She was beautiful, enchanting, magical. Power crackled off her, filled her aura as she flitted round her tree, each day making it more captivating than the last. Despite the ownership of a willow tree her hair reflected the hues of autumn leaves, flaming, golden, earthy, never the same colour. Her eyes betrayed her as a dreamer, their faraway look so unusual in the deep brown colour she shared with the other nymphs.

Her name was Linllaeva and the moment he saw her, he desired her. ~*~

It was the beginning of spring in the realm of the Fae.

The forest was lush and alive again, things starting the business of growing once more, wood nymphs such as her appearing after a winter spent in the safety of their trees.

Undines and sprites of the streams and rivers in the realm were flowing fast once again, the people of the water at last unfrozen and free to roam. The whole forest was filled to bursting with gurgles of laughter from the water ways and answering sighs as the nymphs responded.

Somewhere far beyond the great river, a little to the west in the forest there was one of the many little glades that some of the more unusual nymphs called home..

A happy little brook ran through it, widening into a deep pool in the centre of the glade before twisting and skipping off into the forest. On the banks of the pool a silvery curtain of leaves skimmed the surface, as a young willow tree stood there, no longer a sapling, but not yet old and knarled. Its bark pale and silvery as the round moon it so often reflected twice over, splintered and shattered off the water when she swam at night, rejoicing in the knowledge she was the only person awake for miles around.

It was on such a night, the first moon in summer in fact, that he came upon her, tumbling in the clear water, exploding the moons reflection, 'til it danced around the trees and bathed her in an eerie glow. That light turned her skin to mercury, made her eyes seem merely two pebbles of jet in her face. The whole world had been turned to monochrome, her hair showering water as she swept it off her face, each droplet catching the twilight and making it rain diamonds for a second or two.

Transfixed he stood, gazing at her silhouetted against the pale orb hanging in the sky. He had been looking for a patch of water for his home ever since the beginning of spring and his first journey out of the nursery pool.

He cleared his throat.

"Excuse me?"

She screeched, scrambling out of the water, her hair swinging forward over her face like a barrier as she pelted for the willow tree and protection.

He bit his lip in worry. He hadn't meant to disturb the perfection of the scene but something had made him call out. He thought about leaving, turning back again, but the mysterious force that had forced him to call out kept him there, drew him nearer to the willow tree.

He approached the waterfall of leaves, ripples from his movement breaching the leaves and signalling his approach to her, crouched inside.

"Sorry," he whispered, stretching out a hand and parting the hanging fronds to reveal a dim interior, light from the moon chinking through gaps here and there. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

As he entered the den behind the screening leaves, he blinked, eyes not yet adjusted to the gloom.

"Hello?" he whispered, alert on any sound she might make.

Silence.

"Hello?" he said again, louder, as though drawing on the silence, slicing it, gaining confidence. He took a step further in.

"Yes?" his eyes alighted on two shining pebbles in the dark on the branch right overhead. He could see the shadowy contours of her body, the dip of her waist, a delicate finger curling round the trunk.

"I.." somehow the broken silence had been transferred to him, his words fled.

"Name?" even without her face he could tell she was smirking, eyes bright with mirth. He swallowed, willing the lump in his throat to go away.

"Gwydd. I. I need somewhere to stay. Please. I." he trailed off, biting his lip again. Somewhere above him, she shifted, swinging long lithe legs around and dropping in front of him.

"A place to stay? Is this your first summer?" a bolt of indignation shot through him.

"Hey! I've seen plenty of summers!" her grin didn't fade, only spread to her mouth, lips twitching. She put her finger to her lips.

"Shhhh. We'll talk in the morning." He looked at her, not fully comprehending.

"What?" she laughed, bells chiming softly in a breeze.

"You need a place to stay right?" he nodded.

"So stay here. We'll talk in the morning." She stepped away from the bank, turning towards the main trunk. "You sleep outside. After all, I am a lady." Then she disappeared, melting into the trunk to be nourished by her tree. He turned and left, feeling slightly giddy with the thought that he might be staying here the whole summer.

