Sweetest Fall by Viola Grace

Orla was lured to Underhill via a candy stand, lands wrapped in ribbon, and given an out via the agreement of the autumn king. She bribes him with candy, and things do not go to plan. At a winter fair, Orla is lured by the scent of fudge to a stand that seems separated from the traffic around it. After some polite chatting, she snags her mitten on a gingerbread house, goes to disentangle it… and finds herself sitting, wearing a ribbon for clothing, and spectral instructions on how to get home are glittering on the wall.

Looking for the autumn king is a strange thing to do in heels and a fetish outfit, but when she finds him, asking him to send her home is first and foremost on her mind. He agrees, but he is going to take his time. He does not say why. Their evening devolves into chess, fudge, and foreplay. Suddenly, Orla thinks that three days might not be enough. Back home with no memory of her time in Underhill, she finds herself crying at strange times. It isn’t until she goes to arrange a donation to the museum she works for that she remembers what she’s missing.