i dreamt about you nearly every night this week.

Roselyn's pout disappeared when he opened the bottle of wine, taking a sip before giving it back to her. She took a few gulps, the wine sweet on her tongue. Summer knew how to make their wine good, Spring made the champagne, Autumn the cider, and Winter had the whiskies and vodka, the harder stuff. Each season had their role in everything, liquor making, ball preparation, everything. "Think you'll still have time for running off after tonight?" she asked, her voice soft, unsure if she actually did just say that. "Sorry," she mumbled a minute later, knowing better than to doubt a king, than to doubt Rowan. She took another large drink from the bottle before laying herself down on the blanket, facing the night sky.

His hand felt like it was on fire, sitting there on her hip, but he refused to move it, opting to squeezing her hip gently. "It's nice to have the sky clear to actually see them," he murmured, before actually looking for constellations. "That one is Orion, you can tell because those stars in a line is his belt, he's easy to spot," he explained, "Just like the Big Dipper, because part of him is the North Star." Tate didn't like a lot of things, but gods, he loved the stars and if he could study them for the rest of his life then that would be it, everything he dreamed about and more.

He took a few more careful sips of wine, still looking over at her. "Of course, Rose. I'm always going to make time for you, you're the most important person in my life," Rowan told her, and he moved closer to her, his several necklaces banging against the bare, pale skin of his chest. Looking over at her, he set down his wine bottle, using one hand to gather some hair and tuck it behind her ear. His hand lingered, thumb brushing against her cheek, and he found himself getting closer to her by the minute. All of the alcohol in his system was making him quickly lose resolve, and make himself even more convinced that he could touch her, he could kiss her like he wanted so much. He could feel her quiet breaths on his lips, smelling of sweet wine, and he ached with wanting to touch her. "Oh, Roslyn, don't be sorry. I'm sorry, I don't know how much longer I can keep myself away from you," Rowan admitted, his thumb moving down to brush softly against her lips.

She paid attention to him, listening intently as he explained a few of the constellations to her. "That's amazing that you know that, Tate," Sofia murmured, thoroughly impressed because she never saw that coming from the icy Winter Prince. Sofia was acutely aware of his hand squeezing her hip, and it made her smirk. She turned around so that she was facing him, looking mischievous. "What else are you knowledgeable about, Prince Tate?" She asked, more seductively than anything.

Laying down and drinking wine was such a terrible idea, thankfully one she did not go through with. She mumbled something about always forgetting a straw, as if it would make this feat any bit easier. It was nice to hear that she was the most important person in his life. Roselyn hadn't noticed she was holding her breath until she finally exhaled, light through her nose as she noticed just how close the newly crowned king was to her. Years, it seemed, that she had been dreaming of this moment: of him being this close, close enough to kiss those beautiful pink lips of his. It made her panic; especially so as he spoke of unable to keep himself away from her and gods, it was nice, but it felt wrong. She moved, managing to sit herself up before grabbing her bottle and taking a hearty drink of the sweet liquid that only the Summer fae could brew. "You shouldn't, should, I mean, your highness," she spoke after a moment, staring down at the bottle as if it would give her answers. "You're a king now, the king of the Autumn fae with their beautifully coloured leaves that are so joyous to jump into. You should be fraternising with other lovely Autumn princesses and ladies to find your rightful queen. Maybe find someone from the European branch? I've heard they are such a beautiful bunch." It would come in time, anyway. She was drunk and rambling, and he, gods, even tipsy (because gods know he couldn't have been drunk off of that to drink, not yet, it didn't seem nearly enough) he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The most beautiful thing that she could never really touch. It was an insane though, that he could ever be hers and and she his. There was no way that it could happen, though. She was a Spring by right, felt more like she ought to be a Winter, but dressed like an Autumn. It wasn't right, it didn't feel right. And gods, she wasn't a princess, just someone lucky enough to be born with the title of 'Lady'.

"It's just a hobby," Tate found himself saying, something that his mother would approve of it being called. Any more than that and it would be a disgrace, even if he was good at embarrassing his mother like that. He was sick enough to find pleasure in it all, making her angry and seeing if he could make her face turn as red as an apple. Surely, going off with a Summer, a princess at that, would definitely get that reaction from her, one he would enjoy witnessing whenever they would have their next talk about his 'hobbies'. Seeing Sofia smirk, in turn, made him smirk. "Such a mischievous, naughty little sprite aren't you?" he hummed, pulling his confidence back to his rightful self. He had never really told anyone about his fondness of the stars, and had no idea what came over him to tell her so, even to point something out. He must be getting ill. Or maybe it was being so close to a Summer fae. Surely that had to factor into it. "Well, I know an awfully lot about the fae history, could probably name countless kings and queens of any season before us. Dinosaurs, the ones the little mortals are so fond of being here before us, I know a lot about them too. It's quite fascinating, actually. But that's all silly things. I think what you really want to know is what all I can do to you in bed, yes?" His tongue slipped out to wet his lips, his smirk growing as he looked to her.

