A Court of Shift and shadow

Epilog

Katies POV: 

Elain and Lucien had a son that winter, a boy they named after Elains, Nestas and Feyre's father. I asked to stay behind when they all were going there to visit them. Elain was and would remain a person that I avoided at all cost. Maybe I was a bit childish but how she had acted and played with my life, I could never really move on and forgive her for that. Galad found a more neutral and diplomatic way of handling her and Lucien, all to keep the good relation the Night Court had with the Day Court.

After that winter I was back in the field. Over the years the rebel groups on the continent had started to organise themself and I was there to hold an eye on them. Nothing of the following fights affected us, they only happened and forced me and Az to be on the continent for longer periods of time. And when I was home, Galad and I took time for the two of us. Flying over the city, walking in the streets, eating dinner together. Living our life.

In the Spring Court Caspan worked on, villages grew, and around the manor what could be called a town had started to form, and his people loved him, followed him and he was a good High Lord, making sure to build trust with them. In my short visits over the following years they started to recognize me too, calling out my name when we walked by. Mother too, some remembered her time in the court before, they had mourned her death and they celebrated her return. My mother had started to live again in Spring. In her years in the Summer Court, she had lived in fear, waiting for the day Tamlin found her. And after I had shown up, she had been more on her watch and moved closer to Adriata. All to hide herself even more. But now... To see her so living.

"I did love the lands." She said when I asked about her life in the old Court one time "Even before I fell in love with Tamlin, I fell in love with the lands. To be a soldier here, guarding the weak border, I did see it as an honour. Me, a guard in the Summer Courts army, got a chance to be in this beautiful place. To fall in love with Tamlin, it was stupid, and it did ruin me. But I got Caspan, and you. And now I am back here."

"On the bad days, I used to fly high over the hills and look down. Taking it in. And after I left. That was the thing I missed the most. Especially in the first winters." I had said back.

"I did the same, even if I lived in a never ending summer, I missed the spring blossoms." Mother said and looked up at the sky. "I am glad to have returned."

Vanka and Belinda took in a young boy that had lost his parents from the Court of Nightmares. All to start a change there as well. To move all of the Night Court to be better. His name was Evan, and he had no special abilities other than getting into trouble. Sneaking out at night, and making his way to our home. Often because me and Galad had way more sweets then Vanka and Belinda. The five year old had not really understood that I was a Shifter, and some days he asked where our pet Wolf and Fox were. We had forbidden Belinda and Vanka to tell him the truth for a couple of years. Just because he was so adorable when he asked.

Azriel worked on Teran for a year before he let him pass on. At that point he had told us all that we needed to know. And I... I experienced the flood of emotions over it. relief that he was gone, anger for what he had done, grief for what I had lost to him... I had just flown high about the mountains trying to figure things out. And in the end... This was the only time in my life where no threat was around us, no fear of a war happening, no demon from the past that looked over my shoulder. I had flown home and found Galad in the training ring. His Siphons glowing in the deep purple light.

"Are you okay?" He asked when I landed.

"Yes." I said and threw my arms around him. This moment, I wanted this moment to last forever.

Kaite, what is it? I pressed my face against his chest. Smiling and crying at the same time.

Let's have a Ceremony, let's try again. Let's just live! I said back. His arms moved me closer. And he relaxed.