Nyx | Carpe Noctem ✓

Chapter 66: The Court of Nightmares

∙ Nyx POV ∙

The last month flew by in a whirl. It was almost the end of spring when the coronation and my father resigning from his position as the High Lord of this Court and my mother as High Lady was getting inevitable. My father's health had worsened a lot and in order to save his life it was the only thing we could do.

In the past weeks Madis had spent most her time in the Illyrian mountains, I often accompanied her, we spent the night in my grandmother's hut or at Emerie's place and during the day she tended to the females wings. Emerie herself had gotten her wings fixed by Madis as well and together with the Valkyries, my sister and Catrin they were now teaching and learning wing strengthening techniques.

That morning I had woken up and smiled to himself, soon would be the coronation. I was no longer terrified. I somehow knew everything was going to be good. And my father could live, weakened, but I would still have him. Madis had already been up when I woke, working on the fabric for the wings. But she had finished close before lunch and also wouldn't work for the rest of the week, or the following. There were other things we had to do now, other things we had to focus on.

"Quite gloomy," Madis whispered, her hand grabbing mine tighter. Her fingers were cold when they brushed my skin and I glanced at her — down on her actually. She looked smaller and a little intimidated, her eyes wide open, lips parted, while I guided her through the allies of the Hewn City. She was dressed in a warm coat, just like me as it could get terribly cool down here. I saw the breath in front of me and often wondered how people actually enjoyed living down here.

"It isn't called Court of Nightmares for no reason," I answered tightly and watched Madis' reaction. She pressed her lips in a firm line and nodded slowly. Madis assessed her surroundings, now narrowing her eyes, glancing at the stone walls adorned with ivy — the dark green and the dark grey perfectly fitted for the atmosphere down here.

When we passed a group of people, they bowed at the waist and Madis seemed irritated for a moment. The moment only lasted until awareness dawned on her and she glimpsed up at me. "They aren't scared of you, are they?" she asked in a calm voice, probably having noticed their timid expressions. I wished I could have told her that they weren't, but it would have been a lie.

"I think they are. Slightly at least."

"Why?"

"I..." Actually I did not really know. It had always been like that — the people down here had a lot of respect for my father, were afraid and since I had matured, now apparently also of me. I had never questioned it, it just had always been like that. I gave Madis' hand a soft squeeze, hoping she would just drop the topic. It was not that I did not want to answer, I just felt stupid because I did not know the answer. I pulled Madis into my arms and kissed the top of her head. "Why, Nyx?" she asked against my chest, pressed her chin against me and looked up. Her eyes were filled with an emotion I could not place and for a long moment I just looked at her, hoping the emotion would fade and we could just walk on. But it was different with Madis, had always been, she was curious and she wanted me to open up. And I had to open up, I had to tell her everything — I wanted to tell her everything. There was no thought, no emotion I wanted to hide from her. She should know everything, already knew most things.

"I have been questioning myself the same to be honest," I said in absolute honesty. Madis looked a little surprised, I assumed she had expected an answer about power relations or something. "I don't know, it has just always been like that. I thought it was normal that my father had all this power and made the Hewn City inhabitants his subjects and treated them differently than the other Night Court inhabitants." Madis looked thoughtful and swallowed. I felt her hands stroke up my back, getting close to my wings before they moved downwards again.