Eblis survived years of torment in the hands of Hybern, an enemy continent disrupting the peace of Prythian and the Human Realms below it. She suffered things many wouldn't be able to handle, and lived in the shadow of it's king for five fear-filled...
When she looked up to gauge their reactions, she found Rhys and Cassian to be sharing a glance, which they quickly turned on her.
"The Princess Madalyn, you say?" Cassian asked casually, leaning back into his seat.
Eblis sighed, nodding. "She is only two centuries old, and I have known her since she was a child. Madalyn is the only reason I lasted these past few decades, as I was close to giving up."
"She visited you?" Feyre's head tilted inquisitively, blue-gray eyes seemingly peering into her soul. Eblis chewed on her lip, debating where to start. The beginning, she decided, and spoke.
"After the second century, I was utterly broken to their will," Eblis began, voice growing soft with the memory. It seemed that today, she would be spilling her story to whoever listened. "They trusted me, but ultimately they knew that I would do anything to avoid being...bothered that night. And thus began a series of decades spent doing menial tasks; filling in for laundresses who promised to hide me at night if I did their job; cleaning and cleaning and cleaning the floors of the castles for the maids who said they could offer a closet for me to sleep in; covering up for guards who didn't want to do their jobs who, in turn, promised they would protect me. It was endless, but I was grateful for every piece of linen I cleaned and the sparkling floors I left because it meant another night free of my cell.
"As I went, the jobs got bigger, worse, and more dangerous. I started filling in for hunting parties so I could spend a few days out under the stars, started catering and working in the dining halls in the mornings to be warm in the heat of the kitchen, I even managed to scrape up a few coins to pay for my lies." Eblis waved a hand. "At some point I found myself within the room of the princess, after centuries of breaking my back until people doubted I still knew my name. Madalyn was but a child, and yet she was already broken and abused, shy and quiet and never demanding of my service."
"You left her behind when you fled."
Eblis bit her lip, Feyre's statement echoing within her with a resonating, dull thud of pain. "Yes," she said softly, "I left her behind. Because she had to stay and because I had complete and utter trust of what a Queen she would be one day. The king was dead, and I had no doubt she would quickly rise to the call. She doesn't want to be Queen, doesn't want that responsibility. But she wanted to stay-to cover for me." Gods, she just wanted to curl up into a ball and never speak again. There were so many stories, so many grievances she wanted to release from her chest, but she didn't have time. Maybe one day, though.
The door clanged open, Eblis starling from her stupor.
Everyone looked to Mor, who was immaculately dressed and hair a fine gold in the warm lights, face slightly pale. Eblis straightened as those warm brown eyes landed on her, as they frowned.
Her mouth had trouble working. "Mor!" she settled on saying. She stood quickly, throat terribly tight. She felt tears threaten her eyes again as the females surveyed each other. Mor's face was aghast, her eyes similarly lined with silver as she stared and stared and stared at Eblis as if she were going to disappear.
Mor took a step forward, stumbled, and stepped back to the spot she had left. She shot a glance at Rhys. "Let me hug her," she said, a slight frown creasing her brows. Rhys raised a brow, letting the wall of hard air dissipate with a small thought.
"As much as I would love to see you strangle the daylights out of her-"
"-I don't like being touched," Eblis finished with a wince, and Rhys shrugged. Mor's frown dissipated. Her face stiffened as she took a second glance-over at Eblis. This time around, she seemed to note the scars and shorn hair and hidden wings-wings she had never hid before her family and friends before. The female met Eblis's gaze, and though her eyes were still watery, there was an utter steel in her gaze.
Mor stepped forward despite Rhys's warning, but only got close enough that Eblis had a veritable bubble around herself. "It's okay." Eblis's face faltered as Mor said the words. The female offered the purest sympathy she could. "You don't have to be strong, I understand." The room came to a stand-still as Eblis's shoulders curled inwards, some dam relinquished within her.
Morrigan had once been the subject of a marriage alliance with Eris, a Lord of Autumn, Eblis recalled. Her cousin had been so devastated that she'd slept with Cassian so she would be deemed unfaithful and dirty-thus ending the engagement. However she was still shipped off to Eris. And was returned with a sign nailed into her stomach. So of course she understood-Eblis didn't know why she'd ever thought Mor would judge her.
She didn't know why she'd thought any of them would judge her.
"I've spent too long away from you, people." She sobbed again as Mor offered a soft smile, Rhysand and Feyre standing as if to comfort her. Trust and sympathy are two very different things, she remembered Feyre saying. But even sympathy without the trust was the most healing thing she had felt in awhile.
"I'm so sorry for touching you in the Artist's Quarter," Cassian said in the quiet. Sun glittered on his dark hair. "I didn't know that that was why you'd gone so pale." He bared his palms to her, the apology evident.
She only shook her head. "It's not your fault. I just-" she paused, chewing on the inside of her cheek, the taste of salt from her tears on her tongue. "After all those nights in Hybern, I would prefer to not be touched. By anyone," she quickly explained, the words stumbling from her lips. Eblis looked to Mor, a pang going through her as she registered the understanding in her deep brown eyes.
Eblis remembered Mor from when she was just a child. There had been such a haunted gleam in her cousin's eyes, and it was only a few years later that Eblis learned of what had happened to her. What Eris and the Court of Nightmares had done. It was the main reason she'd survived through every night in Hybern, the thought that Mor could still smile and laugh even though she'd been sold and had a sign nailed into her abdomen because she'd been 'tainted' much like she had.
Eblis hoped Morrigan registered the gratitude in her eyes, hoped that she understood why.
"What about the king? Did he know about your...situation since he gave so much interest at first?" Cassian asked, disrupting everything. Eblis slowly looked away from Mor and frowned, fingers wringing themselves.
"No. I don't suppose he did." Eblis glanced away. "After that first night, he pretty much ignored me until I came into his service again. It was how I came to defend and protect his daughter, Madalyn. And later join the Naval fleet."
"Wait, hold on a minute. What?" Mor asked, looking as confused as a fish on dry land. She kept glancing between everyone, silently begging Rhys to explain.
"I'll show you later," he said, sighing.
But before anyone could answer, a heavy thud shook the earth, which was quickly followed by the door swinging open and slamming against the wall.
Eblis's eyes met that of Azriel, and her breath whooshed out of her.
***
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