired he was from his voyage. It had been a long day, and he was nearly spent. “Emil,” he whined in his most pitiful voice, “help me.”

     “Oh you are impossible.” Nevertheless, the lord bent down and helped him out. “Great Sky, you are…so…!”

     “Magnificent?”

     “Heavy, curse you!” Emil collapsed on the ground, falling once again on his raw bottom when Ka Lung managed to scramble onto the ledge. He looked like a rainbow of rags splayed on the moss. Here he was, the emperor of the Golden Realm laid bare.

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons, meanwhile, rose to his feet, rubbing somewhere that clearly ached. “I am beginning to see a pattern. Never mind that…Ka Lung…” panted the lord, “I don’t think I can carry you back like this. Come to think of it, how do you normally dry off your wings?”

     “I usually keep them out of the water. I have servants to apply special powders and oils to clean them...I do preen my own feathers, though.” He was very proud of the way he did it, too.

     “Of course you would,” sighed the lord. “And you didn’t think to keep them out of near boiling water?”

     “You are so adorable, I completely forgot the most basic precautions.”

     Another sigh. “Something tells me the towels we have here aren’t going to be enough to dry you off. I could fly back and get some more, but I don’t want to leave you alone, Ka Lung. You’re certain you won’t be able to dry your wings off naturally?”

     He tried to flap or ruffle his wings. He wasn’t successful in doing either, only managing to again scatter droplets everywhere from his clothes to a disgruntled Emil. “I…kinda don’t think, like, standing around is gonna do much.”

     Emil’s lips puckered like he had swallowed a lemon. “I thought you forsook that speech when you became emperor.”

     Whoops. Did I? “Old habit. You’re the only one here, so I can talk like my old self sometimes, can’t I?”

     The lord was unmoved. “You’re being rather unserious for a serious matter, Your Golden Grace.”

     Ka Lung dramatically brought a hand to his bosom, acting out a false wound to clutch. “I’m unserious? Then if you want one of us to be not, fly back and fetch me some towels. I’ll be alright.” He almost had that be the end of it before adding, “Please.”

     Emil Steilsson, Lord of Gyrfalcons, made a show of collecting his own clothes, throwing them on, ruffling his wings one final time (consequently showering the last droplets on Ka Lung in revenge), and shooting off into the night. Ka Lung watched from the ground as his glorious white form grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the rolling mist.

     He sat and waited for what felt like an eternity. He hadn’t realized how rare it was for him to be by himself. Usually there was a tutor or guard nearby or his nagging uncle. Now, there was no one. He fanned out his wings and spread them as far as he could to collect the heat from the hot spring. The slow drip-drip of water pooled onto the surrounding mosses, some down his bare skin.

     To pass the time, Ka Lung looked up to Sky and tried to count the stars. Some were fainter than others, and he had to squint to see them. If Emil was here, he’d be able to see them clear as day. He wished Emil was back…because it soon became difficult to count anything at all. The rolling mist piled into clouds, and those clouds became a cloak of night. They covered the stars, concealed Sky, hid what was left of the faint moonlight. Ka Lung’s breath stilled. His heartbeat quickened. Something in his stomach felt sick and tight.

     Utter darkness. Where there was no light, there was no people. No one. He was all alone. Just like before. Just like that bitter, aching moment—Sky above, please show yourself! It hurt. He wanted to run. He wanted to freeze and disappear. It was all coming back to him. He thought he had forgotten.

     His breath was shaky. His legs were weak. He could not remember being the emperor anymore. He only knew of that heavy, sinking loss. Mother…Father…

     “Ah…” he trembled. “Emil…? Where are you?” Don’t leave me, too.

     He didn’t know how long the Lord of Gyrfalcons was away, only that when he returned, he was a shaking mess of unadulterated fear. He wasn’t supposed to act like this. He had no reason to. It was irrational.

     In spite of that, the relief he felt when he saw Emil’s worried expression as he landed was like a beacon flooding the world back with light. He shot his arms out to him and hugged him as if it would be last time he could. “Thank Sky you’re back…” he breathed. He could have fallen to his knees, but that would have dragged Emil down with him, what with the way he stiffened in alarm.

     “Wha…? I couldn’t have been gone for more than fifteen minutes.” Ka Lung could hear Emil click his tongue. “I would have been back sooner, but they were out of towels by the common springs, so I had to request extras from some of the villagers, and…Ka Lung?” The gentle cautious touch of Emil’s hand grazed his cheek. “What’s wrong? What happened while I was gone?”

     “Noth—” No. Not nothing. Emil wasn’t dense, and it was pointless to hide it from his betrothed. He would come to know it in time, and at his most vulnerable, why not now? “Sorry, no. I should have—” He cursed in his humiliation. Sky be good, all over some measly towels! “I need to tell you something.”

     Emil quieted his apprehension and held Ka Lung back. “Yes? Wait, no. You’re naked, Ka Lung. You’ll freeze. Let’s get you dried off and warm.”

     “Ah…right…” The frigid fear he had held felt chilled him deeper than even the harsh winds of the Blizzarding Isles. He allowed Emil to wrap him with what he had. The towels were linen and the worst kind possible. They’d sooner abrase his skin than dry it. But it was better than nothing, and the gesture had come from an honest place of intent.

     “Sorry,” he suddenly found himself repeating.

     “For what?”

     “Just…I don’t know. I guess I got used to letting others take care of me.”

     The lord stopped for a second and gave an empathetic smile. “I thought you said it was a privilege to be helped.”

     “Sure, but if I wasn’t like this, then, I dunno, I could probably get a lot more done by myself, you know? Like, not trouble other people.” He sounded like the old Emil, he realized, and didn’t know if that was a thing to be ashamed of or not.

     “Ka Lung.” Emil moved to him, so closely that he could have kissed him. “I can’t do everything myself, either. Be it a lord or an emperor, a ruler is nothing without their people. With how large your Golden Realm is, it’s only natural that you’ve needed others. This time isn’t any different.

     “I may not be the help you need, but if there is anything I can do, then I’ll do everything in my power to do it. You…” Emil broke his gaze with a bashful smile. “…You can trust me, too.”

     Ka Lung fell in love with him all over again.

Chapter Text

     Ka Lung’s wings wouldn’t completely dry for another hour, and in that time, he was too heavy for Emil to carry back to The Spires. They could do nothing but sit and wait, and so the emperor, feeling sentimental, had decided to let his beloved know of his oldest fear.

