A Court of Night and Light

The Southern Wastes

Feyre

I dressed in a black breath-taking gown from the endless wardrobe. It is strapless and the skirts waved to the ground, the waist is decorated with a string of silver pearls. The skirt is endorned with pearls as well, it was amazing. Aelin insisted I wear matching black pearl dangling earrings.

Mor took a pale red dress which is long sleeved, hems embroidered with gold and diamonds. Amren just picked out a grey knee-length dress that have sleeves hanging off her shoulders, she wore silver bracelets on her wrists.

Nesta chose a elegant midnight blue gown which is also strapless, hair swept up in a elegant bun. Elain chose a saffron elbow length sleeves gown, endorned with emeralds and pink jewels. She want to see Lucien very bad it seems

Aelin's lady-in-waiting, Lady Philipa gave Viviane a snow blue dress with flowing long sleeved, skirts of light blue to dark blue ranged down the overlapping fabrics of embroidered snowflakes. She spun her hair into a loose ponytail with snowflake sapphire pins.

Aelin's court is stunning. Lysandra in a teal gown with flowing sleeves endorned with silver at the hems. Elide in a pink simple gown. Yrene chose a green dress that have a overlapping fabric from the waist.

Aelin was amazing. She was in a light violet long sleeved gown that had translucent fabric springing out from the waist and onto the dress of embroidery gold curls, a long tranalucent cape attached to her gown. She wore gold leaf earrings and her crystal crown. Her golden hair swept in a high ponytail. Her gold heels clicked against the marble floor as she made her way down.

Everyone was in the throne room waiting, all dressed and ready.

"You sure took your time," Cassian drawled, his wings tucked in. I pouted slightly, "But I look okay, right?"

Rhysand pecked me on the check, whispering, "You look stunning." Prince Aedion handed Aelin a golden blade which hilt has a large ruby on it. She took it and it vanished in her hands, she took out a dagger and slide it across her wrist. Red welled up in its wake.

She dipped a finger in the blood and crouched down. Aelin started to draw marks on the pristine floor, red flowing down her wrist.

"Rule one," Aedion said, holding up a finger.

"What rules?" Amren asked, jingling her silver bangles.

"Things not to do when you are in front of the Queen of the Southern Wastes, obviously," Lysandra said.

"Rule one, do not display your magic in front of the queen. Even though it is the Black Moon." Aedion said.

"What is a Black Moon?" Elain asked, twirling her brown-gold curl on a finger.

"A moon eclipse, magic don't work on a Black Moon unless you have night magic and the magic and of the Wastes. So I highly suggest you don't display it." Aedion warned.

"Second, whatever you do," Lorcan said, "Don't piss her off, the consequences aren't pretty."

"Okay, we can do that." Cassian said as Aelin stood up, her wound had already been healed by Yrene and she wiped the blood off her hands with a cloth. She stepped away to reveal a spinning misty blue purple portal in the ground.

"What. Is. That." Mor asked.

"A portal to the Southern Wastes. You can't get there in hours on a horse so we rely on Wyrdmarks for a portal." Aelin said, dropping into the endless pit.

I screamed as she disappeared into the hole. "Your turn," Elide said, Mor and Azriel dropped in. We went in one by one. I felt a stinging sensation on my skin as we emerged in a thriving land full of flowers and nature.

Cottages with children running about and waterfalls crashing from high rocks to rivers.

"Welcome to the Southern Wastes." Aelin flourished a hand at the breath-taking landscape. At the end, stood a proud magnificent palace which walls are glossy gold that reflected the light. Mountainous regions beyond the back of the land.

"Wow." Nesta breathed, looking around.

"I know. It is all done by the queen herself." Elide giggled, grasping Lorcan's hand.

We walked down the path and a few stopped to look at our dark wings. And then continued to buy or sell whatever they were doing.

"Do you know," Aelin said after a while, "This very piece of land is cursed?"

"Really?" Elain asked.

"Yes, it was a piece of wasteland last time until the queen broke the curse so that her kind may thrive in this land." Aedion said as we reached the high gates.

The gates groaned open automatically as though it had been expecting us. The courtyard was grassy and bursting with colours, it was spring here which I hate so much. But this was different, I smell sorrow, hardship, hope and joy from the flowers, like they went through hardships of their own to grow in this piece of land.

The gates shut behind us as we walked through the opened front doors into the well-decorated hallways.

I glamoured my mating tatoo, just in case Tamlin is around. I felt a tap of approval on my shield.

Aelin led us down the hallways, corners and turn. Until we stopped in front of two large doors that opened itself.

I gasped.