When she pulled away from him, he sighed heavily before taking a long drink of wine. Propping himself up on his elbows, he looked at her sitting up and shook his head. "Rosyln, I don't want anyone else, and it's never going to be anyone else. Perhaps this isn't the proper time to be saying all of these things because we're inebriated, but that's probably why I'm saying it in the first place. Liquid courage, and all that, but I've never been shy about my feelings for you. Nobody in Autumn could come close to you, and they never have. Please, can I kiss you? I've wanted to kiss you for years. Celebrate with me, Roslyn," He prompted, looking up to her with eyes a simmering gold, swirling with emotion. Rowan had expected this reaction from her initially, knowing that she would tell him to chase after other Autumn princesses. He already knew he wasn't going to do it. There was no one else for him in his eyes, he only ever saw Roslyn, and he was okay with that. He has been for years, if he was being honest.

Sofia smiled wickedly when he called her a naughty sprite, humming a little in approval. She listened to him speak, but his last few words piqued her interest, making her raise an eyebrow. "I think that's all I can think about at the moment, with you right here, looking so handsome," Sofia murmured, petting his ego, wanting him to feel confident enough to continue. Something in him had changed, she could sense it, and she was satisfied to see this exchange back on the track that she wanted it to be on. "Plus, I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into. I've heard things, you see, and I'm curious," She continued, smirking, and she moved a little bit closer to him, pressing her hips against his.

It took Roselyn what felt like an eternity to form the words to speak, carefully chosen but not seeming that way as they spilled from her dark berry coloured lips. "I can't," it killed her to say that, "You know you really don't want me, Rowan. You want someone for the night, and you could have anyone your eyes fell upon, especially now, no one should ever turn you away. But I don't want to be that. Your girl for the night. Surely you must know that it would kill me to be just that. You will wed someone within your season and I in mine. And if there would ever be us, I could not stay a Spring and be your queen, there is no way of that, even to be the girl in your bed every night and still be a Spring surely must be frowned upon. You and I both know transformation is hard." She felt panicky, ill about this whole situation. Rose had turned him down, something she had never thought possible. She had always assumed that whenever he would ask if of her, if he would ask it of her, that she would jump at the chance to be his, just for the night at least. "I will celebrate your crowning with you, but I cannot kiss you, Rowan, you are not my lover." Her words even made her soul ache.

Tate's arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him, and he jutted his hips out slightly, teasingly. "You've heard things? What sort of things?" he asked her, "The things that deal with my fingers?" he pressed them deeply into her hips, having never been a gentle lover. "Things with my lips? My tongue?" he pressed for an answer, toying. Anything that she had heard of him had to be good. There was no way other than that. "Can't say I've heard much about you, doll. No one's really spoke of bedding a Summer girl, though, I have heard their good with their hips, know how to move them just right."

Her words rendered him speechless, and instead of responding, he finished off the bottle of wine in his hands. Looking to her, his eyes and features sagged, drenched in guilt. "I'm sorry to have made advancements on you in this state, and I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable by any means. I apologize for my behavior, but otherwise, Id rather like to drop the subject, if that's alright. We can discuss this at a much better time," Rowan said, then laying down on his back and sighing heavily, closing his eyes. His whole head was swirling, it seemed, and he wanted to enjoy his drunkenness instead of regretting it. With all of the alcohol in his system, he couldn't really feel the consequences of his words at that moment, the enormity of what he had just told her, all told at the wrong place and the wrong time.

"I've heard delicious things about your mouth, my Prince," She said with a little gasp when he tugged her the rest of the way forward, a little spike of cold running through her body. It felt electrifying. "Everything that's been described to me has only made you more and more desirable," Sofia continued, spellbound by the look in his eyes as he gazed down to her. Her body was experiencing so many sensations, the hot of it's own and the cold of his, the insistent pressure of his fingers on her hips, a sensitive spot for her. It elicited another little noise, and she realized that he was quickly making her as malleable as putty in his hands. "I'm quite sought after, but I'm very selective of my lovers. I can do quite a few things with my hips that you've probably never seen before," Sofia said to him, her eyes twinkling because she loved this.