     “I’m afraid of the dark.” There. He had said it. He’d never even told Hou Keang, not that there had been any reason to. And that was the thing—there had never been any reason to let anyone know. Not even himself. Emil was the first. “I should have told you earlier, but if you stayed with me, then we’d be stuck here forever because my wings wouldn’t dry on their own, and I know neither of us want that.” He almost laughed at how delirious he sounded. The logic felt sound, all except for his silly fear.

     Emil did not laugh, nor did he joke or quip. He looked concerned. He held onto Ka Lung and pressed his nose into his still-damp hair. “I wouldn’t have minded. How are you feeling now, Ka Lung?”

     “Better,” and he meant it. “It isn’t just the darkness; it’s more like…being alone. Like, actually totally alone.” He realized he was devolving into his old speech patterns, but somehow speaking like this made him feel more at ease, as if his fear wasn’t so serious after all. He hugged Emil back. “You know how, like, my father said every person had their own light?”

     “Yes…So then,” the lord seemed to understand, “if it was completely dark, to you, it would mean you were utterly alone.” 

     “Right…” Ka Lung hugged him a little tighter. “…I…wasn’t with my parents when they died. They had gone on a summering trip somewhere together. I’d stayed behind with a relative.

     “My mother, she…I don’t know if it had been something that had been ailing her for a while or if it had come on suddenly, but she fell ill during the trip. She wasn’t strong enough to come back home. She withered away so quickly that no medicine or physician could have helped her.

     “My father stopped eating. It took him three days to starve to death. That’s what they said, but I think he really died of a broken heart.

     “When I heard what had happened, I cried and cried, and I couldn’t stop, Emil. Nothing would quiet me, so they hid me away in some dark place while the rest of my family took care of the funeral arrangements. No one paid any attention to me. They just…left me all alone.”

     “Oh, Ka Lung…” Emil’s hands were shaking in his grasp. “That’s terrible…I’m so sorry.”

     He hissed through his teeth and heard the tremble of his own voice. His beloved’s touch was the only thing keeping him tethered to sanity. “Uncle Yao came and got me. He was emperor at the time, then, but even with his busy schedule, he personally came and took me out of that place.” He almost laughed. “I forgot all about that. I think I hated him at the time—way before he made me his heir—because his adopting me was like the final truth that my parents wouldn’t be coming back.”

     “…Do you still feel that way?”

     “I…I don’t think so. It was more because back then, I was young and angry and scared and confused. I must have turned those feelings into that rebellious part of me that you saw. Funny…I haven’t really thought about it or talked about it with anyone.”

     Emil brought his lips to Ka Lung’s mouth and kissed him deeply. He tasted warm and sweet. Gentle, above all else. “I’m glad you told me, Ka Lung. It’s…Perhaps it’s in poor character of me to say, but even though you had to remember that fear again, I’m still happy you came here.”

     He found reason to smile and kissed him back. “So am I.”

     More time passed, and soon, Ka Lung could feel a lightness in his feathers. Emil tested his companion’s weight with a quick, effortless lift off the ground and did a skip into the air. He landed back on his feet like a courting Crane, graceful and weightless even with the extra passenger. “This seems doable. I think we’re good for getting out of here. Are you ready?”

     “Couldn’t be more.” Ka Lung hooked his hands around the halfling lord’s neck and braced himself against his chest. The wools he wore were itchy and rich with the smell of earth, but it was his heartbeat that settled him down for the flight back to his home.

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons uttered a short, “Hang on,” and spread his wings wide. Then, he began to run. Being on the flat earth, he had to gain some lift before being able to be totally airborne. Every step was accompanied by a beat of his wings. A direct wind bit into Ka Lung’s face, blowing away the last of that confounded water and his prior worries.

     Yes, he thought. Let’s run away from it all. No, not run. Fly. 

     Emil kicked off suddenly, leaping into the air, catching the wind, and sailing up into Sky and above. It was only when his cheeks began to feel sore that Ka Lung realized he had been smiling the whole time. He wanted to scream and laugh away his doubts and fears into the wind and have them be lost forever.

     Ah, but the lord had chided him for doing that earlier. Probably wouldn’t be a good idea, then, he decided. Besides, most of the island was likely asleep. He wouldn’t want to wake anyone on their first night together. He wanted more time for the both of them.

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons landed at the ledge of his home atop The Spires quicker than Ka Lung could enjoy the feeling of flying again. He almost complained, had he not been so grateful that he would finally get some rest and have some time to be with his darling betrothed…

     “Your Golden Grace?” came a deep voice, and the emperor gave a start (as gracefully as a proper emperor would). He’d completely forgotten his captains were supposed to be taking shifts, Sky curse his carelessness. “Where were you? And Lord Emil? What is the meaning of this? Where you two together?”

     The emperor collected himself to his feet and ruffled away the fringes of his flight. Had it been sunny, his wings would have cast a splendid shower of color. “I was bathing. Lord Emil showed me to one of the scattered private hot springs on his lovely island.” He didn’t see why he should lie about it; he’d done enough of that as a fledgling.

     The captain—a Crane judging by his long neck and legs and great white wings—did not let his admission slide so easily. “I was not informed of this. You should have let us know of your whereabouts. Your men have been patrolling what we could of these Spires in search of you.”

     Uh oh. That’s definitely my fault. “Well, here I am. You can let everyone know and call off their searching. I’m going to bed.”

     The Crane did not move. Worse yet, he had more to say. “It would put our minds at ease if we knew where you were at all times, Your Golden Grace. Would you not reconsider having us take you back to Willow’s Wind and letting you sleep in your cabin? Or one of us could be stationed in Lord Emil’s…residence…if you are insistent about sleeping here.”

     Nope, nope, nooope. “I thank you for your suggestions, Captain. However, the junk is anchored far away at the other end of the island, so unless one of you happens to be an Eagle Owl, you’ll not be able to take me there in this weather and this time of night—not safely, anyway.

     “Besides, you’ve seen the interior of Lord Emil’s living quarters; there are no windows. The only entrance and exit is this door right here. If you’re as vigilant with your duties as you should be, you’ll know when it is that I take my entrance or leave of it, so I see no reason for you to also be inside. Now, if that is enough to reassure you, I ask that you get back to letting everyone know I am safe and that I am very tired. I bid you goodnight.” And good riddance!

     The Crane captain bowed and moved aside as Emil kindly opened the door for his guest. “As you say, Your Golden Grace. I wish you a good evening.”

     Once the door was closed, Ka Lung just about launched himself onto the nearest bed. He kicked off his shoes, threw off his fur coat, and chirped a gleeful “Whew!” before landing on the mattress.

