starfall. [ Rhysand ]

III

the thread.

It was Kiara's second day in the Spring Court, and she found herself already immersed in the books of the library. She had only left once for dinner the previous night and had returned, falling asleep in the armchair she had claimed as her own, a book resting on her lap.
She had even skipped breakfast, determined not to waste any time.

Kiara had already learned about the War against the King of Hybern, which had led to the joining of forces between the Fae and humans, resulting in a peaceful Treaty and the division of their realms by a Wall around 500 years ago. But she didn't stop there; she delved into books discussing plants, discovering their healing properties. She also encountered tales of evil creatures roaming the lands, like the Bogge, which still sent shivers down her spine. She was so engrossed in learning about this new world that she failed to notice it was already afternoon, and she had yet to eat anything.

Kiara wandered through the halls, trying to recall the location of the dining room. Minutes seemed to pass before she finally found it, the manor being quite expansive. As she entered, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Unlike the previous day, the table was bare, devoid of any food. Her attention was drawn to a door at the far end of the room. She ventured inside and was met by two female faeries who stared at her intently. The room had white walls and sage-colored cabinets, with unfamiliar ingredients spread across tables and dirty pans and pots filling the sink.

"I... I was wondering if there was any food," she whispered timidly, her gaze fixed on the tip of her shoes.

One of the faeries didn't respond but opened a small door, from which warm smoke and a delightful sweet aroma emerged. From it, she took out a tray with various still-steaming pastries, causing Kiara's eyes to widen with delight.

"Wow. Is this how you make food?" she marveled in disbelief, gently touching one of the pastries and realizing it was very hot.

"Yes," the other faerie, who had been near the sink, replied.

"Can you teach me?"

Kiara spent the next two hours assisting the faeries, whom she learned were called Lobelia and Rosie, in cooking and baking. She discovered the difference between the two and was taught how to make a beef stew (which they would have for dinner that night) and bake a lemon cake. She cracked open eggs, learned to season meat, and with every new skill, she giggled with amazement and happiness.
The earlier sadness and confusion she felt from not knowing her identity began to fade away outside the kitchen door.

She also got to know the two maids, discovering that they had been serving the Spring Court for nearly 400 years, having started at a very young age.
Kiara was tempted to ask about the masks worn by everyone in the court but hesitated. At first, she had assumed it was normal, but neither she nor Fayre wore one, and all the drawings she had come across of previous High Lords depicted them without masks.

She decided to inquire about it later, once she had the chance to speak with Fayre.
When dinnertime arrived, Kiara left the kitchen and noticed that Fayre, Tamlin, and Lucien were already seated at the long table.

"I helped Lobelia and Rosie cook dinner today" she happily explained, noticing the looks of wonder from the two High Fae and the human.

"Then I thank you" Tamlin clapped once, and the food that Kiara had just helped prepare materialised in front of them.

"I haven't seen you all day," Fayre remarked, hoping to engage Kiara in conversation.