𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

age: 17

I stood in the sitting room with my brother, Morrigan resting her head on my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around her. My parents sat before the three of us.

Morrigan was still recovering. She'd been staying with us since she wasn't welcome at home. My mother was happy to have her here. She'd slept in my bedroom every night, not being able to stand the nightmares she had alone.

"We still need the alliance with the Autumn Court," my father explained. "Beron needs one of his sons to marry. Since Morrigan is out of the question now..."

He trailed off, and I realized with a start that he was looking at me with regret in his eyes. I glanced around the room.

"No," I said firmly. I turned to my mother. "Mamá, tell him no."

"You can't be serious," Mother insisted as she walked toward him. "She's seventeen years old."

"His youngest son, Elio, is 35," Father explained.

"No," I repeated. "I'm not marrying him."

I'd met Elio before. He did not seem as cruel as his brothers or his father, but I had no interest in him.

"I have no wish to do this, Evelina," he promised, pacing over to me. I glared at him as he stroked my cheek. "We have no choice. With war looming, we need this alliance."

"You can't just whore her out," Rhys said through gritted teeth.

"Rhysand--"

"She doesn't want to marry him," he insisted. "You can't force her to!"

"I don't want to, son, believe me," he pressed.

"Then don't!"

"You don't understand," he said. "If a war comes, we cannot afford--"

"But you can afford to sell your daughter--"

"That's enough, Rhysand!" he snapped.

Rhys glared at him and turned to my mother, who had silent tears streaming down her face. I had to look away. I hated to see her cry.

"What about my education?" I demanded. "I still have three years of schooling left."

"You don't need to be educated to be a wife," he said to me. I stared at him, eyes wide with outrage.

"I want to finish my education, Father," I insisted. "I want to keep learning; I want to do what Mother couldn't because you made her marry so young."

"That's enough, Evelina," he snapped at me, though he didn't raise his voice.

"Please just try to negotiate with him," Mother begged, wiping tears from her eyes. "Try to find another way."

"I have tried," he insisted. "I have tried every other way. I've tried to bargain and negotiate. This is all he'll accept."

"Why do they even want me?" I huffed. "I'm half Illyrian." My mother flinched at the words, and a pang of guilt ate at me.

"You're the princess of the Night Court, my dear," he reminded me. "Though, they will likely want you to put your wings away most of the time."

"Great, so you saved my wings from being clipped, and now I can't even use them," I sneered. He sighed.

"I'm very sorry," he said quietly, leaning down and planting a kiss on my forehead. "You have a week until the wedding."

"A week?" I exclaimed, tears stinging my violet eyes. My mother broke down, sobbing into her hands as she sat on the couch.