3 Nights of the 1st January
Contains spoilers to the Book 7 TWST
Tw: War, injury, blood, poison, death
Angst (I hope to make you cry)
2k+ words
Masterlist / 2024 BDAY Masterlist
Lilia's 2024 Birthday Special
The cold night air whistled in his pointy ears, as a man run through the woods after being spotted by his enemies. The fae tasked with spying on the Silver Owl's, failed his mission due to an injury sustained earlier, and now he paid the price of ignoring it, by being chased by humans in the iron armors.
'Ugh! Shit..!' Were the words the running figure had spoken, when more of his injuries opened up during the frantic run. In his current state, he wouldn't stand a chance in the fight against them all, but as he was the General, and a very stubborn General in fact, no one had the right to stop him.
The shouts of the human soldiers echoed through the forest, making the male stumble a little, the situations had been really bad. Now that they had spotted him, they will change their camp location, something he couldn't afford to let them do. It was a perfect opportunity to listen in on the enemy and sabotage their plans, but he fucked it up.
He cursed himself in his thoughts, forcing himself to run faster. His beautiful long black hair with red streaks flowed in the wind, moving franctically during the sharp turns and unexpected movementstogether with their owner. The moon shining down on his mask and form, making him look ethereal and glowy, beffiting a nocturnal fae such as himself, wasn't helping his situation at all.
As he made another sharp turn, thinking he lost the ones chasing him, he leaned on to a tree trunk, breathing heavily immiediately looking back only to let out a scream of pain. While he was distracted with looking for everyone, one of the iron archers shoot him in his right calf with an arrow, that he was sure was poisoned.
Lilia cursed outloud, turning towards the shooter and beheading him with one smooth motion of his weapon, sucking his breath in painfully, with the arrow still in his flesh.
Instead of leaning on a tree again, he chose to climb one instead, to not repeat his mistakes, and send a few of his bats to call one of his subornites, namely Baul Zigvolt, to avoid making from the situation more of a big deal than it already is, and getting away quietly, undetected.
Sitting on a big branch of an old oak, he caught the arrow close to the arrowhead and pulled it out in one fast montion, biting his other hand and screaming in his head, while the enemy soldiers were running underneath the branch he sitted on.
'This damned poison' He thought as he started feeling faint, holding himself onto the bleeding place, directing his eyes to the stars and looking at them emptily through the mask.
The wind suddenly started to blow, making a gentle breeze that started moving his hair a little, as he taken off his mask and hood, enjoying it dearly. At least, as much as a man in a chase can enojoy things like this, with little tear droplets wetting his eyelashes.
He went through the most chellenging and hard situations in life, and ended up as a War General. His life always has been a complicated mess.
He was a worthless orphan, not someone worthy of stading beside the Crowned Princess, not someone worthy of being a General. How old is he? When was he born, and if he knew, would he celebrate? Probably no. Who were his parents? Did they abandoned him? Or did something happened to them instead?
These were the thoughts that started to invade his head, as his armor started to weigh on him. His arms started getting weaker and weaker, his eyes, that were staring emptily at the sky, started to feel unbearable heavy, and he slowly too, started to lose conciousnes. The only thing he managed to hear was a worried scream of his name.. Looks like the rescue has finally came...
And that's how, the night of the 1st January passed for Lilia Vanrouge, the same as many future ones to come...
( * Hundreds of years later * )
'Happy Birthday Lilia!' - Voices of people flooded his senses when he entered the Diasomnia lounge, one of the dorms in the college he studied in.
'Huh? It's my birthday today..? I forgot' Thought the short fae, he completely forgot, but nevertheless welcomed this nice surprise, he was even impressed, that his children had managed to organise all of this without raising his suspicions.
'It's my birthday today? I forgot, and you haven't even reminded me? '- He said as looked at his familiars and then chuckled happily - 'I raised you good, you managed to surprise me!'
His chuckles turned into a full out laugh, he was really happy. For many reasons, Malleus - had hatched and he is able to be with him, Silver - his son with a way shorther lifespan than his - is alive, Sebek - his students is still full of energy and determination to better himself, still being very liable to fall for his jokes.
'What a great gift I received to be able to spend this year with you three', Lilia thought to himself, with melancholy in his eyes. A second after that, the male has put on his big smile once again, and started teasing people he considered his family with a joyous laughter and stars in his eyes.
Everyone in the Diasomnia played board games and he managed to tell lots of stories from his youth, later on as the man of the hour he got a banned from the kitchen because as Malleus said, he shouldn't lift a finger with his senile age, and saving everyone from eating deathly dishes, although the last part was not mentioned out loud.
Soon after that, his friends from other dorms joined in the partying and burried him under a huge pile of presents, especially Kalim. Lilia only smiled and laughed at that, he would surely have lots of fun opening them all later, he really couldn't wait.
A cake, cookies of all sorts, a tomato juice and other kinds of snacks got placed on the table with Malleus's magic as he also redistributed one glass of the juice to every guest, while Silver and Sebek had decorated the whole Diasomnia, and not just the venue, in a birthday party style.