     How soft it was! The suspicious wools and plain knitting of the blankets gave no indication that it could offer any sort of comforts, yet the emperor of the Golden Realm found the rich down-smelling bed and wool covers the most welcoming thing besides Emil, himself, since he had arrived.

     The lord had, meanwhile, dressed down himself, too, though not to join his new resident. Ka Lung rolled over on his side and peeked out an eye from his cushion. Emil was preparing a fire in the stony hearth area, first throwing in some sticks and dried lichen, then cracking some stones together that showered sparks. A few golden flecks landed on the dried tinder, lighting it and the wood ablaze. Warm light and heat filled the space in no time at all. Ka Lung wondered if it was because the space was so small or if there was something unique about the hut’s architecture that allowed heat to spread so evenly.

     “Comfortable, Your Golden Grace?” Emil looked back. “The mattresses are filled with my molts from previous years. I’ve always tried to fill them with my best down…”

     “Is that why I love the smell? I was already comfortable, but now I’ll feel much better knowing I’ll be swaddled in your feathers, too.”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons silently responded with a roll of his eyes and resumed tending to the fire.

     Ka Lung watched him poke the growing flames in the fireplace. “I didn’t know you made fires in the summertime.”

     Emil shrugged. “I know you’re not used to the cold here, and believe me, it still gets cold in the ‘warmer’ seasons. Besides that…I thought you might appreciate some light.”

     I do not deserve you. Ka Lung patted the bedside next to him. “Lie down with me.”

     The lord leered. “I’ve carried you around the island, I’ve bathed with you, and now I must sleep with you, too? Am I supposed to be your mother—?” Then, he stopped himself and collapsed with sinking guilt. “I-I didn’t mean it like that, Ka Lung. Forgive me…”

     “Ah, no, you’re right. I have been quite demanding for a guest, haven’t I?” He smirked and repeated the same inviting gesture. “Come here. Lie down.”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons gave an audible groan and sat down beside him, anyway. “Alright, fine. I’m here. What, I thought you were very tired. Do I need to entertain you some more before you fall asleep?”

     Ka Lung was grinning. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”

     Even against the firelight, he could see the rosy glow in Emil’s cheeks. The halfling lord shied away in the folds of his wings and then gave him a soft shove. “Your lack of tact astounds me. Pleasure yourself, you fiend.”

     “I tried doing so in the hot spring and discovered that I am a very greedy being and you an evil one.”

     That caught Emil’s attention. He peered suspiciously through a gap in his primaries. “How in Sky am I evil? I’ve been nothing but attentive and kind to you.”

     “You’ve stolen my heart and bound my soul to yours with how cute you are. I have fallen victim to your allure.”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons was rendered speechless. Ka Lung was cackling like a mad demon on the inside. Poor Emil looked like he was internally fighting himself on whether to strangle or kiss him.

     He did neither.

     “That was the worst attempt at wooing I’ve ever had the misfortune of hearing. If your courtship dance is going to be half as bad as that attempt, I’ll walk outside and jump off The Spires right now.”

     Ka Lung guffawed. “You wound me, my love; it wasn’t that bad.” He was practically spitting up laughter with how cold yet adorable Emil’s reaction was. It admittedly wasn’t very emperor-ly of himself at all. “But, hey, I’ll bet it’s also some of the best flirting you’ve heard; your frigid lot don’t seem the type to make very many romantic advances, no offense.”

     “That…!” Emil huffed, just about ready to explode. The one thing apparently keeping him from doing so was the captain stationed outside who would have been elated to burst into his house and take his emperor away from this shanty place. “That’s beside the point! I would have expected better prose from someone with your level of pedigree!”

     “On the contrary, developing the craft of crude humor in a palace of nobles and officials is probably more impressive than anything my uncle’s taught me growing up.”

     That was the wrong thing to say, for even if Emil knew he was most likely joking, it further convinced him that the “stupid man” he had fallen in love with was, in fact, stupid.

     “Sky help me, and to think I almost did lie with you.” He rose, igniting a small fear in Ka Lung’s stomach—or was that the shellfish?—and lied down on his own bed. “Pleasant dreams, you goof.”

     His Golden Goofiness was on his feet before the words left his mouth. “Wait, Emil, no. Please. I’m sorry. That was immature of me.”

    The lord craned his head over his shoulder to steal a look. “What, did you not realize how immature you sounded before I got up?”

     “No, I did.” Ka Lung clicked his tongue. “Aaand now that I say that, that makes it sound even worse because now you know I was doing it on purpose.”

     “Obviously.”

     “Look, Emil, it was because—mmrgh—I don’t act like this back at the palace, I swear.”

     He blinked. “You could have fooled me.”

     “Please, listen.” Ka Lung moved over the lord and grasped onto his arm. He felt Emil’s muscles stiffen in alarm, but he didn’t let go. “I’ve gotten better at the whole emperor thing is all. You know, speaking politely, acting proper…I gave up flying for Sky’s sake—for your sake, Emil. If I regress, it’s because, well, I feel…real when I’m with you. I might be hundreds of leagues from the Golden Realm, but here, with you, you make me feel like…like I’m really home.

     “I didn’t mean to get you all confused. I was playing around, yes, but I guess I just let myself go because it’s easy not having to act up in front of you, you know? Uh, don’t get me wrong; that other proper part of me is still me. But if you like that part of me more, then, I suppose I’d be willing to change that much more for you.”

     Emil blinked again. He let out a soft grunt and rolled back over, one of his wings swatting his bedside companion in the face and his hand away as he did so. There was no apology. When he sat up, he looked—Ka Lung couldn’t quite describe it—something between empathetic and annoyed. Resigned, maybe?

     Suddenly, he slapped his hands onto Ka Lung’s cheeks and gave them a light squeeze. Any harder and the immaculate emperor would have made a comical impression of a fish. “That day during that banquet, when you infiltrated that performance and danced for me, and I bowed back to you, I knew you were a mess. I also knew you wanted to be better.” His tone reminded Ka Lung of the many tutors and family who had given him looks of disapproval and disappointment. “But…” he sighed in more leniency, “the one I ultimately decided to give my heart to was a perfect mess, and so I suppose it wouldn’t matter if you—only just occasionally—acted informally from time to time.”

     Ka Lung stared. “So…are you still mad at me?”

     Emil made a disapproving face before shoving him away. “I was never mad at you, just…ugh, I waited six years for you, Ka Lung. You couldn’t have been more serious about us being back together again, at least—? At least for this? Even for one night?”