He was just melting back into the deep pool, feeling his breathing ease, his skin cool, sleep taking him. But the fire in his heart, the shadowy face and outlined silhouette imprinted on his eyelids; that could not be quenched or erased.

~

That summer was hot and humid, long languid days stretching out into balmy, oppressive nights.

Gwydd learnt the next day her name was Linllaeva, which he quickly shortened to Lin, a name that rolled off his tongue deliciously.

She was an enigma, changing moods sometimes every half hour, laughing clapping, then scowling or aloof. Just as suddenly as the mood had come it would pass, and she would be giggling at a comment Gwydd had made, or telling him stories of her life, her friends among the fae of the air, her mother, queen of nymphs. Gwydd had never known parents, only the other undines or sprites in the nursery pool and their teachers.

They spent many hours like that, making comments on the weather, telling stories of their kind or simply watching clouds. Gwydd would be splashing around in the water and sometimes Lin would join him, twisting and turning but still no match for the quick water sprite, who would always win the races she proposed.

"I win! I win again!" he'd yell, then she'd splash water at him or climb out and sun her self on the rock.

When the sun went down and the night had grown stuffy and sticky, they'd drink wine made by the fae's Lin was friends with, giggling their way through bottle after bottle.

It was on such a night that it happened.

Lin's friend Malga had come by that day. She was very beautiful, all the fae's were, with long, golden hair which cover her entirely save for her delicate wings, multi-hued and magical. She entered the clearing unannounced, floating in on a lazy breeze wafting through.

"Lin! Brought you these!" as Lin looked up from the large rock she was sunning on (again) and grinned, Malga produced 4 bottles from a sack. They were big, bigger than any they'd been donated before. The last rays of the sun glinted through the blue glass, turning them into solid liquid and setting a blue fire in the wine inside.

Lin pelted over and grasped Malga in a tight hug. Still grinning from ear to ear she thanked her again and was turning to leave when Malga grabbed her arm.

"Careful with that stuff. It's made from the fire seeds we traded with the salamanders years ago, very strong wine, that's why I gave it to you. No one will drink it otherwise." She smiled, then lowered her voice and muttered, "Make sure you don't do anything stupid with your little lover either." Seeing Lin's shocked face, she shrugged. "Just remember your mother doesn't look kindly on mixing. You're being watched Lin. Mind how you tread." Then, with a roar as loud as a whisper she was off, climbing the air currents and floating away towards the clouds.

When Lin returned to Gwydd she was in one of her moods. Despite pressing questions she refused to tell him what was wrong, but in stead said simply;

"Let's get drinking, we'll be up all night if we want to finish these."

So they had. Now a very tipsy Gwydd was lying on his back, cuddled into Lin, staring at the stars and murmuring things that weren't making much sense.

"So..so you see.." He paused. "Stars are shiny. Bright and shiny" he was beginning to lisp and he didn't care. All he wanted to do right now was nuzzle into Lin as close as possible and the voice that was telling him not to, was getting fainter with each swig.

"I'll drink to that ones. Very ." Lin giggled and drank again from the bottle. Gwydd's presence right next to her was making her awfully happy, even if she was getting paranoia about eyes in the wood surrounding them. She eyed the last bottle longingly. They'd shared one bottle and had a bottle each. What about the last one?

"Whatsy bout the last one?" she slurred, sitting up, making Gwydd grumble. "Whatsy bout the one last?" she tried, grinning at how stupid she must sound to the rest of the world in general. Gwydd tried to think, screwing up his forehead and sticking out a tongue with the effort.

"Race?" he suggested, the only thing he could out do Lin in. She beamed at him.

"Wow! Yay!" they got to their feet somewhat unsteadily, supporting each other as they plopped into the water and wandered up to the beginning of the pool. The water was cool and it woke them up, but not enough to clear the fog from their brains.

"Count of three." Lin yelled as they reached the edge. Gwydd grinned stupidly. He was going to win that bottle for sure.

"..3!" With a tinkling laugh she was off, even drunk, fast in the water and the wine had dulled Gwydd's senses. She was half way before he even started, slipping through the water as easily as if it was air. Despite his skill though, she had had a head start and was sitting on the edge grinning at him, bottle already open and half gone. He felt his eyes fill with tears.