The atmosphere had been delightful and full of laughter, up till late hours of the night. Of course, Lilia wouldn't be himself if he hadn't played a few jokes at the guests and his birthday interviewer, making everyone laugh at them, giving him a free hand in doing whatever he liked.
When the hour got closer to midnight, the rest of theremaining guests had come back to their own dorms, wishing their well wishes to the fae again. The lounge quickly became empty, with only 4 people being left in it, including himself.
Can I ask for one last thing? - Lilia's deep voice cut through the comfortable silence, shocking the boys, who thought he wouldn't speak at all. But even after the shock, their response was immediate and affiramtive, just as he expected.
At that the short male turned to look at his closed ones faces, and with a serene smile asked for a dance. His bats with the help of his magic started playing the instruments in the rhythm of a song all of them knew perfectly well, a classic Briar Valley lullababy.
The four of them quickly took off to dance, and just after the first few verses, changing their dancing partner so that everyone could dance with eachother, and then again, and again.
Dancing up until midnight and way longer into the night, with only themselves and Lilia's bats as witnesses to their antics, and serene moment, filled with true love they had for eachother in the air.
This was a delightful January 1st, one that he'll be sure to treasure for as long as he can remember.
( * Several years later * )
In the old hut in the woods, a man sat in his rocking chairoutside on the porch, an Ex-War General and the caretaker of the Fae King, Malleus Draconia. The fae who even after the demanded respect for him by their new King, others still were treating like an outcast and so, he didn't protest, living in the forest, just like an outcast, they said he were.
Was it wrong that he never fought for more time spend being closer with his family..? He shouldn't think like that, he got to spend plenty of time with his boys already, no? He shouldn't be too greedy about their presence and time, they all had their own lives outside of him.
All of the them being able to be together at the NRC, was the biggest gift and fortune, he could've ever imagined, making beautiful memories. Just like his birthday several years ago, when he and his boys danced together until the late night. Can he complain at such beautiful memories? Does he have the right to ever ask them to spend more time with him? To not only think about the memories, but to make new ones?
He won't know, not anymore. There's too little time left, feeling his soul trying to leave his body, he still tries to fight back, 'stars please, give me more time'. He won't give up, not until he'll be able to see them, one more time, just a glimpse is enough.
Even after living so far off from the capital, he still can see the glipses of colored lights looming above the tree crowns, and faintly hear their bangs. He sighed and smiled to himself, looking up into the sky, but that smile haven't lasted long, dimnishing a second later with a pain in his right calf.
What should he say to everyone? That he feels like death is just around the corner? Should he even say anything and destroy their moods with panic? Should he ruin Malleus's first new year celebration as a King? No, no he shouldn't... He don't want to ruin their fun...
Soon after his heavy thoughts, the only joys left in his life, came to see him and sat next to him quietly, not disrupting his rest and looking up at the same scenery, just as he did a while before.
When he opened his mouth to say his final goodbyes, no sound left him and thus he knew, his time has come. He looked up at the stars one last time, with a last thought 'Please take care of them for me', to who? He's not sure...
'Happy Birthday', one whispered.. or said..? Lilia's not sure anymore, as his eyes had started coming to a close, he felt really happy that he could spend his last moments together with his family, when all of them had been happy around him, without any worries at all...
After his soul departed from his body for good, he took one last look at his now-dead body, and saw a truly heartbreaking scene. Malleus, Silver and Sebek panicking. With his body in Sebek's arms who was crying the whole river out, Silver screaming and also crying, trying to somehow wake him up, Malleus looking shocked, panicked even, trying every known to him spell, but noone seemed to be working.
In the corner he barely saw Baul, his comrade in the war-times, running frantically towards the source of the panic, not wanting to believe in what he thought was happening. So Baul it is, huh? 'Please, protect them well then' his thoughts begged the man before him, the one that couldn't hear or see him anymore.
Lilia's soul finally let out lots of terrible cries and screams at their reactions, breaking down, after holding it in when he was alive, all emotions returning to surface. He didn't wanted to leave them, he truly didn't! If he could, he would.. he would.. Do anything to spend more time with them together..! He never wanted to leave...
And then, he saw their faces. Meleanor and Levan waiting for him togehter with open arms and tears in their own eyes.. His pupils dilated, breath quickened and he threw himself into a run, jumping into their arms, sobbing and crying with all his might, being afraid to let go, not being able to let go, with his voice breaking down several times.
The three of them then dissapeared together high into the stars, without looking back, waiting for others to join them later in the future.
And thus, at the night of the 1st January, Lilia Vanrouge, joined the stars, reunited with his dear companions, and started looking after the young ones from above, hoping that Baul will be able to do what he wasn't able to. Be with his loved ones for just a bit longer, being able to protect them.
I hope I made you cry, or at least made you have tears in your eyes/being sad. (If I did, pls tell me, I wanna know if I did a good job), Have a good day with Lilia in the stars!
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