A Court of Lies and Secrets | ACOTAR fanfic [Girl x Girl]

The Letter

I sit at the desk below the large glass window– stars marked along the frames. The large chair shaped perfectly for the many Illyrian wings of this household.

I pull out the letter stored in the drawer and drag a finger over the familiar spidery letters of Adara's writing.

I always figured you'd ask this question– spent many hours over-thinking my answer. You'd think I would've perfected it by now.

I loved my travels– all of Prythian is beautiful and I never believed I could settle in just one court. I have made many friends and memories in each court– and whilst some courts are overly protective of their people to the point of nearly killing outsiders who cause too much trouble, I won't ever regret my life.

I remember the day I strolled into the Winter court at the peak of its coldest temperature– word around the town was that that was the coldest in decades. It must've been my umpteenth visit to High Lord Kallias's court and as surprised as I am to have settled in a court, I am even more shocked I chose the Winter court of all places!

I remember watching you that evening in the markets– watched your every move toward the poor weaver's stall, stocked with the highest quality blankets. But you didn't care about that. All you wanted was the warmth of a blanket– expensive or no. She beat you in front of the crowded market and not a soul turned to interfere, nobody helped. It broke my heart to see such mistreatment towards a helpless young babe and I marched over there– head held high– and told her what's what.

As you can imagine from past experience with the other youngsters, I might've over reacted ; sent a complaint to Kallias himself– demanding he take action and help those of his people that aren't able to help themselves. Whether he received, read or even cared about the letter was a different story.

I dragged you into an abandoned cottage that I stayed in whenever I visited the court and tried to pry any information out of you whilst you crouched before the flickering flames of the ugliest and overly-sized fireplace you'd ever seen. You said nothing for two days straight but ate the meals I put in front of you and slept in the bed I provided.

I promised I would wait for somebody to claim you before I took a step out of this court– out of this town. Obviously I never told you that.

But eventually we ran into youngsters such as yourself– with a similar helpless glint to their eyes and a pained crease in their foreheads. Suddenly, I wasn't just caring for you, and I was to protect many children of the town– to be their mother and father all in one.

I thought about continuing my travels for centuries– considered taking you all along with me and perhaps taking in other troubled youths from other courts along the way. I guess I was too afraid-

She stayed- for me? Adara stopped her adventures, the very thing she loved most about life, to protect and care for me and others like me because the High lords of Prythian couldn't be arsed to do it themselves. Kallias can't protect his own?

Anger boiled inside me as the memories of seeing my siblings in the streets before Adara took them in and the stories they shared– everything they'd experienced of life that chipped away pieces of Adara's heart each time.

The people in the markets and in the town avoiding the youngsters on the streets like a plague or ignoring their very existence– who could pretend as if they weren't a problem in need of care?

A gentle tap on my shoulder broke me out of my trance and a pair of hands planted firmly on each shoulder.

"Alirra! I've been calling you. You were mumbling ; you looked in pain. Are you ok?" Ren's concern-flecked eyes met mine and sighed as if washing away the rage.