A Court of Fire and Sun

chapter six

A/N TW- another mention of esther's abuse/rape

*Helion*

I watched Esther as she stared so intently at the new book we had gotten her yesterday. She was more than halfway through it and it was hard to pull her out of it. She was sitting in the bay window and I was sitting at the desk in the library a few feet away from her, flipping through an adventure/romance novel I had read time and time again.

It was about a prince who was helping a princess find her brother. The two were heirs to rival kingdoms but upon her brother going missing and them finding evil omens they have to work together to not only save her brother but to save their home as they knew it. It was the whole 'sort-of-enemies to lover' trope. Which, Helion maybe would never admit out loud, he enjoyed. But beyond that the book was full of things. Gods and Goddesses, magic, even dragons.

As the princess was just about to tell the prince how she felt- A loud 'smack' came from the window. Esther had shut the book together dramatically. There were tears in her eyes, "This book is cruel."

"Cruel how?"

She chuckled, "You'll just have to read it when I'm done." She wiped away her small tears and then smiled as if it were a joke.

"Okay," I shrugged.

"You won't like it. It's not like the other romance books you read that are full of action. It's a story of just romance."

"So? I've read pure romance before. Some of it is good. Don't get me wrong, a dragon slayer whose whole kingdom is saved by the unexpected person is always nice but I can do just romance."

Esther crossed the space between us, two glasses of water appeared on the desk and she took one to drink from it. I watched as she tilted the cup up, the soft curve of her neck being exposed. I had to look down. I wanted to give her the necklace the moment we got back but it wasn't the right time. Besides, if I gave it to her now she would have just refused it. So, it sat in a box wrapped in gold paper in my study. "The other day," she started, pulling me from my thoughts, "you said you had a lot of work coming up in other courts. When will you be leaving?"

"Eager for me to go?" I chuckled lightly.

Her eyes had a silvery veil fall over them. "No. The opposite. I enjoy spending time with you, Helion. I appreciate the time you've given me these past three days." She meant since I returned home. I wanted to tell her how the actual pleasure was mine but before I could she took a seat from the neighboring desk and pulled it next to mine. "I feel safe here, I will admit. But, I'm scared he's going to come while you're away and take me. I won't be able to stop him if he comes here, he'll take me and that will cause problems between your court and theirs."

I hadn't realized that she was still worried about Eris finding her. It was foolish of me. "There is glamour on you while you're here."

"Even if you're gone?" Esther's voice was tight, the skin around her throat tightening.

"He can't hurt you anymore."

"For years I stayed in the cellar. As I grew, maybe around my thirties, was when I was able to start cleaning and leaving. After many years of being hit and beaten by not only Beron, but also by his servants, his soldiers started to seek me out. Terrance, the man I mentioned yesterday, he did terrible things to me. He took things from me I can never have back. He has left scars on me," she motioned to her shoulder. There was a scar I hadn't noticed before. It was a few inches long, like she had been cut. But she was high fae, the cut would have had to of been deep for her to not heal at all.

Who ever Terrance was I couldn't wait to find and kill him. It would be slow, I would rip his bones and limbs from him over a course of weeks maybe even months. "Once he started to seek me out he brought his cronies with him. I am damaged goods. I'm not worth anything. I am a damaged female," she repeated. The words my blood boil. Terrance and his men had raped her. No doubt Beron and them had reprimanded her for it. Ever since he had heard what happened to Mor he knew they were the type of men to think a female's worth relied on their maidenhead. "Even then. Even though I feel as if I am already nothing, I cannot go back. I would rather be dead. So, I am scared of being here without you."

Esther's voice was shaking. She had been more open with me now than ever and all I could do was think about burning the Autumn Court down from within. Everyone would have to die for what they had done to her- let happen to her. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "You are not damaged. The things that happened to you are not your fault, Esther. You are not nothing. You are everything." I wanted to tell her then, that we were mates. I had known from the moment I laid my eyes on her in the Dawn Court. I wanted her to know but I couldn't say it.

Esther let out a soft sound, she was crying. I stood and grabbed her up from the chair she sat in and enveloped her into a tight embrace. For a moment she cried but then she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly, her cry turning into a sob. "Esther," my voice was a whisper, "I will not leave you alone. I promise."

One hand was around her back and the other was on her head, pressing her close to me. I leaned down to kiss the top of her head. I wanted her to feel safe with me, always. I wanted everything here to be her choice. I didn't want her to know we were mates because I was afraid she would feel obligated to me and that was not the case. My only goal now was to protect Esther and make sure she knew that with me, here at the Day Court, she was completely free.