Outside in a clearing, Fox stood. In front of him, stood Merlin, wearing a fur trimmed jacket to protect him from the elements.
The druid, I’d been told was responsible for all nuptials in Arcadia.
As I approached a shy smile stole over my face and nerves set in.
“Love is the energy that binds our universe together, makes us whole, and that which is flesh and blood. While we may all be young in consciousness, and our lives fleeting, the matter of which we are made is as old as the universe itself. This brief but beautiful organization of matter into individuals and the intertwining of our lives have been celebrated for much of history. And so today, we are gathered here to witness the formal declaration of love and commitment between Fox and Violet,” he said gazing at each of us. “Fox and Violet, do you come into this marriage of your own free will, and with full conscious intent?”
“We do.”
“With this marriage, you bring your two lives together as one, and as you proceed into your future, happy and difficult times will come as surely as the sun rises and sets, as surely as the seasons cycle and change. As partners, you promise to weather the changes and difficult times, take solace and support in one another, and share equally your burdens and your joys. With the blessing of these witnesses here today, and those who could not be in attendance, you will make your declarations of love and commitment. Fox and Violet, please join your hands.”
We did as Merlin asked, and he laid the cord across our hands before continuing.
“These cords will now be tied around your hands as a physical representation of the decision you make to bind together your lives. As I make each knot, each party member will approach and place the elemental symbols of your love upon the altar.”
Ever approached the altar and placed a potted plant on the altar. “Like Earth, let your trust in one another be steadfast, a rich ground where love can grow stronger and flourish.”
Merlin made the first knot.
“We will,” Fox and I said together.
A male faerie I didn’t recognise approached the altar and placed the incense on the altar. “Like Air, take joy in your flights of fancy, and feed one another's interests, curiosities, and intellect.”
Merlin made the second knot.
“We will.”
Leo approached the altar and placed the candle on the altar. “Like Fire, let love and compassion for each other burn brightly, lighting your way forward and warming your spirits.”
Merlin made the third knot.
“We will.”
Rue approached the altar and placed the goblet on the altar. “Like Water, be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world together.”
Merlin made the fourth knot.
And together we said one final, “We will.”
Merlin said. “These cords and the knots formed around your hands represent the commitments you make here today. They are strong enough to hold you together through times of struggle, yet flexible enough to allow for individuality and personal growth. Fox and Violet, do you promise to treat each other with compassion, to actively listen, and communicate without judgment? If so, please say, ‘We do’,”
“We do.”
“Do you promise to honour and respect one another in your mutual humanity, accepting each other fully in your flaws and strengths? If so, please say, ‘We do’.”
“We do.”
“Do you promise to support each other through good times and bad and grow together in your love and life experiences? If so, please say, ‘We do.’”
“We do.”
“Do you promise to care for one another, in sickness and in health, physically and emotionally? If so, please say, ‘We do.’”
“We do.”
“You may now release your hands and place the cord on the altar. Like your lives and your love, the cord remains knotted in a circle, a continuous, infinite loop.”
Fox and I placed the cord on the altar and returned to our previous position as Merlin picked up the rings from the altar. “As a reminder of that infinity, and to seal the promises you have made to each other here today, you will exchange rings and mark the transition from engagement to marriage. The precious metal in these rings came from the ground as a rough ore and was heated and purified, shaped and polished. Something beautiful was made from raw elements. Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, made by imperfect beings.”
Merlin handed one of the rings to me. “Repeat after me: With this ring, I seal my love and my promises to you, Fox.”
“With this ring, I seal my love and my promises to you, Fox,” I repeated as I slid the ring onto his finger.
Merlin handed the ring of the Fox who said. “With this ring, I seal my love and my promises to you, Violet.”
“I now pronounce you partners in life. Fox, you may kiss your bride.”
As Fox kissed me, I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and slowly dissipate. After it was over and he pulled away, we turned towards our witnesses still holding hands.
“I present to you all, Fox and Violet Donovan. May you two live long and happy lives together,” Merlin said, his duty having drawn to a close.
“Let’s get out of here,” Fox suggested, while I nodded. Thankful at the prospect of getting out of the cold.
The winter solstice had—despite the cold—fast become my favourite faerie holiday.
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About the Author
Bestselling author Stacey Jaine McIntosh was born in Perth, Western Australia where she still resides with her husband and their four children.
Although her first love has always been writing, she once toyed with being a Cartographer and subsequently holds a Diploma in Spatial Information Services.
Since 2011 she has had over one hundred short stories and twenty-two poems published.
Stacey is also the author of Solstice, Morrighan, Lost, Le Fay & Pendragon and she is currently working on several other projects simultaneously.
