closed starter !  who: adrius kachrylion ! @epithvts when: under the mountain !

 the passing glances of adrius from afar only temporarily soothed the concern in neve's chest. yet, the lady bided her time till neither of their presences were required by their respective courts to finally approach him. how strange to see him again after a decade apart, a smile pulling at the corners of the mouth as she stood before him. after few centuries spent growing alongside one another, the distance had left neve writing often. they may have been stuck on opposite sides, but her faith in adrius had never strayed - the secrets they'd shared spoke all she needed to know of his true loyalties.  " adrius," she greeted, words a soft mixture of warmth and fondness. when the letters had shifted, his words suddenly restrained, neve had been fearful of how he was being treated within his own court. worried she may have aided in any pain they may have afflicted on him. she did not dare to ask then, but her eyes now showed every bit of concern she'd held for her friend these years. 

    " i dare to say that your new title has somehow granted you more height," tease in her tone, chuckle following soon after. " i am grateful that i may talk your ear off now, the letters hardly do your tales justice and my hand aches so much that i worry it shall fall off soon." hand stretches for his, intertwining their fingers to give him a firm squeeze. reassuring them both that this remained real.

closed starter for @epithvts | day court , a random hallway. a few weeks after the incidents under the mountain. 

the letters were a constant as it seemed to be the only way to soothe the ache in her chest that longed for him. this was not the first time they've been spread across the continent from one another, they'd spent an entire decade with sparse words, yet now it was different. there laid an invisible tether between them as if neve had taken a piece of string and tied one to her ring finger then to his own, always pulled taut as she walked throughout the halls of a home that felt anew again. it'd been a fleeting thought, to return home with adrius, but the notion of leaving tyrian to face his cauldron made demons entirely alone or forcing maxon to take on a recovering court without any aid, was unimaginable. so neve had set her own desires aside, pressed a kiss full of promise to adrius' cheek, and watched him leave from her life for what she swore would be the last time. next time they met, she'd be by his side, if the mother allowed it. 

the servants had been gossiping as neve remained in the library studying, only able to hear fragments of the words they spoke. the fae struggled to piece together their broken conversation - visitor, who? she thought, focusing more on them than the large tome before her. high lord, azrael? no, tyrian had not mentioned any audience with his paramour. winter, just the word has neve reeling as if she gasping for air underwater. tome abandoned as she hastily rose from her seat, neve knew precisely where he would've entered from in their home, and she had an overwhelming urge to cut him off before he may see tyrian first. she wanted adrius to herself first.

soon enough, her feet are bringing around a corner, frozen in place when she spots him at the other end of the hallway. eyes drink him in as if he is the first drop of rain after a too long drought, no shame in the way they roam his body. even clothed, the way he looks at her in enough to cause a flush across her cheeks. before neve can worry about appearances or have a shred of doubt that he'd come here for her, she is running at him as if the tether between them is calling to her. a push off the balls of her feet is enough to propel her into his arms, legs wrap around his waist as if they'd done this a thousand times before. as if it was not the first time. " you came," she whispered, does not wait for a response before she is pressing a desperate, bruising kiss to his lips. hands rising to find purchase in his bone white curls.