A Court of Heirs and Heiresses| ACOTAR

Chapter 11: One Bloody Blade

Song- POV Nyx She by Dennis Van Anderson
            POV Azalea Falling by Chase Atlantic

POV Azalea:
                            Shocked was an understatement when my father bombarded me at the solstice. His cold hand snaked around my forearm with a forceful grip before yanking me towards the coral doors. My ladies in waiting, who had just been talking about their evening with me gasped with a tinge of fear. The fear we had forgotten. My father's eyes stayed distant but full of anger. "I give you this privilege and you make me look like a blubbering idiot." His fingers pushed deeper into my skin causing my coloring to go from faint to red. "Ladies it's time to head home" he said while acknowledging Jaylen and Jennifer who kept their heads down behind me.

                       I was thankful every fae had moved their celebrations to the beach, I was spared from embarrassment. "The lord of Summer was gushing over you and you had to ruin it by dancing with that" he scoffed before cussing him out "son of a whore." I tried to yank my arm away but his claws started to cut the skin, hooking into me. "Fighting me makes you look pathetic Azalea, we are going home." Blood bubbled up from one of his claw marks. I kept protesting against him ignoring the pain in my right arm, desperate to stay here. Using my left arm I reached out towards the white marble staircase. My fingers were short and as I missed the railing, missed my chance of fighting. He mumbled underneath his breath "I should have kept you at home too."

                    His ridicules continued as we headed down the front palace steps and towards our carriage. "Illyrians are filthy creatures. Do you even know what they do to females and younglings?" His laugh was cruel, just another flame in the blazing fire. "If he were to ever get his hands on you he would pull apart your bones for fun, lick his teeth clean from being soaked in your blood and use your skin for a blanket" shivers went up my spine. My fathers claw still remained lodged in my arm as his other hand pressed on my back to keep me walking. "Do you think he would spare you? Do you think he would protect you? Cauldron sake Azalea you are naive." He held me back on the steps as he let my ladies into the carriage first.

                "He would throw you to the cauldron the first chance he got, sell you off to another high lord for profit and kill any babe that came from your womb" his eyes stared into mine "Is that what you want Azalea?" I quickly shook my head no but he continued on "Because if you want a cruel male I could find one within our court, no need to go so far from home" the tears were pooling in my eyes now, a burning sensation building. "I was friends once with his father, the High Lord of the Night Court" the anger once simmering in his eyes seemed replaced with agony. "He killed my brothers in front of me in our very halls. His father then murdered my mother. They never spare a soul." The paintings of my late uncles which hung in the dinning hall plagued me.

                    "But why?" I said through tears. This didn't seem like the Nyx I had grown to know. Not the one I've seen. Lucian had only warned me about my father not the Night Court. He scoffed before opening the carriage door again "What reason would they possibly need?" His eyes were lost again. I wondered back to my childhood, was my father always so cruel? As I entered the carriage I gave a look of defeat towards my fellow ladies, hoping they would remain quiet. Tamlin felt like an explosive waiting to go off. My father and Nyx's father were once friends. Maybe good friends? Why had they attacked us in our halls? What could warrant such an attack? I looked out at the fading Summer Court wondering if he was as wicked as they say.

                   The copper carriage took to the skies as everyone sat in the uncomfortable silence. The deep blue sea faded from view as did the big bonfire. The flames that licked the sky grew smaller. Clouds were darkened from the smoke, the scent of the burning driftwood reminded me of the party I had wanted to attend. Did Triton look for me? Was he worried for me? I thought my father had finished his insults against the Alarie family but I was wrong. "His whore of a mother used to make this tiny sound before she" but he stopped himself at the sight of Jaylen's bulging eyes. "Pardon me- I forget who's company I am in" he waited a moment as he continued staring at Lady Jennifer.