     He almost made a snarky remark about that. In his opinion, he had been quite serious, given that he had divulged his oldest fear and opened up a dark part of his past. But Emil was also right: he had been acting foolishly tonight. And he had a point: he may have known he wasn’t perfect when he had decided to accept his first courtship dance, but that commitment was still real to him. Both Swans and Gyrfalcons mated for life, and while Emil may have been half of both, his whole heart had been thenceforth devoted to Ka Lung, and here he was playing with it like an inconsiderate brat.

     “…Is it still too late, Emil? I want to try again.”

     The halfling lord’s hard expression softened into a more forgiving one. Even the black markings around his eyes seemed kinder. “I want to try again, too.”  

     “Here, then…” Ka Lung brought his fingers under Emil’s chin and pulled him until the space between their lips vanished. He breathed in the kiss, shutting his eyes and letting the rest of his sensations take hold. He tasted his skin, earthy and a flavor slightly metallic. Possibly something from the hot springs they bathed in? His beloved lord smelled as his humble little house did, of grass and undertones of freshly fallen rain. He ran his hands down the collar of his linens and undid the leather straps that bound around his backside and his wings. The garments fell effortlessly free from Emil’s shoulders, and he softly mewed as his bare skin became exposed.

     That sound was the spark to a dark fire igniting inside him. His own clothes became a nuisance to him, and he untied, unwrapped, and tossed what he could and left the rest to dangle along his wings. He helped Emil out of his trousers, ogling the near marble-white glisten that that made up his thighs’ complexion and especially what was between them.

     “If you have time to stare, you have time to satisfy me,” came a low impatient growl.

     Ka Lung snapped his eyes back to his beloved’s pink-shaded face and only then realized he had stopped moving. “Forgive me. You’re so beautiful I couldn’t help but just look at you.”

     Emil huffed. “I should be the one saying that to you, you—”

     He resumed with a kiss just below his groin. Emil let out a muffled yelp.

     Salty. He was already sweating. Or maybe it was…

     “Tell me before you do that!” came a sharp scolding whisper. “Do you want your captain to burst in on us?”

     Ka Lung spoke between pecks and nibbles, teasing him in proximity of his hardening sex. “You didn’t lock the door?”

     “We don’t have locks here!”

     You’ve got to be kidding. “Then unless you want to give my men a show, you’re going to have to be quiet.”

     Emil gave a whimper. There was a shrill tremble in his voice, and the meekness of it in contrast to how powerful his limbs and wings were was almost amusing if not a bit pitiful. “H-How am I…supposed to do that when…you’re...?” He stopped to swallow, then gave a jolt when Ka Lung began to stroke him. He squirmed and kicked against his own feet like some helpless newborn, begging and pleading for attention. Ka Lung was ready to give it to him.

     “Do you have any…? Wait, never mind. I have some here.”

     “Where are you going? What are you doing?” Emil could barely hold his head up as Ka Lung rose and moved to his trunk that his men had so kindly brought inside. He rummaged through stacks of parchments and piles of clothes before touching a glass bottle.

     “Found it.” He was grinning ear to ear as he pranced over.

     Emil didn’t exactly share in his gleefulness. “What is that?”

     Ka Lung brought up the bottle and gave it a shake. The liquid inside sloshed more than it did splash; its consistency was mildly thinner than that of honey. “I had the apothecaries in the palace create this.” He looked so proud of himself; he was practically singing. “I told them it was to prevent my shoulders from chafing against my wings, but that’s not what it’s really for.”

     “Alright? What is it?”

     Rather than immediately tell him, he demonstrated by popping the glass plug off and pouring some of the substance onto his fingers. It was cold. He held it up to Emil’s eyes and opened his palm. The gel-like material spread and webbed around his fingers and then oozed down his hand. It glistened in a near replication of water.

     “It’s a lubricant.”

     The lord blinked, dumbfounded. “A what?”

     Ka Lung moved his chest onto his until they could feel each other’s heartbeats. He was barely aware of their lengths grazing one another, something that made Emil softly twitch. The emperor hovered over the confused lord’s face, watching his large lavender eyes pool with tears and on the brink of madness, as if wordlessly asking why he was teasing him so cruelly.

     “You cried when we first made love, Emil. I knew you were hurting even if you didn’t say so.”

      The halfling lord blushed and tried to avert his gaze and embarrassment. “I-It’s fine,” his voice quivered. “I didn’t mind, Ka Lung, really. I wasn’t crying because it hurt; it was because I-I was happy…truly.”

     He smirked. With his unsullied hand, he grabbed at Emil’s braid and yanked off its tie. The startled lord’s hair fell free in white strands, their composition remarkably like fine silk. He was beautiful. “You’re so cute, you know that? But you’re a terrible liar. What, you think I didn’t see you cleaning yourself down there when we were bathing? I knew you were preparing yourself for this, too.” Emil’s eyes went wide. He looked almost afraid. He’d been caught.

     Ka Lung couldn’t take it anymore. Everything about him was too much. In silent deliberation, he brought his moistened hand down Emil’s legs, forced his way to the space between it, and buried two of his fingers inside.

     Emil screamed. Or he would have, had Ka Lung not swallowed his voice with a deep kiss. He parted their lips to let the suffering lord breathe, though he looked like he was about to explode. “Shh shh shh,” he whispered, his breath tickling his beloved’s ear, “we have to be quiet, remember?”

     A sniff and then a whine uttered from somewhere in Emil’s body. “It’s cold,” he complained and continued to squirm as if that would somehow convince Ka Lung to release his hold on him. He responded by instead squeezing in another digit. “A-Ah! Ka Lung…! Wh-What are you doing?”

     He didn’t answer him. They hadn’t even started yet, and he was already panting. He couldn’t help it. The look on Emil’s face, the glisten on his skin, his subdued voice, the musk of sweat and precum…all of it made him want to ravage the helpless little lord and tear him piece by piece inside and out until there was nothing left but a shattered mind. He’d have that desire made reality.

     First, he let Emil relax some. He withdrew his fingers, taking note in how easily they slid out from under him. Emil was near catatonic. There were stars in his eyes. Even if he wasn’t a stranger to making love, it had been too long since he had known his touch. Too long he had been waiting, Ka Lung guiltily knew, just for him.

     Shouldn’t keep him waiting any longer, then.