"That was mean! I don't get anything now!" she looked down at his unhappy face, eyes brimming with tears, eyes she now noticed that were as deep as the ocean, full of space for secrets and hopes and wishes. But they were as crystal clear as stream water, like if you stared for long enough you could see right through, to his mind, his soul. They were filling with tears now, she wanted to stop him being very upset.

So without thinking she leaned down t him, still standing in the water and kissed him.

In other stories, fireworks go off, trumpets sound, or a heavenly chorus starts singing. There was none of that for these two, only a fevered passion that was finally released after months of waiting, of always having that little voice that said 'Stop'. The dam finally burst, unleashing a torrent emotions washing through them, so intense they abandoned themselves to the moment, not knowing of caring anymore of what could possibly happen to them because of it.

They lay afterwards on the bank, still entwined with each other, staring at the stars once more, murmuring all the things they had wanted to say before. They fell asleep just before dawn, when the stars faded and rose streaked the sky, their hair fanning out behind them, rich brown mingling with snowy white.

As if on a signal, several cloaked figure stole from the trees they had been watching in all night. Ropes spun from their hands and wrapped around the two sleeping lovers, binding them tightly. As soon as this was done they lifted, wings bearing them up on the draughts, over towards the centre of the forest and the courts of the Spirit rulers..

Lin woke up to her first hangover ever. A roaring winter storm whirled round her head, eyes fried by an invisible sun; she blinked blearily, trying to get her bearings in unfamiliar surroundings. She was tied, she realised, to a tall stone, arms bound behind her back. The trial room in the great court chambers. She sighed and looked around her, catching a glimpse of Gwydd, looking as bad as she felt, still unconscious.

This was bad. Very bad. Memories came flooding back to her, the wine and Malga, drinking, the race, the kiss. Oh god we kissed. She groaned. There was more. Every single second of it seemed intent on replying itself back in her head, an exquisite pain that Lin knew she wouldn't get away with. She knew her mother.

The queen had a very definite stance on something like this. Death was the only option if you fell in love with another species. That was the way it always had been, the way it always would be. It wasn't the species hated each other, they had just agreed long ago that none of the races should mix.

Lin was brought out of her thoughts by the big doors at the swinging slowly open.

In strode her mother, hair streaming behind her, cloak billowing in a non- existent wind. Behind her strode a tall, white haired gentleman, who Lin remembered to be Rex, of the water people. Trailing slightly, as they were only needed for official witnesses, were the fae queen and a flaming haired youth, evidently the salamanders representative.

"LINLLAEVA ASHLEY MINERVA!" Lin winced at both the use of her full name and the loud noise, which made her head hurt even more. She tried to turn, to see if Gwydd had been woken up, if he would catch her eye, but he kept his head bowed and the queen quickly brought Lin's attention back to her front as she delivered a ringing slap to the side of the girls face.

Gasping for breath, for thoughts that were spiralling out of control at what was happening, for any sort of reason, Lin would have collapsed if the bond hadn't held her tight. Soft brown eyes, which had never seen the cruelty of the world, smarted but she would not cry.

"You have disappointed me, Linllaeva. I passed on all that was good in me to you, put my effort into you. This is how you repay me? In love with another again?" Lin hung her head. Of course. She'd gotten away with it once, now she would pay. "Not only that, but..but.." she sighed, long and beautiful, full of sadness and broken hope. "You have nothing to say for yourself? No redeeming words?" Lin opened her mouth but shut it again when the queen put her finger to her lips.

"Let us hear what the sprite has to say for himself, Illthin. Wake him up." Another ringing slap, a cry of pain this time, a wince from Lin for Gwydd.

"Boy wake up." Whimpering. Another slap. "Look at me!" Lin very nearly tried to crane her head, to see what was going on, but her mother- the queen, eye's never left her so she stayed put.

"What is your name?" Sniffling, some muttering.

"Gwydd."

