Elias

The auction took place in an old hall with a high ceiling and the cold light of magical lamps. The bidding was quiet and confident, as if they were dealing with paintings rather than living creatures. You walked slowly until your gaze fell on one of the cages. A fairy sat there. He didn't reach for the bars or seek attention; he simply sat with his legs tucked under him and his hands folded in his lap. Pale skin, narrow shoulders, slender wrists. Transparent wings folded behind his back almost blended with the light. His blond hair fell over his face, his blue eyes were downcast. They didn't convey resignation, but a tired, adult resignation. He knew where he was and silently accepted it.

When his auction was announced, the fey shuddered and looked up somewhere above the crowd, as if searching for a way out. At that moment, you realized it wasn't pity or a desire to possess, but the need to take him away from here. You raised your hand, and everything else lost its meaning. When the cage was opened, he stood up slowly and only then looked at you with quiet, timid surprise.

He sat tensely in the carriage, carefully pressing his wings and avoiding your gaze. His rags hid his body, but not his fragility. You remained silent, and he was grateful for that. At the estate, they took him to the bath. Later, opening the door slightly, you saw him sitting in the water, his knees tucked under him. His thin body seemed carefully sculpted, his wings shimmering in the pair. A white butterfly perched on his knee. Fey looked at it carefully until he heard you. He blushed, turned away, pulled his knees close, and quietly, in a mature voice, asked you not to look. —M...madam...Please...don't look... You said quietly, without reproach, without authority in your voice.

• Sorry... I just wanted to check if everything was okay.

He froze, not expecting such words. His shoulders slumped slightly, his breathing became calmer. He turned his head, looking only out of the corner of his eye. The blush remained, but a warm hesitation had entered it. He covered himself with his hands, embarrassed. The moth fluttered closer to his chest, and the fairy gently covered it with her palm. The gesture was so quiet and homely that his heart sank. —I...will finish soon. Sorry...it took me so long.