     He took the glass bottle and poured more lubricant onto his hand. It flowed from his palm onto his fingers and drenched them, through and through. Emil had been right—it was cold. But then, he thought to himself, that might be more welcoming in a short while. Things were about to get hot.

     He smeared what excess he had onto his own length. The cool rush sent a shiver down his spine, and he bucked his hips reflexively. His wings lunged forward and made a tattered rustle as they collided with Emil’s white speckled feathers. The lord responded with a weakened cry, no doubt trying to keep quiet. A quick startled breath shuddered in his lungs as he realized what he was finally about to do.

     Ka Lung’s mind devolved into primal urges. He abandoned grace and finesse.

     Emil. Here. All mine.

     Two fingers thrusted back into his frail beloved. If he had made a sound or put up resistance, he couldn’t remember. He was made more aware of the sounds and smells: the squelching and squishing of Emil being made looser and freer for him, his moans growing louder and more rhythmical with every movement, the irresistible pheromones of semen and sweat, the faint sweetness of his saliva trailing from the corner of his mouth.

     Ka Lung’s own voice was as if listening to it from a distant dream. His mind was swimming. He was harder and hotter than what initial chill first smeared over it. “I’m going inside you,” he announced.

     He didn’t wait for confirmation or consent. He took himself and positioned himself against Emil’s glistening cavity. With the assistance of a finger, he pried loose his opening and slowly forced himself in. Even with the lubrication, his halfling beloved was tight and near unmolested and warm and soft. Ka Lung might as well be entering him for the first time again, and the thought of that—both of them experiencing this like new—excited him like nothing he could describe.

     Past his opening, Emil’s walls gave way to a more open space, and Ka Lung took in every part of those sensations that enveloped him. He pushed his hips, forcing himself deeper and harder in unfettered rhythm. Inside, his mind sparked. I’m inside him. He felt everything. It was the intimacy; he was as close to the person he loved as he could be, if only he could have just a little more of him.

     All the while, Emil, himself, gave the faintest indication that he was conscious. He very well could have passed out trying to hold in his voice, the poor thing. Every so often, with the occasional good thrust, he let out a labored moan, as if telling Ka Lung that he was alive and trying with some effort to bear his heat and affections. In reality, he was already finished. The next break in this faintly familiar sensation would absolutely undo him. Ka Lung would have cursed the ill timing, but it wouldn’t do if his partner was spent well before he was.

     His movements became deeper, more purposeful. Emil must have felt it, as well, because his voice gradually grew louder and more pronounced than subdued, and that sound was like a hex beckoning his hand. Sometime into their love-making, Ka Lung heard the vaguest sound of his name, laced in drunken euphoria. A request. A signal.

     Emil came before he did, and, as if given permission, Ka Lung released into him, pouring what love and energy he had left into him and held himself there. His heart was near bursting out of him. He could feel his own seed starting to quicken from deep within his beloved’s shuddering body. Emil’s legs fell useless. His arms went limp. His wings—no, his wings. They’d become frayed.

     “Ah…” he gasped. He was spent, too. His breathing had already begun to slow. He couldn’t hold himself up any longer, but he had to. He needed to look at him.

     The first time Ka Lung had seen Emil sleep, he had been made known to how vulnerable someone could be for another. He had flown with him, laughed with him, and seen the tears he had shed.  He was so wonderful, and feeling him give himself so willingly made the then-heir realize how much more he had wanted to know about him and how much more he had begun to love him.

     Still the same and then some. Emil was too much. He laid there, exposed and trusting. His body glowed with sweat and spent seed. His chest rose and fell and rose and fell. His wings were still, some feathers frazzled from their love-making, but all of him so so so perfect—

     Something else fell on his torso. Then another. Ka Lung breathed out and wiped his eyes with a free yet shaking hand.

     Tears.

     Oh. I must be…

     “K…a…Lung…?”

     He froze, save for the soft air that blew from his mouth. His breathing was settling down now. His eyes were like heavy curtains. He could only imagine how Emil must have been able to open his.

     “Are you…?” He drifted out a hand, his fingers as weakly and heavily as the rest of his filled body. Somehow they made their way to Ka Lung’s cheek, brushing past tears and matted hair. “…Did I...hurt you...?"

     Ka Lung could have doubled over. Was he hurt? Was he hurt! Oh this gorgeous and considerate fool! Why was he asking him that!

     “H—Ah ha ha…No, Emil.” He caught his beloved’s hand before it fell and tenderly kissed it. “I’m happy. So so happy. I love you so much.” He brought himself up to his face. Emil’s eyes twinkled like violet stars. They never looked away from him.

     “Ka…I…lo…ove…y…”

     Ka Lung kissed his lips a final time before his body grew too heavy. He couldn’t stay awake any longer. I know. You don’t need to say it, Emil. I felt every fiber of it.

     Emil Steilsson’s eyes were the first things he saw when he woke. His world began with the light of a hundred shades of purples, hazels, flecks of blues, and striking blacks. His heart stirred with the rest of his waking body at the growing joy that from now on and hopefully forever, this would be the first thing he would see every morning.

     “Good morning.” His breathtaking betrothed had a voice soft as chalk. Stray bangs of unbraided white hair fell over his forehead. His snowflake-like eyelashes flitted in the biting morning air. The fire had extinguished in the night.

     “Good morning.” He reached out and brushed his hand over Emil’s cheek. It was cool and soft to the touch, not unlike a flower petal, delicate and alluring. “How long’ve you been awake?”

     “Not long.” Emil cracked a smile. It was brighter than the most brilliant sunrise. “I wanted to watch you.” He adjusted his position on the bed, rolling from his side and resting on the base of his wing. There was a slight arch in his back, and that made his chest more pronounced. Ka Lung’s eyes fell upon his pink nipples and resisted the urge to reach out and pinch one. “You don’t show your inner wings off to most people, do you? It took me until you were first over me to even know how plain they were on the inside.”

     Ka Lung blinked, bemused. “Were you—Are you disappointed they’re like that?”

     “No,” the lord chuckled and scooched closer to him. He moved his head to him, closed his eyes, and gave him a peck on his lips. “Because you don’t show them—that side of you I know—to most people. Only I get to see it so easily. It makes me feel special.”

     The emperor smiled back. “Good. You are special. Speaking of…” He rose to sit up, plopped his feet into his slippers, bundled himself in some robes, and shuffled awkwardly towards his trunk. Sky be good, Emil was right; it could get cold in the summertime. It was like walking around an icebox. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he could see his breath forming even in the house, but fortunately even in here, it wasn’t that cold.