When not with her family or writing she enjoys reading, photography, genealogy, history, Arthurian myths and witchcraft.
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The Camelot Series
Stacey Jaine McIntosh writing as Anastasia Avarice
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Blood & Prophecy
A Nine Realms Saga Story
Zoey Xolton
About Blood & Prophecy
It is the eve of the Winter Solstice and the Shadow Court of the Dökkálfar celebrate. But what should be just another dark night of revelry soon becomes much more when princess Zelda is pulled into a vision that will change the realm of Álfheim, forever.
Blood & Prophecy
Lush, seductive music filled the Dark Court as the Dökkálfar cavorted, dancing, feasting, and drinking to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Banquet tables ran the length of the grand throne room, almost groaning under the weight of the sumptuous foods on offer. The fruits of Álfheim—the likes of which no mortal had ever seen—overflowed tiered crystal platters. Deep purple globes hung in artful bunches, their glossy skins reflecting the shifting candlelight, while clusters of scarlet berries, so ripe as to burst in the mouth, decorated honey-laced pastries, their juices dribbling over clouds of snow-white cream like blood.
Silver trays were piled high with tender, rare roasted meats and laden with aromatic vegetables. Fountains of ice skilfully carved into the perfect likeness of swans, stags, and other woodland creatures flowed with chilled Sang
uira—the blood wine. No expense of coin or labour had been spared. The Winter Solstice was the most sacred of celebrations to the Dark elves, and a testament to the power of their king and queen.
From their elaborate and imposing thrones of obsidian Stefan and Mirsana watched over their subjects with impassive, unreadable expressions. They appeared as if living statues, divine and flawless in their timeless, immortal beauty. With hair and eyes as black as night, their children—now grown—were their mirror image…except for Zelda, the king and queen’s only daughter. While her elder brother Hagan, and younger brother Kearn were as dark in their splendour as their parents, she alone was unique.
With silver eyes and hair as pure and brilliant as starlight, she was a rare and spectacular anomaly, a seer. Born with the gift of prophecy, she was also a talented völva, an elven witch. Beautiful, ethereal, and distant, Zelda forever walked with one foot in Álfheim, and one somewhere else among the nine realms. Her eyes, which reflected all the colours of the rainbow—like precious moonstone—saw beyond the material, and into the past and future. She saw the fates of gods, elves, and men, alike. Her gift was a great boon to the Dökkálfar, and her curse.
Despite her unfathomable wisdom and long elven years, she was young by their measure of time. At just a thousand years of age, she looked as a maiden, soft and youthful, not yet matured into the striking lines of refined womanhood. In silence she sat at her mother’s side, her attention focused beyond the dance floor, and upon the striking figure of her elder brother as he crossed directly to the dais. The dancers parted like water before him as he strode, re-joining the synchronised dance as he passed.
“Mother, Father, Sister,” he said curtly.
“Good evening, Hagan,” answered Mirsana. “How gracious of you to finally join the festivities.”
Hagan’s lips curled up into the sardonic smirk for which he was well known. “I do try,” he said.
“Son,” said Stefan giving his son an imperceptible wink.
“I saw that, Stefan,” quipped Mirsana, eyebrow raised as she sipped from her glittering goblet.
The king chuckled, and for a brief moment a genuine smile reached the prince’s eyes. His parents were a formidable match, and were still clearly and darkly in love, despite the passage of some ten thousand years together. It gave his heart hope that he too would one day find his perfect Dökkálfar partner with whom he could share eternity.
With a gentle smile, one reserved just for his sister, he knelt down before her, and taking her delicate hand, placed a kiss upon it. Zelda gasped, and her eyes glowed white, her irises no longer visible, lost to the blank stare of a vision.
“Hagan,” she whispered, and in an instant, she pulled him into the vortex of images assaulting her mind.
Hagan reeled internally as he saw memories and moments play out in his mind of a young, golden haired girl, just become a woman. Her resemblance to the Kasimira, the queen of the Ljósálfar—the Light elves—was unmistakable. He witnessed her arrival in Álfheim. She was to be debuted before the Bright Court this very evening. Her deep sapphire blue eyes spoke to his heart, and he found himself flooded with yearning.
She is a hybrid, his sister whispered into his mind. Part mortal, part Ljósálfar, and soon to be legitimised princess of the Bright Court. She is your match, brother.
Hagan’s heart raced. There was no denying the pull of destiny. He felt it in his bones. His sister spoke the truth, and yet, it was unheard of—unspeakable. The union of a Dark and Light elf…it was forbidden. As unspoken as it was ancient, no one defied the order of the gods. The Courts were forever at war, forever in opposition. It was the way of their realm since the dawning of their creation. But this young Halfling, Elora, was his mate, and future queen as surely as he was the heir to the Shadow Court.