Rose kept silent, drinking away at her bottle. If she didn't have a need to get drunk earlier, then she definitely had one now. "Sorry," she finally mumbled, needing to apologise. It would be the end of it, though, any more words out of her lips and she would make a complete fool of herself, or even moreso. He had completely spilled his heart out to her and all she could say is every reason as to why it couldn't happen, even though she had been dreaming of something like this for weeks. She felt it was inevitable, though. There was no way something between them could work. What if she changed for him? What if she became an Autumn to be with him and he just suddenly decided he didn't want her anymore? That she didn't seem so beautiful, or maybe exotic? Would that be the word? She drank more, feeling lighter and more beautiful with ever drink of the sweet liquid.

Tate felt good about himself, her warm smothering him, but even that didn't bother him. She wanted him. Gods, it was so obvious and it was wonderful. He had her right there in his hands, sure that she would agree to anything he suggested now. The power in his hands of this very moment had his adrenaline going wild. "You're quite sought after, eh?" he asked, voice a hum, approving of what she told him. "And selective? My, do I feel special," he laughed softly, dipping his head down, lips close to hers. "You must be quite sought after to get my attention, doll."

Rowan could feel himself slowly nodding off the longer that he lay there, and so, after a few comfortable moments of feeling Autumn settle around him, he took a breath and sat up, causing his world to spin quite a bit. "C'mon love, I think it's about time that we went back to our rooms, yeah? S'getting late, and m'drunk, and now I just want to sleep," He explained to her, and after finally heaving himself up, he left the blanket and the bottles nestled up against the tree before offering Roslyn his hand to help her up. Rowan did so, even though he was a bit unsteady, and he let out a little 'oof' when she rose up, leaning into him for a moment while she balanced herself on her feet. Afterwards, he placed a hand at the small of her back, leading her out of the gardens and up into the castle. "Would you like to stay with me like old times? No tricks, just tradition," He offered as they reached the point in the hallway where he would turn right to go to his bedroom, and she would go left to walk ahead to Spring.

She laughed, her head tilting up into his when he dipped down and she could feel his soft, cool breaths on her lips. "I'm quite pleased to have obtained your attention," Sofia murmured to him, afraid to be too loud now, that he was so close to her. She could feel his body pressed against hers, and his breath, and his hands squeezing, and she wanted him very badly. However, she knew that they were far from any sort of bedroom of sorts, and she was trying to figure out if they were going to do this, where. Sofia thought of the garden, and how some parts were quite secretive, and wondered if Tate wanted to do that sort of thing, to sneak off into the gardens. Or take her back to his room. Either way, she knew she was ready for this, for him, and was entirely excited that she was able to pull this fast at her very first ball of the Autumn season. She took it as a new record.

It took Roselyn a moment or two to comprehend what Rowan had said: time for bed. She stumbled up into her feet, her heels long forgotten somewhere. She leaned into him as she stood, trying to regain her balance. "No sleep," she mumbled, through a sleepy voice, "I'm not tired." Her voice gave her away as being exhausted. "I wanna keep looking at the stars, pretty, pretty stars," she broke out into a fit of giggles, walking with Rowan out of the garden before she even realised that they were leaving. "Wanna know what else is pretty, Row-Row?" she asked, long forgotten their little argument back in the garden. She didn't wait for his reply, nor did she address his question of where she would sleep tonight, only turning them slightly to walk in the direction of his room, not wanting to leave his company. "You. You're the pretty fae of them all. Maleficent would be jealous of your beauty, young king-sir," she giggled more at calling him king. Alcohol warmed her up, making her feel bubbly and free. "But that's why I can't like you. Cause you're pretty. I wanna like you. Like, I love you. I feel," she drags out the word here, giggling more, "it in my bones. I acheeeee to be by your side allllllways." Roselyn had left his side, jumping up ahead of him and twirling around, dancing and spinning, laughing. "I'm a Spring, I have a spring in my step, and you're-you're Autumn, making everything fall, especially me for you. Fall. Fall. Fall. And we all fall down," she laughed, falling to the floor like that silly mundane game of London bridges or Ashes or something like that.

Tate smirked, pressing his lips to hers for just a moment before pulling away, wanting to leave her wanting more. "Fancy a game in the gardens?" he asked, having pulled away from her completely and heading down the stairs to said garden, the one common ground between all seasons. So they both had every right to be down there. His skin was able to cool back down being away from her, but still, he craved that spark that set him on fire, metaphorically. It would be so bad if he just burst into flames, but she was that hot. So... Tate waited at the bottom of the stairs for her. When she was just inside his reach, he grabbed her hand, pulling her in for another kiss.