     Emil watched him dig again through the contents of his trunk and bring something new out. It was a bundle of parchments, some in envelopes, others folded, and some rolled and then crushed. “What are those?”

     Ka Lung returned to him and sat beside him. He presented the bundle with both hands. “For you. They’re letters I wrote to you all these years—letters I wasn’t allowed to send. Every time I wanted to tell you something, I wrote it down. I tried to keep them in order. Here.”

     The lord also sat up and gave a gracious smile. He giggled with innocent wonder and took them, already leafing through the papers in counting them. “You wrote so many, Ka Lung. I…I don’t know what to say.”  

     “You were in my mind a lot.”

     Emil laughed quietly. “If I read these, will I find out why I am so significant to you?”

     Ka Lung relished in his amusement; it was infectious. “If my words could do you justice.”

     “Mm…It’ll take me a small lifetime to go through these. Actually…I have something for you, as well.”

     “You do?”

     The lord rolled his legs over to the edge of his bedside and supported a hand onto Ka Lung’s shoulder. He stood and tried to walk when the emperor was suddenly pulled forward in a violent tug. Emil’s legs gave out, and he would have buckled to the floor had Ka Lung not shot out and caught him.

     “Careful!” he gasped. His heart was pounding in his throat. What was…? Had he…? He helped Emil steady himself back onto the mattress. “Are you alright, Emil?”

     He looked rattled. Ka Lung felt a sinking pit in his stomach, fearing the worse until he saw how red his beloved’s face was. “I-I…I’m alright. I...” He swallowed his breath and held a hand to his beating heart. “Sorry. I must’ve scared you. What about you, Ka Lung? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

     You asked me that last night, but… “I’m fine. You’re sure you’re alright, Emil?”

     He nodded and then cracked a coy smile. “I think you might have outdone yourself, Ka Lung.”

     Now it was his turn to blush, but he was more ashamed than flattered. He hadn’t meant to hurt him. Not like that, anyway. “You really are a bad liar, you know that? You are hurt.”

     “Well—I wouldn’t consider it a malicious thing. It’s a,” he tucked his face behind a wing, “good kind of hurt.”

     Ka Lung felt a fire in his belly. His wings bristled. His blood ran hot and hard. “Then shall I hurt you some more?”

     He didn’t even know what time it was. He was sure he was supposed to be doing something important, but he’d completely forgotten what. All he knew was that he was starving. He could have used some tea and congee.

     Emil was completely spent. He didn’t look like he would wake until the next moon, and that would have been fine with Ka Lung if it would mean having him all to himself for that period.

     But, no. There were things he had come here to do. First, still…

     There was a different captain—a short but powerful Sparrowhawk with startling red eyes—stationed outside the Lord of Gyrfalcon’s house when he emerged from the heavy wooden door. The captain bid him good morning with a bow, and Ka Lung was at the very least grateful that in spite of wasting most of it away, it was, in fact, still morning.

     “Good morning, yourself, Captain. I wish to eat in Lord Emil’s lodgings. Have someone bring both of us breakfast, please.”

     “Lord Emil will be dining with you, then?” Ka Lung almost couldn’t take his high-pitched voice seriously. He would have cracked a smile had he not acknowledged that this was someone who would have given his life for him.

     “Yes. There are matters of our alliance we’d like to discuss in private.”  

     “I will have that ready for you, Your Golden Grace.” The Sparrowhawk turned and suddenly became a firework, exploding into flight, vanishing into the mist.

     All was quiet so high up in The Spires. Ka Lung was made aware of the misty morning air. “Ah,” he breathed in and out. The cold stung like nothing else in his homeland, but it tasted so clean and fresh. Too bad I can’t fly. I could use a good stretch. He took a precarious look over the ledge of the lord’s house. Nothing but white fog as far as his eyes could see.

     With no prospects of getting down without assistance, Ka Lung retreated back into the cozy little house to see if he could wake Emil. Past the heavy door, the air was warmer and rank with the aftermath of their love-making. He suspected his cabin would smell like this on the voyage home, and the thought made him excited for their future.

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons was still fast asleep, his breaths long, slow, and deep. He looked so rested that Ka Lung decided against waking him and went to then see if he could get this place a little warmer. He’d watched Emil make a fire the night prior. It hadn’t looked complicated. He could do that, too, he thought. An amused smile spread over his face. It was so warm in the capital city that there had never been a need to even build fireplaces, not that he would have made one, himself; he had servants to do that. But it would be amusing and an achievement: an emperor being able to make his own fire.

     He gathered a handful of tinder and kindling together in the existing pile of ashes and placed them together. Next, he added a good sized log in the center of that pile and found the black stones—flint, most likely—Emil had used last night. He was about to crack them together when he stopped and gave pause. His feathers were highly flammable, and he had no idea of knowing how hard he’d have to clash the flint together to create sparks. What if he made too many and one of them caught hold of his precious wings? Then all that preening, grooming, growing, and waiting would go up in smoke quite literally, and there would be no dance to dazzle and court his beloved lord.

     There wouldn’t be a fire, then, not until breakfast was delivered to the lord’s house with a generous knock on the door. Ka Lung answered it immediately. He fanned his wings to obstruct the visitors, the Sparrowhawk captain and a Magpie cook with a tray of clay pots and a kettle of tea. Emil was still fast asleep and completely naked.

     “I’ll take that,” the emperor quickly offered to the Magpie’s bafflement. “No need to come inside. It’s rather cramped in here. I’ll handle it from here, thank you. You’re dismissed.” Before either the captain or the cook could respond, their emperor had taken the rather heavy tray in his hands and kicked the door shut behind him. He shuffled over to Emil’s tiny table and cautiously set their breakfast down, taking care not to spill anything.

     With food delivered and received, he quietly made his way to Emil’s bedside and sat beside him. His beloved was still fast asleep and had apparently heard none of that commotion. Sorry. I overdid it. He reached out a hand and stroked one of the halfling lord’s speckled wings. Still as soft as ever, even if they were a little frazzled. He carefully inspected the follicles where his feathers split and set to work trying to fix what he could of his wings. Today was an important day. He wanted him to be perfect, too.

      Emil didn’t give any indication that he had been dreaming, or if he had been, he must have been as still a dreamer as he was a sleeper. He woke some twenty minutes later to the sensation of his wings being preened. Ka Lung caught sight of his gorgeous eyes and smiled.

     “Good afternoon, Speckles. How are you feeling?”

     The lord opened his eyes wider and sat up with a soft groan. “Afternoon?” he groggily yawned. “Sky above, I must’ve been dreaming. I thought I was already awake. How long was I asleep?”

