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Welcome, welcome! Welcome, one and all, to Circus Dramatica, where dreams fly free! Come in, come in, let us all forget the bitter cold of this impossible winter and warm ourselves with excitement! Whether new or familiar face, we vow to put a smile on it! Tonight is a fantastic night of wonder and amazement! Let me, your ringleader, and my troupe light your hearts aflame with love and surprise! Now, without further ado, let this amazing show… begin!
While Eichi had been at many a party in the fae wyld, he had never felt this drunk on atmosphere alone. The focus, smiles and laughter of the performers reflected in the cheers and gasps of the audience, an intoxicating mess of smells and sounds, all coming together underneath that tent. The heat was stifling, but despite his better judgement, he stayed until the very end, until the last human had left, staring at the empty ring before vanishing in a quickly evaporating cloud of freezing mist when he heard the cleaning staff approach. The crisp winter wind hitting his face was a relief, washing away the dizziness the stale, humid air of the circus tent had left him with.
Of course, he had borne witness to countless extravagant and exciting performances at the palace, but none of them compared to what he had seen tonight. It had been breathtaking. Everything kept replaying in his head, the music, the costumes, the awe-inspiring acrobatics and tricks, some using various magicks, some mere sleight of hand, woven together to create perfect illusions. Even now, minutes later, he could still feel his heart beat out of his chest, spreading an unusual warmth throughout his freezing body. A stroll through the snow-covered forest was the perfect way to clear his mind.
He had no idea how long he had been walking, musing on the events of the day, when a gentle humming made him stop dead in his tracks. It was familiar. Achingly, wonderfully familiar. He was drawn to it, like a moth to flame. There he was. Sitting on a stump in the middle of a clearing, a soft smile capable of melting the harshest of hearts on his face. He couldn't stop himself from approaching the other fae, eyes glued to the reflections of all the small accessories, shards of glass and beads dancing on his hair, giving it the look of a river in the afternoon sun. He did not realise the clearing was filled with snowdrops and croci until it was too late. He had entered spring. Immediately, the ice in his veins reared its ugly head, seizing his heart with its cursed claws and stealing his breath. The sovereign of winter coughed up shards of frozen blood, clinging to consciousness as hard as he could.
“How unsightly.”
Yes. Pathetic and weak. The spectre that brought eternal winter to the realm, barely able to stand, vision blurry and ears ringing. His knees buckled, but instead of frozen soil, he collided with warmth.
Here comes the knife to end this season for good
, was all he could think before a violent coughing fit splattered blood on the graceful figure holding him up, tarnishing his beautiful, perfect face with crimson.
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.
I’m so sorry I was born.
The gentle embrace of spring had finally ended the winter that lasted 9 months.