# Meanwhile, in Winter The Winter Prince walked sedately down the corridor to his own chambers. When he was five feet from the door it opened soundlessly. A young-looking Eladrin stood behind it. Where the Prince had pale skin and white hair, this Eladrin had skin the color of a pine shadow, a soft and deep blue. His eyes were the startling bright blue of a full moon reflected off of snow. He was dressed in a simple tunic, belted at the waist with a chain of cunningly wrought snowflakes. The Prince entered the chamber and closed the door behind himself, then leaned his head on the door. Two blue hands gently reached up and pulled the Prince's suit coat off his shoulders, casting it to the side, where a suit rack materialized to receive the garment. "It is good to see you in such high spirits, My Lord," the Eladrin said as he undid his Lord and Master's shirt buttons. Finally the Prince turned to face his valet, his own hands undoing the cufflinks at his wrists. "She should come with a warning label," the Prince said as the valet handed the shirt to the suit rack, which slid it into place under the suit coat. "Who is that, my Lord?" "That human girl. She's a natural disaster. She comes here and in less than a score of hours discovers the secret of my Mother's chamber, humiliates the Consort, and wrings a trio of *very dear* concessions out of me." Now bare-chested, the Prince pulled Aster to him, the smaller elf's blue hands came up to caress the Prince's smooth chest. "Would you be so good as to fetch me a drink, Aster?" "Certainly, my Lord. If...you will release my backside, Lord. What will you have? We still have that bottle of Blighted Dreams." "Oh, no. Something lighter, please." "Hmmm. Well, we have a little bit of that contraband from Summer. The Midwinter Warmth." The Prince *almost* smiled at that. "And the elixir we bought from the Magi?" "The 'Pepper Mint', My Lord? Yes, we do still have some. I'll mix it up directly, Lord." "You are too good to me, Aster." "Just so, my Lord. If a humble servant may ask, what concessions did the 'Lady Silvercloak' wring from you?" The Prince's fine boots walked themselves into a corner, but Aster was able to avoid tripping on them. He then had to wait patiently until the Prince's trousers had made their way to the suit rack. "A *Boon*, a 'weapon or tool to aid her in her coming battles', and one of *Sister Suvi's Silver Scales*," the Prince said and laughed. "Can you imagine? I knew she was adept but..." Aster handed his Master the drink, but the Prince caught his hand and pulled the Eladrin in for a kiss, standing a little taller than his valet. The Prince's pale hand was in Aster's dark hair and he kissed the valet deeply. After a few moments the Prince leaned back and smiled, then took a sip of his drink. Aster said, "An astonishing act of bravery and courage, my Lord...and yet, I can't help but note that you had a Token of your Boon in your pocket, as well as the Scale I gave you when I entered your service." "Merest coincidence, Aster" "Of course, My Lord." The Prince took another sip and smiled. "this really is quite excellent. Mix yourself one as well." Aster approached with a cushion in hand, which he then set at the Prince's feet. "Thank you. But some other time, Lord. I have a...*different* refreshment in mind. And he sank to his knees. "Not yet, you," the Prince said with a slight growl and pulled Aster onto his lap, the Eladrin sitting across his Master's legs. Their kisses were gentle at first. The Prince smiled and took a sip of the drink and then kissed his valet, letting the Eladrin taste the essence of fireside coziness mingled with peppermint. Then their breathing deepened. Aster's clothing was no barrier to an archfey who wanted to kiss his lover's chest, caress his hips, excite his manhood. And then, when they were both blushing with arousal, the valet slid to his knees, a look of devotion on his face, and took his Master in his mouth. The Prince caressed and stroked the valet's cheeks, shifted, and closed his eyes. He gasped a second later, eyes still closed. Then he smiled and said "you cheeky devil. You had some of that peppermint in your mouth!"