     “Longer than I was,” Ka Lung vaguely answered. “I got us breakfast a little while ago. I’m not sure if it’s still hot.”

     Emil blinked. “Did you eat yet?”

     “No. Was waiting for you.” The emperor took one of Emil’s primaries in his mouth and smoothed it over with his lips. There was a light film of oil coated through it, an indication of his Swan blood. “You hungry?”

     The lord groaned again and rubbed his eyes. He still looked like he could get some more sleep. “Not really. I feel…” He grunted. “Never mind.”

     “What?”

     Emil was frowning. “If I say it, you’re going to reply with something like, ‘Oh, because I already filled you up?’ or something asinine like that.”

     Ka Lung laughed when he caught onto his beloved’s frustrations. “You know me so well.”

     “That’s because you’re so annoyingly predictable.” The lord threw on a tunic and bound it in the back. He tried to stand up and fit himself with his trousers when he collapsed back onto the mattress.

     “You alright?”

     “No,” came a flat blunt reply. “You went overboard. I can’t walk, Ka Lung. Why did we do that? We didn’t have to do it twice.”

     Ka Lung tried to do his best impression of an innocent fledgling, except there was undoubtedly nothing innocent about what had taken place last night. “But I have so much love to give you, Emil. I only wanted to express it.”

     In a most apparent prediction, the Lord of Gyrfalcons was not swayed by his honeyed words. “You could have expressed it with your courtship dance, and now you can’t because I am in no shape to fly you there today. I know you don’t want someone else taking you. If I try to land as my legs are, we’ll crash into the ground and ruin both our wings. I don’t suspect you wanted that.”

     The emperor fell quiet. He hadn’t meant to render his betrothed grounded as he had. But he had been telling the truth; he had so much love to give to Emil and seemingly not enough hours in the day to express it all. He knew once they’d return to the palace, their private moments would be precious and few with their duties. Surely Emil would understand that if he told him, but now didn’t seem like the appropriate time.

     “There’s always tomorrow, then,” he said with some optimism. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere anytime soon.” Willow’s Wind would not embark towards the Kingdom of Swans until after the next full moon. Ka Lung and Emil would have plenty of time together until then.

     “I suppose you’re not,” sighed the lord. He took over preening his own wings with deft fingers and thanked his betrothed for bringing breakfast. “I thought I smelled something before I woke up. You had your cooks make congee?” The Lord of Gyrfalcons had been served it several times during his short visit to the Golden Realm.

     “Yup. I also brought some tea. I don’t suppose your cast of Gyrfalcons would appreciate it, too?”

     The lord had to think about that. “I don’t know that they enjoy it as a common drink; it’s more like they consume it as a sort of herbal remedy when they need to.” He chuckled. “You’d think with how cold it is here, they’d be more receptive to it. I do drink from the blends the Golden Realm sends us, by the way.”

     The emperor smiled, glad that that term of their alliance hadn’t been totally squandered. “I had some new blends brought over since I was traveling with the company this time. How about we try one?”

     Despite Emil’s initial protests, he found appetite in knowing his old friend and beloved was here to dine with him. Before eating, he went to prepare a fire, hobbling to the fireplace and noting that some tinder and kindling had already been prepared.

     “I, uh, was kinda cold and tried to get it going myself,” Ka Lung sheepishly confessed, “but I wasn’t sure how to use the flint, and I was afraid if I did something wrong, I’d set my wings or the house on fire.”

     Emil laughed. “Why would the emperor of the richest empire in Velavaren want to learn how to start his own fire? I don’t even remember there being fireplaces in the imperial palace.”

     “You never know. One day I might take up a fascination with arson.”

     Nevertheless, Emil taught him how to use flint, anyway, and before long, the pair were enjoying the warmth of a fire started together.

     At last it was time to eat. The two settled themselves awkwardly around the lord’s tiny table, with Emil grabbing the chair from his desk and Ka Lung sitting in the chair that had been by the bookcase. Breakfast was peach-infused black tea and congee served with cold pickles, a light serving of freshly cut chives, and a seasoning of ginger and some ribbons of cured pork. With the fire roaring in the background, Ka Lung felt a warm fuzziness in his chest that he’d only felt a number of times. He felt safe and above all else, happy. He wished there was a way to express his feelings to Emil by way of words, but when he saw how quietly relaxed his beloved appeared to be while eating congee and sipping tea, he believed they were feeling the same emotions.

     “All this feels so nostalgic. This is delicious,” Emil smiled in smelling his tea. “It sort of smells like you, the peach notes.”

     Ka Lung smiled. “I figured you’d like it.” He poured some more for his one and only betrothed.

     “Thank you. Hmm, I suppose this is the part where I should feel the highest honor for having an emperor pour me tea. Or…do emperors do this for their loved ones?”

     “Mm, come to think of it, Uncle Yao did pour me tea when we’d hang out in his gardens. He never took a mate, so I don’t know if that’s because I was the closet person to someone he loved or because of our similar status.”

     “I see…” Emil drank some more.

     When they were done, they left their dishes on the tray, and Emil remembered something he had for Ka Lung. He dug through one of the dressers under his bed and pulled out a similar stack of papers that had been presented to him.

     “No way,” Ka Lung breathed.

     Emil shyly smiled. “I was also writing to you.” He pressed his lips together. “I-I almost wanted to burn these. So many of them are…Perhaps you’ll find that they’re not as optimistic as yours, Ka Lung. But…I suppose you’ll learn something of myself that could only be expressed through words.”

     Ka Lung took the bundle of letters. Like the ones he had written for Emil, there were several of them in various parchments, some recognizable as those manufactured in his own empire. “Thank you…” he smiled. “I guess we’ll both have something to read on our trip back home.”

     The smile on the lord’s face froze and then slowly thawed into a worrisome look. He clutched his arm with a distant light in his eyes.

     “Emil? Something wrong?”

     “…You said ‘home.’ When you say that, you mean…” His voice was low. The fireplace crackled with life, but the air felt still. “Ka Lung…do you mean to take me away from this place?”

     “Yes.” He reached for his betrothed and clutched his hands around his. “We’ll sail out of here as soon as Willow’s Wind is finished stocking up. I even requested a stop to the Kingdom of Swans—in Marhel. We’ll visit your brother and see him and your brother-in-law off, and when we get back to the Golden Realm, I’ll announce our engagement and my enthronement, and we’ll have our wedding celebration—”

     “Enthronement…? Announce…? Ka Lung—wh-what are you saying? Aren’t you the emperor? Your men recognize you as Your Golden Grace. Your uncle wouldn’t have let you come here. What do you mean ‘announce?’”

