The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman

Chapter 5

~ Rhys ~

Yes, I had peeked into her mind. Her expression seemed so cleared of uncertainty that I couldn't resist.

She isn't afraid of me.
That makes me so happy.

I don't let go of her whilst I think of where I want the shadows to take us. My arms are wrapped around her waist, which is working wonders to my usually calm heart. I bury my face into her copper hair, which shines as a beacon in the night, and breath in deeply. It feels so right to have her in my arms.

We land in Night just in front of my own forest. The moonstone path which stretches into the forest behind us continues on in front, glowing softly and leading the way through the immediate village which circles my palace.

I know when Feyre has opened her eyes as I hear a sharp intake of breath. I feel a little worried about her first impressions before I recall all the precautions I took to make my Court as hospitable as possible. Refusing to look into her mind for answers, I reluctantly removed my arms from around her waist - she hadn't immediately run from my grasp - and stood close beside her before nervously asking, "Do you like it?"

Her eyes flick up to mine before moving to the sky where they grow impossibly wider.
"I've never seen anything like it. " she answers, vaguely.
"I'm going to assume you're starstruck." I tell her, trying to hide my nervousness behind my impenetrable cocky barrier.

I chose my words carefully as when trying to imagine the Court from Feyre's point of view, I see the stars as the main attraction. As it's the equivalent of day, the endless night sky is painted with whirls of dark and some lighter blues, lilacs and deeper purples and even the faint green of the northern lights. The stars aren't diminished by the background of mixed colours, instead they continue to glow as millions of pinpoints of light in the semi-darkness. In front of us, the shining moonstone path flows through the village and branches off through it, giving the Court an eery glow. As it's the only source of light by the edge of this forest, excluding the stars, I've always felt although it was the only thing binding me to the ground when I feel inclined to float away.

Feyre's mind was brushing against the edges of mine once again in her... excitement? Ignoring the possibility of intrusion, I was feeling excited myself, finally being able to show her around. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable by intwining our hands, so I put a light hand to the small of her back and began to direct her along the path, giving her the scenic route.

I kept my eyes upon the most beautiful sight, Feyre herself, as we drifted along the path through the quiet village leading up to the palace. I had enforced a curfew for when I estimated this walk to take place so that Feyre could adjust without the awkward stares of my people following us. The Night Fae are well know for their intimidation factor.

She glanced down at her own feet which were indeed treading softy although she had been fae for years. Clearly a natural when under the right circumstances, I thought smugly. She quickly returned her gaze to the street we were walking down which was lined with a mixture of black marble and oak grand ornate buildings. Some had small decorative turrets and similar quirks to keep from looking overly uniformed. Although the front of the stores seemed small and individual, at a second glance it was clear they stretched far back and each had at least two stories. As was common in the Court, the bright and colourful doorways seemed to cleverly contrast all the black; in addition, the stars reflected the buildings pleasantly so the Court didn't look overly depressing, per say.

She absorbed all this and doubtlessly more as we passed through the town and made our way up the moonlit driveway. The palace was quite far in front of us, without any protective gates as one would expect. The Night Fae know not to defy me and any not many armies would be able to make it this far into Night. Not to mention they would need my direct permission to cross the border first. The palace at the end of the driveway was large and as intricately detailed as you would expect. It was charming, and not overly demanding, yet it was not the true wonder of the Court.

You see, the driveway was lined with trees which were much different than what I supposed my mate was accustomed to. The trunks were made of the black oak of the village buildings but the leaves reflected silver. This silver reflected the starlight around the forest keeping up a full glow even once you left the moonstone path.

I turn to Feyre who was still walking in silence, her eyes observing everything at once.
"There is an old Night tale often told to children which tells that when the stars were pulled out of Night onto the rest of the world, they weeped tears of starlight for only Night, distraught that it's most striking feature would be less unique. When these tears landed on trees in Night, the leaves transformed from ordinary to the breathtaking sight they are today, allowing Night to forevermore remain the most beautiful."

She looked at me, her blue eyes shining along with the stars and the leaves. Then she took my hand in hers without saying a word, and together we continued up the path.

Heyy, thanks for reading this and sorry for posting it so late at *wink* Night but I've only just finished it, you see. I hope you like this interpretation of the Night Court as well as *sigh*, Rhysand. Please comment if you've enjoyed it or if you see any grammar/ tense mistakes so I can improve for you guys.

I'll have another chapter ready soon ;) xxx