"Do you know a nymph named Linllaeva?" more muttering. Then,

"No." a pause. "I know a Lin though." She could feel the anger and disgust radiating off four bodies in the room. Defacing royal names was a punishable offence in itself.

"Did you spend most of the summer with this Lin?"

"Yes." His voice was sullen now, full of unspoken fury, embarrassment and fear.

"Now listen to me very carefully Gwydd. Your life depends on these questions." Lin could imagine Illthin bending down, his voice ringing on her ears, never mind poor Gwydd's ears.

"Listen well. Did or did you not this summer fall in love with Lin?" He would die. Surely he would say yes and he would be condemned to die alongside her, the repeat offender. Die lovers, die and know that each had sacrificed their life so that they would be together forever.

"No! Never! I never felt anything for her! Nothing!" Tears sprang unbidden to Lin's eyes. She, who had never wept before, never needed to, now broke down as more and more denials sprang from his lips,. He had never loved her, never, never, never, never! Well she would show him, she would show him what it was to love, to truly, passionately, fiercely wish to die for love. She would make him wish he had loved her, wish she had been a soul mate, more than an 'attraction' as he so put it. "And Linllaeva? What do you have to say for yourself?" the queen said, once Gwydd had exhausted his denial and hung limp in his bonds.

"I love him. It would make no difference anyway, this is not the first time." She grinned ruefully, remembering the poor air fae bound to the north winds forever more because of her. "I will die for love. I am not ashamed." Regret painted a picture across both mother and daughter's faces and at that moment they had never looked more alike. The queen sighed.

"So be it then. At dawn you will die. Illthin, send you sprite where you will. He cannot stay here, but he will live yet." Illthin nodded.

"It's my brother, Alon for you. The lord of the oceans always needs willing sprites for his services. You will fit the bill perfectly. Come." He snapped his fingers and Gwydd's bond disappeared. He all but collapsed to the floor only to be hauled up and marched out of the hall by Illthin, muttering about guides and maps. He turned round once before they exited, but would not meet Lin's eye. Then with a yank he was gone. She never saw him again.

~

At dawn, as her mother promised, Lin found herself in the glade again, her home and now her deathbed. She was tied to her tree, her beautiful, magical willow tree, about to enter the Eternal Blackness. Only the queen and the executioner had come.

Once the executioner was done with the bonds, he stepped away from under the leaves to allow the queen and the fallen princess a few last moments.

Silence.

"Where did it all go wrong, Lin?" she felt a pang in her throat. Her mother hadn't called her that since before she had left the courts.

"I think it was the part where you allowed me a second chance. Or the part where I developed this taste for the forbidden." Her last pathetic attempt at humour. She managed a half hearted smile, but no more.

"Goodbye Lin." One kiss and her mother was gone, replaced by the queen in all her glory. As the executioner stepped forward and began to chop away at the tree, and Lin began to gasp as her life flowed out of her, she realised that the queens eyes were shining, only two pebbles of jet in her face. Then the world turn to monochrome once more and as the dawn light flooded the glade, Lin died.

"Some folk say Lin had a child, the seed given to her mother to plant moments before she died. They say it was a willow tree and the queen planted it in the spot where Lin's tree once stood. Nowadays no one can find the glade anymore, not hat anyone wants to. There are some that say the whole thing is made up, a tale told to frighten little undines and nymphs into good behaviour. Others think the Gwydd in the story is the same as Lord Gwydd, ruler of the oceans now the great Alon has wandered too far inland.

As for me? Well, I say what can you expect to come from such a summer and 4 bottles of fire seed wine?"

The old nymph smiled at the little ones gathered around her.

"Now shoo the lot of you! It's awful hot this summer and you shouldn't be out in the sun!" they scattered to the four winds, each curtseying or bowing though before they left.

Llaeva sighed and swept her long hair back, the light catching it and making it sparkle all the colours of autumn at once. Flaming, golden, earthy, never the same colour twice. Then she looked at me before diving into the pool and I caught a glimpse of her eyes, as crystal clear as stream water, as though you could see her soul if you looked hard enough. But to me they will always be deeper than the ocean depths and full of hopes and wishes and the dreams of the parents she never knew.