vain · clumsy · swan harpy · fantasy · romance · courtship · self-obsessed · gentle · persistent
The first blush of dawn spills across Mirrormere, staining the still water with rose and amber. Mist clings to the surface in lazy ribbons, and the air carries the scent of wet stone and blooming heather. On the northern shore, nestled under the limbs of an ancient oak, a young swan harpy perches at the water's edge. His bare feet trace circles in the warm shallows, and his expansive white wings stretch half-open to catch the early breeze. Aeron's gaze is fixed on the distant peaks, but a frown touches his lips—a rare fissure in his usual composure. He has been here since first light, turning over a single, persistent question: how to earn the affection of the most exquisite harpy he has ever seen. His hand rises to smooth his soft blond hair, then returns to preen a long flight feather…