Azriel x OC

Chapter 2

"Uh, hi." I mentally palm myself at my idiocy.

First impressions matter.

"Hi! I'm here on the behalf of Lady Viviene, High Lady of the Winter Court. I bear a message for the Truth-Teller."

Not sure what I'd do if she asks to see the message.

"Oh! I've heard of someone as such traveling to give us a message. But why couldn't Lord Kallias just winnow?"

With a nervous shrug, all I can offer is, "Monarchs. Don't know. Don't care."

She stares at me for a long moment before inviting me in.

The moment I set foot in the house, I expected some memories to seep back in, ya know, but nope. No such luck.

I look around at the ginormous house – more like a palace – and a sense of overwhelming feelings surrounds me, almost choking me. I try to appear calm under my sister-in-law's inspecting gaze when she looks back to see if I'm following, but have to stand still, take some deep breaths, and square my shoulders with a glare at the ground.

A smile of reassurance is what takes for Feyre to move again, passing a corridor with a lot of rooms – guest rooms, I'm guessing – plus a few more rooms that look like storage.

We reach a room that feels more comfortable with love seats, couches, and a fireplace.

"Feyre! We've got a guest? Who's this lovely woman?" I almost recognize the voice. The sensual, feminine voice makes me look at the other entry of the room, where an extraordinarily beautiful woman is standing. I know who this is.

My posture stiffens and all I can do is stand and stare while my best friend, Mor, is standing in front of me. My breath comes in short pants and all I can do is stare while emotions clog my throat and I eventually fight to breathe.

Blood rushes in my head and dizziness overcomes me. Realizing I'm about to faint, I lean back on the wall to keep myself steady as I let my emotions show through my face.

I see her frown and begin to walk towards me, but my shock-filled body presses into the wall as if trying to disappear.

I'm not going to take a break from this, is all I think before I give in to the dizziness and black envelopes my surroundings.

#####

My fogged brain clears up before my lids open.

I find myself in a white, plush, and luxurious room. It's all white, but not the plain type. The artistic type, I could say. My bed, a pastel purple-colored piece of cotton, makes me want to go to sleep, but I've got to face reality and my... family.

I find myself alone and panicked. Did they send me to a hospital? That could explain the needle stuck in my hand. I suppose I don't blame them. What if a total idiot came to my house, claiming something, and fainted after seeing my husband's best friend? Delusional. I'd kick them out too. But then, I should've explained why I came here and who I am, before fainting. But then I couldn't exactly say 'Hi, I'm Rena." And faint for dramatic effect.

I've never been to the private section of a hospital, so I have no idea how to determine if this is a hospital or simply a room in the large house. My clothes are the same and I've managed to keep up my disguise, a miracle.

I sit up, hear a few bones snap – I'm getting old too fast – and roll my shoulders. I take a few deep breaths, glare at the needle, rip it off, and set to work. I try the narrower room and as suspected, it's a bathroom. The other one is not locked. Which is suspicious as fuck. But, I have to try to get to know my surroundings. So I turn the door and behold people, this is where I'm getting doomed. I feel like I'm about to faint at the sight, but this strange shadowy figure, who gives me a sense of Deja Vu, hands me a glass of some sweet drink. Likes like blood but tastes like chocolate.

That small distraction, however, is not enough to get me out of my state of shock, as I stare at the whole inner circle, my mouth embarrassingly gaping wide. 

I slam the door shut, before gifting my loud screech upon them. 

I run to the pillow and harass the fucking unlife out of it. I scream all I want, between the mix of emotions. I want to cry and laugh at the same time. 

I didn't even notice that I had dropped the red chocolate drink.

Nor did I notice that it was now standing on the bedside. 

"Why am I so embarrassing? I swear Cauldron should've swallowed me. It'd probably throw me up and get diarrhea."

"I don't think the Cauldron can get diarrhea." A semi-amused male, with long hair who has my breath hitching and tears forming in my eyes, but I remind myself that I'm too cool for that.

I lift my head, sniff a bit, not to buy time, of course. Just to, you know, sniff.

When I look at Cas, he looks a tiny little bit concerned and more amused. And that's probably because he's thinking why has someone ruined his family get-together. 

I clear my thought, as I try to come up with something. 

"Did you know apple seeds are deadly?" Insert mental facepalm.

"Yeah?" I can definitely see more of the amusement peaking out.

I take a deep breath, calm my raging heart, take a proper look at his face. I search his eyes to see if he remembers me then palm my forehead at my consecutive idiocy. 

At his raised eyebrow, I tread carefully to the danger zone.

"I'm in a disguise. And you'd be really shocked to see my real form." A tensioning of muscles is what I get, and all the amusement washes away. 

This is godforsakenly scary. And possibly fatal.

I take a leap to the balcony at the end of this ginormous room and turn to my audience.

"So, I had prepared a villainy speech which I can't seem to remember at the moment, so I'll go direct," I start, "What I'm saying is – Cas, would you please not do that? I can see your toes moving towards me." Trying not to laugh, I turn to the rest; Mor, Rhys, Az, Feyre, and my dear Amren. 

"So, I'm Rena."