A Court of Secrets and Moonlight

24: Royal Blood

Feyre

The throne room fell utterly silent. The only sound was the subtle thumping of my own heart beating in my ears, and the steadiness of Rhysand's hand in mine.

Lord and Lady Night.

Azriel and Mor stood on our right, Amren and Nesta on the left. My sister was dressed in a sheath of black silk, the neckline simple and brutal as she looked around the silent room. She did not gawk, did not show any sign of surprise or wonder. Nesta only lifted her chin and managed to stare down her nose at the lot of the Hewn City.

The faelight glimmered on my starlit gown as a path was cleared for us, and slowly we walked towards the throne. Twined beasts stared up at me, arching and curving to create the throne we had sat on not only a few months ago.

One throne.

Rhys only led me up the stairs, towards that singular throne I was certain he had planned for. That silence permeated the room as I sat, and Rhys perched on the arm. I lifted my chin, a wicked smile as I stared at those shocked faces. My mate let them take it in, let them understand the true depth of what my position now was. I scanned the crowd, a shadowy figure appeared in the hall, and I nodded to Rhys.

"Bow." He commanded, in a voice like pure shadows and they all fell to their knees. I stared out at them, looking down at them, at Keir who had wide brown eyes trained on us as he kept his head down.

And then she stepped into the room.

Near silent footsteps, only the brush of flowing chiffon on the marble floors and the gasps of everyone in the room.

Leuruna did not look like the female who had walked into the prison with me this morning. She did not look like the broken body that I healed with Thesan's power. She did not even look like the person who Tamlin had pulled out of the Ingysi.

She was pure starlight, pure beauty, pure power.

A shimmering, flowing gown of pure violet adorned her body. Powerful muscles and soft curves. Chiffon flowed over wide hips, crystalline jewels adorning the bodice of the dress, curving over her caramel skin. Violet black hair flowed down her back, black tattoos curling up her bare arms and shoulders. Piercing lavender eyes adorned with swoops of kohl, full lips painted the deepest red.

And the smile on her face, that was Rhysand's sister. Princess of the Night Court. A perfected mask of wickedness as those swirling shadows surrounded her. She took a moment for them all to notice her, and that silence finally broke.

Gasps sounded through the room as she glided towards us, all the poise and grace of royalty in her every movement. Every eye in the room was trained on her as she reached the foot of the dais. She ignored them all, the whispering and the shock, just stared at her brother and then me.

Leur lowered into a perfect deep curtesy, entirely a princess with each beat of her heart. The shimmering layers of her gown spread around her in a pool as she bowed her head to us.

Beautiful and brutal, the moments passed as we looked out at our court.

"Stand." The word left my mouth in the same way Rhysand had ordered them to bow. They obeyed, eyes flying between me and Leur. Azriel appeared at her side, holding out his arm to her, the other half of that vision of royal grace.

I stared down at them, at his full Illyrian armor and glowing siphons, at her beautiful gown and the power that emanated from them. Those shadows around them combined into one flowing expanse, weaving around each of their bodies indistinguishable from where one ended and another begun. It was indescribable, the way they looked with one another. Perfectly paired, perfectly matched, mates in the truest sense of the word.