A Court of Horizon and Shadows

15.

The twins immediately rushed to the throne room.

Auriella begged for her fathers to be okay. She felt her heartbeat out of her chest as she ran up the flights of stairs, her brother keeping pace behind her.

Once they arrived, the doors were off their hinges, debris clouding the hallway. Her fathers were in the room, their faces pale and full of undeniable horror. And when their eyes locked, Auriella could see relief take over.

She looked around the room, acting like she was taking in the destruction, but in reality, she wanted to see those hazel eyes. And soon, she spotted them.

Azriel was looking right at her, breathing heavily. He was right next to his companions, not taking himself an inch away from them. Auriella felt the relief rush down their bond on both sides, like a wind rushing through the air. She could see a small cut on his face, but it didn't seem to faze him.

A second later, he ripped his gaze away, winnowing with his companions. Auriella immediately felt the absence of his presence, feeling like something had been torn away from her.

Zephyr went towards his children, scanning them up and down for any wounds. "Are you both alright? Are you hurt?" He asks. The twins shake their heads.

"If he wants war, he will receive it! I will mount his head on a pike for messing with my court!" Thesan yells. He turns to his guards, "Gather the soldiers of Dawn. We must prepare ourselves at this very moment! The fucking barbarian will not gain Prythian under any means!"

The High Lord walks to his children. He looks at Damian, "I know better than to ask-"

The Son of Dawn interrupts him, "Then don't, Father. I will help you kill the bastards in the front lines. I will not leave you alone nor will I stand doing nothing. Let me lead them along with Pa." He says, his voice stern.

Auriella stared at her brother. His face was full of seriousness. She had never seen him so determined to do something like this. He was asking to lead along with her father, knowing the possibility that he could die. But he trained for this, to fight for his court.

She looked to Thesan, "As I am further behind than my brother in training, I will stay with you, Father. I will use the days we have left to train and make sure I can properly wield Soulender again. But please, do not ask me to stay in the Dawn Court. I must be out there." She tells him.

Thesan looks to Zephyr. His partner takes a deep breath, turning to his daughter. "We do not want to put you in harm's way, Ella. After everything-" She interrupts him.

"I will not let the events of Under the Mountain change my decision. I want to do this. As the Daughter of Dawn, I am willing to put myself in harm's way to defend my court. If we die, then we die as a family, knowing that we tried to defeat Hybern." Auriella says.

Damian nods, "We all have been through a lot. But we need to do things together, as a family, no matter the outcome." He says.

Auriella could see the hesitation on her fathers' faces, but they did not say a word of rejection towards them. Instead, her fathers embraced them.

She would fight. For herself, her family, and her court.

***

As the days pass, Auriella finds herself standing at the Summer Court cliff overlooking the border that leads to Spring.

She had done what she said she would. She trained with her brother everyday before the battle, getting used to the movements again, letting herself recall what she had once learned. She spent the majority of her time in the training room with Damian, taking little breaks, and going to bed with pain running through her body.