A Court of Beasts and Shadows >ACOTAR Fanfic

Chapter Fifteen

"It's not going to work."

"Yes, it will."

"No, it won't."

"Yes, it will. Now shut up before I shove a cushion into your mouth."

I threw a purple cushion at Rhys who dodged it easily and smirked at me.

It had been five days since Azriel and Cassian kidnapped me.

Well...technically they did kidnap me, but I did want them to. I hadn't wanted to go to the Spring Court with a High Lord. But I didn't want to spend an eternity hiding out in Velaris!

It wasn't like Rhys or Azriel or Cassian or Mor were keeping me in Velaris. I was able to leave if I so wished, but I didn't want to.

If I left Velaris, there was a high chance Tamlin would find me. If I stayed in Velaris, I would be bored for an eternity.

So how did I choose between boredom and prison?

Well...boredom obviously for most people. But I'm only twenty! I want to live, see everything! And now some stupid High Lord is going to ruin it for me!

I could travel through the human lands...wait no. They'd most likely shoot ash arrows at me.

I could always join Bryaxis in the cavern. He was harmless enough to me. I could find a few playthings for him.

"We could just throw Tamlin to Bryaxis. Let him have a High Lord for a play thing."
I turned around and saw Rhys there and sighed. "Can't I get some peace around here? First, I find out I'm mated to a High Lord, second, I find out I'm the niece of the High Lord of the Winter Court, third, your overgrown bats kidnap me."

"You know about Dekara" it was a statement of fact and when he took a step towards me, I watched him warily. "Try to remove all trace of my conversation with Kallias from my mind and I will never return to Velaris."

My father sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around me. "I would never mess with your memories" he told me, all trace of warmth gone from his face. "I didn't tell you of Dekara because..." his voice cracked at his next words, "I promised her I would keep you safe and I failed her. I failed you. Amarantha took her from me and kept you a prisoner for fifteen years. I kept you a secret from everyone, scared to tell anyone about you. I did everything in my power to keep Amarantha from spilling my most treasured secret to ensure you would never be discovered. Children of the High Lords are born with targets on their backs, word will travel fast now, that the daughter of the High Lord of the Night Court is mated to the High Lord of the Spring Court, and the fact your related by blood to Kallias is worse. If an enemy of mine was to get their hands on you, they could use as a bargaining chip or worse, for breeding. You were born of ice and shadows and you're a shadow-singer. If you discovered the full extent of your powers, you could be a very powerful High Fae who resides in my court. I love you, you are my child, and trust me I would love nothing more than to keep you in Velaris, to ensure Tamlin never touched you again. During that meeting, I wanted to rip him limb from limb for daring to put a hand on you, and I promise you, Azriel wanted to do the same."

I looked into his violet eyes. "I don't care about your enemies. You never failed me. I am proud to be your daughter, and I will run from your enemies for the next thousand years if I have to just to prove that to you. Those fifteen years I spent as Amarantha's prisoner, you could have left me to her wrath, but you visited me. You told me of the sky, of the beauty of the night and the stars. And for that I am thankful. If I could change who my father was, I wouldn't. For those fifteen years, Amarantha told me every day that the reason she did those things for me was because you were my father, and for all those years, being tortured and humiliated by her hand, I never once had a bad thought about you, I never hated you, and anyone who speaks a bad word against you, anyone who dares to say the name 'Amarantha's Whore' to my face about you, I will rip apart."

The tears that shone in Rhys's eyes spilled down on to his cheeks and I felt my own tears surface. "Thank you for your love" said Rhys hoarsely and we held each other.

****

I laid down in the field I found not far away from Velaris, staring up at the night-sky, seeing the stars shine so brightly. The grass was soft under my body and the shadows that constantly whispered about me were for once, silent.

I had long ago made my decision. But I feared keeping it. How would I cope? I would visit Velaris, to see Rhys, Azriel, Cassian, Amren, Mor and even Feyre, who I seemed to have built a fragile friendship with. I couldn't bare leaving Rhys and Azriel, Azriel who I spent hours with, training, the only one I let see my wings, and the only one who ever would see them.

Rhys had already said he would visit, to make sure I was alright, and that at the first sign of looking pale or sickly, or merely walked different, he'd throw Tamlin into the pit with Bryaxis.

I found that oddly reassuring.

I knew my choice and hoped I didn't regret it.

Tomorrow I was going to go to the Spring Court.

*********

Okay I am so sorry for the wait!

I got writers block and couldn't think of anything, but oddly after waking up from a great sleep, I felt ready to write!

I am already working on the new chapter that hopefully will be up by either tomorrow or Sunday but sadly when Monday comes, school starts again.

The next chapter will be when she says her goodbyes and goes to the Spring Court, and don't worry I won't leave it at like "and Rhea stepped into the Spring Court" and end the chapter. I will have her meeting with Tamlin etc.