A Court of Stars and Memories

15. Attempting Introductions

    Mitsi's day passed in a flurry of excitement. She hardly had a moment to catch her breath as Eira whisked her from part of the city to another. They visited all four of the Palaces and had spent an unseemly amount of time in the Palace of Thread and Jewels, simply browsing through the many clothing shops.

    Eira had tried to persuade Mitsi to purchase a tunic and a pair of pants which she insisted would look stunning on her, but Mitsi declined. Until she was more comfortable in the Night Court as a whole, she'd stick to wearing familiar clothing at the very least.

    After exploring the Palaces, Eira had taken her to the Rainbow, where Mitsi was completely awestruck by the sheer beauty and artistry of the place. Every inch of it was gleaming with color. Paintings covered entire sides of buildings.

    There were art lessons happening in the streets and musicians playing on every corner. There were theaters and dance studios and art galleries. Eira had even pointed out some paintings featured in the front window of one shop and explained they had been donated by Feyre, Seren, and even Lysander.

    Mitsi had spent several minutes looking at Lysander's painting while Eira spoke to a saleswoman lingering outside the shop. The painting had been of a snowy, spruce filled landscape.

    Lysander had captured a beautiful night sky pooled behind the trees, and there was even a small, glowing moon, from which beams of pale light washed over a snowy owl perched on one of the branches.

    The painting was still on her mind when Eira led her out of the Rainbow and back to one of the Squares, where they stopped for a very late lunch. Or perhaps an early supper, Mitsi giggled to herself as she took another bite of the sandwich on her plate.

    She'd let Eira choose her meal and didn't regret that decision one bit. The sandwich was delicious, and the soup accompanying it even more so. "What do you think you'll do tomorrow?" Eira asked.

    Mitsi swallowed her mouthful before answering. "I'm not sure. I imagine I'll either stick around one of my siblings or I'll come to Windhaven again."

    "I hope you do. Orion and I both had fun yesterday." Mitsi smiled and resumed eating. A bell jangled behind them, announcing the arrival of another customer. Eira perked up and Mitsi followed her gaze.

    A beautiful High Fae female had entered. Her skin was pale, though not as pale as Mitsi's. She had ebony hair even darker than Mina and Micah's, and her silver eyes lit up with recognition when she caught sight of Eira.

    "Hello," the female said, approaching with a smile. "Who's your friend, Eira?"

    "This is Mitsi Rohese," Eira answered. "Mitsi, this is Azalea. She's..." Eira paused and knit her brows.

    "A friend," Azalea answered swiftly. She offered Mitsi a hand and shook hers gently. "So you must be one of those siblings everyone is talking about."

    "Everyone?" Mitsi echoed, nervousness creeping down her spine. Did everyone in the Night Court know who she and her siblings were and why they were there?

    "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean everyone everyone. I heard you were coming from a few of my friends. It's just easier to clump them all together than list their names individually."

    Mitsi couldn't stop her sigh of relief. "Oh, I see. I was a little worried for a moment."

    Azalea offered her an apologetic smile, then turned to Eira. "I should be going. I've got dance practice in thirty minutes, so it will be a quick lunch for me. It was nice to meet you, Mitsi." They both nodded as the female bustled off to place her order.