Your silken wings, diaphonous and translucent glittered a shimmery shade of gold under the sun filtering in through the leaves overhead. Hair smooth as watered silk tumbled down your shoulders, tufts of it fluttering in the breeze. Jewellery adorned your body, chains of pearlescent crystals, dainty anklets, and layers of bracelets and bangles tinkling with your every movement. There you were, perched on a rock by the river as you hummed to yourself under your breath and weaved flowers into your hair.

God, it was unfair how lovely you were.

Blade remained where he was, shrouded in the shadows beneath a thick cluster of trees, hands curled into fists as he tried to convince himself to just... do it. To just toss the net over your unsuspecting form before you could even realise what was happening, bind your wrists and ankles together, and haul you over to be burned at the stake just like any other fairy. He had a satchel of supplies to catch and restrain you sitting at his feet. He could've pounced at any moment, but he was completely, utterly hopeless when it came to you. The fairy hunter would always venture near where you lived beside the river, vowing to himself that that would be the day he would overcome whatever mental hurdle was stopping him and finally capture you. But every time, he would peek at you from afar, and his heart would betray him.

He approached you. Grass rustled beneath his feet as he walked closer, idiotically unarmed. Fairies in the stories were known to be viscious. To trick and manipulate humans with their magic. But when you heard his footsteps and peered up at him over your shoulder with that disarmingly beautiful, foolishly trusting smile on your face, he knew then that you were nothing like the tales he'd always been told. You simply believed him to be a human companion who occasionally visited you, and never once had you harmed him.

"Little fairy," he sighed, his voice a gentle murmur against the tranquil hush of the glade, "You seem at peace."