A Court of Water and Shadow

2

I let out a gasp as we appeared in a large entryway. The building looked like it was crafted from black marble, and the Fae lights created an ominous glow to the place.

"Welcome to the Moonstone Palace." Rhysand said, letting go of my hand.

I gaped at the decorations that looked more luxurious than I've ever seen. There were tall arches along the walls making the palace look regal. As I spun around, my breath caught on the view from the balcony. I immediately ran to the edge and stared wide eyed at the sight, a giddy smile forming on my lips.

The palace was incredibly high up, giving me a perfect view of the mountains in the distance and the vast, snowy, forests that lie between. I braced my hands on the railing and leaned over so that I could look down.

Rhysand came up next to me. "Careful, if you fall over—"

"I'll plummet to my death?" I turned to him with the smile still on my face and rose an eyebrow. Before Rhysand could respond, I hit him with my questions. "So is it just this incredibly quiet palace or are there other cities and Fae? Do Fae just camp out in the forests? How come nobody else lives here? Are there other bat Fae around here?"

"You certainly have a lot of questions." Rhysand raised his eyebrows and shot Cassian, Azriel, and Mor a look to stop their snickering.

"And you have no answers." I turned around and leaned against the railing, crossing my arms.

With a sigh, Rhysand leaned his forearms against the railing. "There are other cities and Fae. What's your father's name?"

I blinked at Rhysand. "Jae Hart."

He looked to Azriel, who didn't seem to show any sort of expression.

"Do you know him?" I asked, cutting through the silence.

Rhysand shook his head.

I bit the inside of my cheek as an awkward silence settled over us. I inhaled, then finally came up with something to say. "Well, will you tell me about your court then?"

A small smile appeared on Rhysand's face. One that showed pride and love for his Court. It was admirable—seeing a High Lord with this much fondness over something he was born into. My High Lord, Nostrus, never wore that small prideful smile. He smiled of course, but I think it was just because he's content with the Summer Court. My mother tells me people who aren't given any choice in their future tend to dislike it. I'm inclined to believe her, but that look on Rhysand's face might convince me otherwise.

"Of course." Rhysand finally said. "I'll tell you over lunch." He gestured to the inside of the palace, so I walked forward towards Azriel, Cassian, and Mor. They led me into a dining room that was just as dark and decorated as the rest of the place.

"You can sit next to me." Mor gave me a warm smile as she patted the seat next to her, so I took it with the same warm smile.

As Rhysand sat, he snapped his fingers and a massive platter of food appeared before us. My eyes widened in shock. The amount food could easily feed an entire classroom of children.

I had never eaten with Fae this fancy before, so I decided it would be best to wait and see what Mor would do. My assumption was that Rhysand would be the first to dig in, but I was sorely mistaken when Cassian all but jumped for the plate of roasted chicken. Mor poured me a glass of red wine as I sat there in momentary shock, but she finally gave me something to do as she passed me a plate of vegetables.

When we had finally filled our plates, Rhysand spoke about his court. About what he called the Court of Nightmares and how dreadful it was and Illyria, which is where Cassian and Azriel are from. The former I found out was the Commanding General of Rhysand's Illyrian armies, which made me chuckle inwardly remembering how he destroyed the old school, and the latter was Rhysand's Spymaster. As he continued on, I noticed Azriel's shadows seemed to darken as he spoke about Illyria, but after a soft look from Mor, they seemed to soften slightly.