     Ka Lung swallowed. “The commonfolk do not know I am the new emperor of the Golden Realm yet.”

     Emil wore a blank confused expression. “What?” The realization washed over him. “When you said you never held court…You couldn’t mean…”

     “Ascending the throne requires a ceremonial process in private with the temple of Sky’s Graze. I am officially the emperor of the Golden Realm, yes, but the literal moment I became anointed, I gave the order to my uncle to maintain the guise of emperor in my place and hold down the Golden Realm while I… set sail to retrieve you.” Emil was speechless. “Public announcements haven’t been made about there being a new emperor yet. I wanted to do that after I brought you back with me.” His hold on Emil’s hands tightened. “I want you by my side when my enthronement goes public.”

     Some life came into Emil’s eyes with a blink of sudden bafflement and rage. “I can’t believe you. What. In Sky’s name. Where you thinking?” He threw off Ka Lung’s hands. “You abandoned your empire, Ka Lung! You didn’t even—How do you think that looks on you? I can’t believe your uncle even agreed to stand regent for you!”

     “He had no choice but to obey since I’m the emperor,” Ka Lung uselessly tried to rationalize.

     “Did you plan that? You would have had to have his blessing, I’m sure, but from what you’re telling me, you knew you were going to ditch the throne and sail off the literal moment you got the chance. I…You…I can’t believe you, Ka Lung!”

     “I did it for you!” he cried, his heartbeat rising. “Every moment I stalled was another moment we’d be spending not knowing how things would turn out. You said it yourself: your brother can’t even predict your future anymore, so you were wracking your brain over whether or not I’d even honor our betrothal. I came for you because I love you that much, Emil!”

     The Lord of Gyrfalcons stared him down with an intense gaze of violet fury. “You were so caught up in your own ego that you didn’t even think to ask if I wanted to go with you, Ka Lung.”

     That declaration struck him like a bag of rocks. “Why would I even need to ask that?” You’d say “yes.” You’d have to. What do you have here, Emil? What?

     “Ha!” Emil threw his head back in maniacal laughter. He turned his head left and right as though looking for an invisible audience to confirm that yes, this man was mad. “I can’t…Ka Lung…Ka Lung…Were you expecting me to abandon my homeland and my people the way you so easily did yours?”

     “Wh—? Not abandon, more like, I dunno, letting them do their own thing while you gained some…worldly experience and status…”

     Sky above. He did sound mad. What had he thought would happen? Why hadn’t he…? How had he overlooked this? He’d only seen—must have only fantasized about—those moments when he’d be running the empire with Emil simply being at his side, and it wouldn’t have mattered to him how much his future mate would have wanted to participate in his plans for the future, only that he would have been there.

     The Gyrfalcons hadn’t even been an afterthought.

     “You didn’t even think about it.” Emil’s voice had grown soft, and somehow that was worse than the yelling. “My people and my heritage weren’t even worth considering to someone like you. And why should they, tight? You’ve seen firsthand how we live in the Blizzarding Isles. We have nothing of value to you. We have so little to offer that even if I went galivanting off with you, to you, in the grand scheme of things, it wouldn’t make a dent in your reputation or that of the Golden Realm.”

     Ka Lung knew whatever he would say be like fighting a losing battle, but words were all he had. “I only wanted for you to be happy, Emil.”

     Emil burst into tears. “I know,” he sobbed. “Ka Lung, I don’t know what to do. I do want to go with you, but I can’t just leave…!”

     Oh my sweet lovely Emil. You still cry so easily. The then-heir had been made known of that very quickly into their friendship. He, like many other things, loved that about Emil. It was a reminder that he was his own person, not just half-Gyrfalcon and half-Swan, but something greater than the two combined.

     Ka Lung embraced the distraught lord with firm but gentle arms. He wrapped what feathers he could around him in the humble space of his house. “Emil…I…How about this? Let’s do things one at a time. We don’t have to worry about the forest just yet; let’s focus on the tress. And hey, if we’re really not sure, let’s try asking your brother what he sees in our future, anyway. He may not be able to see futures tied to his mate, but that doesn’t mean he won’t at least be able to see parts of mine, right?”

     Emil sniffed and looked up at him. His nose was runny. His eyes were already puffy. “And what if he can’t?”

     “Then, well, I’m the emperor, so I can do a lot in my power to make problems go away.” His expression sobered some. “But you’re right; I wasn’t thinking about your people. Just you. I’m deeply sorry for that, Emil. I’ll not make you abandon them. I’ll not force you to come with me. I would have liked—No, how about I first give you that dance?”

     The lord dried his tears and nodded. “Alright. I’d like that. I want to see it. I’ll take you to that stage, Ka Lung.”

     His spirits rose. “Tomorrow, then?”

     “Tomorrow. I promise.”

     He gave Emil a tighter squeeze. “Mm, that means we shouldn’t fool around today—not too much, anyway.”

     The lord gave a hopeless shake of his head and managed a rattly chuckle. “Sky help me, you’re still the same. I don’t know if that’s better or worse but…that was who I fell in love with, after all.”

     Ka Lung kissed him, and to his overwhelming relief, Emil kissed him back. He brushed back some hair of his hair and kissed away his tears. A thought crossed his mind. How many times will I have to do this? How many times is this gonna happen because of me?

     Hopefully not too many. In a perfect world, it would have been none. However, even with the songs of the Vox Maidens was such a world not possible. Ka Lung was fine with living in it, anyway.

     In their passion, he must have fanned his wings out, a reflex in wanting to leap and carry Emil back to his bed. If they were going to be stuck here, they might as well make the most of it, right? He wouldn’t have anyone else carry him down The Spires, not unless Emil was gone and the mountains were set on fire, not that he hoped or foresaw that happening anytime soon.

     And while Emil had not gone anywhere, there was something different in the air, something besides a cloud of doubts and the heat of their passion and love. Something…bitter. Hot.

     Emil, having his eyes on his back, saw it first and screamed his name. He threw Ka Lung towards the wall with such a sudden force that he nearly knocked the emperor out as he rammed him against his furniture. Ka Lung would have cursed and questioned whether or not he should exercise his power of punishing someone who had caused harm to an emperor—except that there might have been a good reason for that harm, for when he looked back at the source of the smell, he saw, to his absolute horror, that his wing had caught fire.