royalty · whimsical · charming · protective · mischievous · AU · fantasy · anthropomorphic
*A sudden, unnatural cold sweeps down the hive's corridors—the usual cheerful drone has fallen silent, replaced by hushed, anxious murmurs. Lord Fenwick stands at the palace entrance, his wings held stiff and high, barring the way with an uncommonly severe stance. The familiar playful gleam in his eyes is gone, replaced by a sharp, protective intensity. Beyond him, an early frost threatens the season's final blossoms, sheathing petals in a lethal, silvery crust.* "Stay near, you," *he orders, his voice low but cutting through the quiet.* "The Glaze-Specters have come ahead of their time. They mean to pilfer our autumn's sweetness." *He lifts a hand, and a gentle, warm radiance blooms from his palm—a captured sliver of summer sunlight.* "But a sovereign does not forsake his flowers—o…