You haven’t much time, brother. You know what you must do. Go, now, Zelda beseeched him. She will bear you a son, the first child born of both Courts in history. Together you will birth a new Court, one that will rule over Light and Dark—the Blood Court.
As abruptly as he had been pulled into the vision he was released.
“Zelda, Hagan, what did you see? Is all well?” asked the queen.
“All is well, Mother,” he responded, rising to his feet, and releasing his sister’s hand. “But I must go.” With a curt nod he took his leave of his family and the Winter Solstice celebrations. Tonight, he would meet his mate. And though they celebrated the dark, and the cold, the slumber, and the death of all things with the Winter Solstice, there would be life. Destiny had spoken and his queen—though unaware—awaited him.
Zelda’s prophecy would come to fruition. And all nine realms be damned, it will be sealed in blood. Once beyond the ball room Hagan shifted into his shadow cat form and bounded into the night, and towards the home of the Ljósálfar.
I’m coming, my love.
The End.
Enjoyed this story? Be sure to leave a review! You can read more tales from Zoey’s The Nine Realms Saga in Dangerous Words Publishing’s upcoming collections. In the meantime, if you love dark fantasy, fairy tales, and paranormal romance then please consider picking up your copy of Zoey’s debut short story collection Darkly Ever After!
About the Author
Zoey Xolton is an Australian Speculative Fiction Author. She likes to daydream, and write stories about the beautiful and improbable, the dark and fantastical, as well as the adventurous and utterly romantic! Whether it’s fairy tales, fantasy, horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, or science-fiction…she dabbles in it.
She has featured in over 100 anthologies to date, and is currently working on progressively longer stories. She prays you enjoy, and fall in love with the deliciously tempting tales, and the characters that she bring into the world. Writing is her guilty pleasure…perhaps reading it will become one of yours?
Want to interact with the author, see Cover Reveals first, learn about secret projects, and have the chance to receive free ARC’s for review? You can do so by joining Zoey’s author group for readers: Zoey’s Zealots on Facebook, today! Or alternatively, you can sign up on her website to receive notifications via email whenever she update’s her blog!
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Snow White: As White As Snow
Rose Red & Snow White
S. K. Gregory
A Battle To The Death
Nine years ago, two friends, representing good and evil, met in battle. As white as snow, as red as blood. One must die or all will fall.
Ruby hesitated when it came to stabbing her best friend. After all, she was the bad seed, the evil one, shouldn’t she be the one to die?
Lily didn’t hesitate. She stabbed Ruby and left her for dead. But Ruby didn’t die and the prophecy could still come true.
It is time to end it, for one to die...
Chapter 1
LILY
As red as blood, as white as snow…
The words rang in my mind as I watched the snow fall outside, recalling that horrific night.
I hate this time of year.
Almost nine years to the day and I can still see her face. The look of shock and hurt at my betrayal. My best friend, practically my sister and I murdered her. All because I believed in a prophecy, one that said we were destined to battle to the death.
Why did I listen to Ben? I let him manipulate me, I let him turn me against Ruby. And now I had to live with the consequences. Finding out that I had powers, that we both did, was a big enough shock, but finding out what they were for…A child of light and a child of darkness, both born on the same day – the winter solstice. How could the fight end any other way? How could I not strike the first blow when I knew what would happen if she survived? The world would come to an end. As a doctor, I took an oath to do everything I can to save a life. Killing Ruby meant saving everyone, the one for the many. It
seemed like the right decision at the time, I just didn’t know it would hurt this bad.
The snow continued to fall and while the world outside was getting ready for Christmas in a few days, I was haunted by ghosts of my past. It was why I chose to do the late shifts over the holidays. That way I didn’t have time to think, to remember. Except during the short breaks, I was forced to take.
“Paging Dr Blanchard. Dr Blanchard to the nurse’s station.”
Duty calls.
I got up off the cot and smoothed my dark blue scrubs. My break wasn’t over for another fifteen minutes, but I welcomed the interruption. It wasn’t like I was going to get any rest.
As I approached the nurse’s station, Debbie held out the phone to me.
“Says he’s an old friend,” she told me, a slight smirk on her face. She knew I never dated anyone, so I guess she hoped this was someone interested in me.
“Hello?” I said.
“Lily? It’s Ben. How are you?”
I froze at the sound of his voice. How did he find me? Why now?
“Don’t call here again,” I said, slamming the phone down. My heart pounded in my chest. It had been years, I thought it was all over that I would never have to see him again.
Debbie gave me a worried look. “Everything okay?”
Curse of Christmas: A Collection of Paranormal Holiday Stories Page 40