He grinned at how she was talking. she always got very silly and adorable whenever she had a bit too much to drink. She was never able to really maintain sober for a long time after she had had a few. This is why Rowan had slipped his hand into hers on their way back, because if she stumbled he wanted to be able to catch her. He mumbled a short reply to her question about pretty things, knowing she was going to continue accordingly whatever he said. When she mentioned him, one of his eyebrows raised, and he was thoroughly amused. A slight frown graced his features when she told him she loved him, but that she shouldn't, because it contradicted what she had said earlier in their small argument. He was too fuzzy to concentrate on it and let it go quickly, focusing on how she spun away from him, dancing, and his eyes followed her movements. She was so beautiful and free, and he loved her so much it made him choke on the tightness that rose up his throat. "C'mon, you silly girl. Get your pretty bum up off of the floor and into my arms, and we'll go to bed, yeah?" He reached out for her, grasping onto her hands and trying to pull her up. Rowan, however, sent his mind spinning when he leaned over for her, and caused himself to topple down to the floor on top of Roselyn. He caught himself at the last minute to stop himself from collapsing on top of her and possibly hurting her, instead lifting himself and hovering over her body. Their faces were impossibly close, and his breaths were short as he got even more dizzy just staring into her eyes. "Oh fuck, Roselyn. I'll always be falling for you," He said, a short blip of a laugh leaving his lips and he stayed where he was, entranced by her gaze.

Sofia felt herself wanting more than just the ghost of a kiss that he pressed against her lips before leaving her, going down the stairs to the garden. She hummed, nodding at his question as she made her way down herself. "I'd very much fancy a game," She replied, letting herself be pulled by his hand back near to him again and into another kiss. This time, she didn't let it pass by without much effort on her part, instead she put more desire into it, one of her hands gripping the lapels of his suit tightly, lips gliding against his cool ones, making her shiver.

"I guess I am a little sleepy," Roselyn murmured, holding her hands out to him when he moved to try and get her up from the ground. But when he grasped her hands, he seemed to knock himself off balance and come tumbling down onto on. Thankfully, he had managed to catch himself, because there was no way she would have been able to move out from under him as drunk as she was. Still, a wide grin exploded on her lips and she laughed, fingers reaching up to run along his jaw, a gentle caress as her fingers moved from jaw to ghost over his pretty pink lips. "Silly, Row-Row, you fell on me not for me," she laughed, eyes bright. She made no move to get out from under him or make him move to get off of her. "I don't think this is bed, Row-Row," she commented then, reaching up to poke his nose lightly, a little hoop of a nose ring sticking out slightly at one nostril.

He felt like he was on fire, and gods, he loved every minute of it. "Let's go," he murmured against her lips, taking her hand and leading her into the garden, far away from the party going on. Who even cared about the new king anyway? It was all just the same. At least his mother could worry about the king's obvious love for that Spring fae instead of worrying about his own affairs, for once. Tate spotted a blanket, and what looked like a bottle of some sort of alcohol and grinned, "The gods are on our side tonight, love," he said.

He laughed more at her comment, and after she booped his nose, he kissed hers, before finally getting himself up. Rowan properly offered her his hand so that she could pull herself up, and once she was, he wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her to his room. "M'quite tired too, actually," Rowan mumbled, and once at his door, he stumbled inside and closed it behind Roselyn. His room was illuminated by fae magic, little lights twinkling all around, and it cast a warm glow. He began to carelessly take off his clothes, dropping them at his feet until he was left in his underwear. He realised that Roselyn was in the room, then, and looked over to her, eyes hooded. Rowan suddenly really wanted to take off her dress, and he crossed the room to her, moving to be behind her and taking all of her hair and putting it over one shoulder. He then began to unlace her bodice in the back, pulling it apart carefully, until it was loose enough that she could just slip it off and step out. His hands caressed the skin of her shoulders and her back, and he couldn't help it as he leaned down and ran his lips against the expanse of her bare shoulder before trailing them to her neck. She tasted sweet, and his tongue swirled against her skin right behind her ear.

At the sight of a blanket and some alcohol, and she grinned, going ahead in front of him and picking it up. There was a whole bottle of wine that she got the cork out of before placing it against her lips, taking a good sip. "It's the good stuff, some autumn wine," Sofia reported, before dropping to the blanket and laying out, leaning back on her elbows as she took another drink from the bottle. Once Tate sat down, she handed it over to him, leaning her head against one of her shoulders.