A Court of Pain and Sorrow

The High Queen

Amren was cleaning and admiring her jewelry in her home in Velaris when shadows surrounded her.

She didn't look up from her amethyst necklace, a gift Rhysand had given her many years ago, almost fifty...

Azriel emerged from the shadows and stood next to Amren.

"You need to come with me." He said.

"Why?" Amren asked, finally looking at the male.

"Mor. She called us."

Amren growled a bit, but still, she grabbed Azriel's scared hand and they both winnowed to the outside of the House of the Wind, where the Illyrian grabbed the small female and the both of them flew to see Mor.

***

C

assian was sitting in the dining table in front of Morrigan, who was smiling and drinking wine.

Amren hadn't seen her that happy for forty nine years. Not since Rhys was taken.

"Sit down. Both of you." She said, her voice filled with enthusiasm.

Azriel sat down by her side, whilst Amren took Rhysand's old spot at the end of the table.

Cassian furrowed his brows, like he always did when she sat on his High Lord's chair.

Azriel didn't say anything. He, unlike Cassian, had accepted over the last three years that their High Lord might never come back and they had to reorganize the court.

"I have news." Mor said. "A mortal girl just arrived to the Spring Court."

"My spies already knew that." Azriel turned to look at the blonde. "I told you that."

"But you don't see what this means." Morrigan stood up and clapped her hands together. "She's here! The High Queen is here! The prophecy is real! That girl will free Prythian of it's evil... Rhys is coming home!"

"A mortal girl?" Amren asked.

"A mortal girl." Mor nodded.

"She can't be... Not a single fae will follow a mortal girl." Amren shook her head.

Cassian scoffed and stood up as well, giving his back to them, he went to tur balcony.

Amren ignored him. So did Morrigan

"If she frees the High Lords and saved their courts, they will owe her. And they will follow her." Mor said, exiting to tye balcony and grabbing Cassian, bringing him back inside.

"I don't know, Mor..." Amren looked at the girl, thinking about the proposal. "She does come just in time... But the prophecy said she would rule forever. She can't be human."

"Something may happen. She could have magic, or maybe she is half fae and doesn't know, or maybe..."

"ENOUGH!" Cassian roared. "The both of you, it's enough." There was an ackward pause before Cassian sat back down, buried his head in his hands and continued speaking. "There is no High Queen, this girl will die in a couple of days and Rhys is still trapped under that damned mountain and there he will remain unless we do something... We are running out of time, we only have a year before the deal with Tamlin is off... We need to do something now."

"We can't do anything and you know it. Rhys made sure of it." Azriel said, calmly, repeating the same words again. Words he had spoken a thousand times in the past forty nine years. "We can't leave the Night Court unless Rhys breaks the spell and giving the fact he doesn't have his full powers, I don't think he can."