A Court of Chaos and Confusion - An ACOTAR Rewrite

Chapter 3

Once we were in the tree line I was surprised to find a white horse patiently waiting - unbound - which lowered its head in what I'd almost describe as a sign of respect toward the beast as we approached. The beast motioned with a giant paw for me to mount the horse, which easily followed the large golden faerie beast through the snow once I did so. I savored the warmth of the horse against my half-frozen body, and I was surprised to find the faerie beast and the horse were nearly the same size. We headed northward, toward faerie territory, and I tried my best to ignore the clenching of my stomach so tightly it ached, clutching the wooden figurine my father had left with me - a crescent moon.

I was never compared to the sun, despite my inability to give an ingenuine smile and laugh, even in the darkest of times. I was more like moonlight - illuminating the darkness with a brief reprise of light. 

I was still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I would be living out the remainder of my life on his lands - probably living with him. Perhaps it was merciful. I knew the treaty forbade faeries from taking us as slaves, but I wasn't sure if that still applied if you'd murdered a faerie yourself. Once I was in Prythian there was no hope I could find my way back home. I looked up into the sky, catching the moon through the trees, and sent up a silent prayer that whatever happened to me, my family would truly be safe. That was the only way I'd be able to banish them from my mind and focus on myself, on surviving, and not falling prey to the faeries that lay beyond the Wall.

Prythian. The word was a death toll that echoed through me again and again.

As we continued northward I found myself going back through everything that had happened back at the cottage. Lands - he'd said he had lands, but what kind of dwelling? The horse I was riding was beautiful, the saddle crafted of rich leather, so I could only assume he had some form of civilized life. I'd been told stories by my mother growing up of faeries and High Fae, but never of how they lived, just their deadly abilities and appetites and to stay as far away as possible from them. Of the tortures I'd endure if I ever went beyond the Wall. I clenched the reins to keep from shaking - he could probably smell the fear on me and I refused to give in to that way of thinking, it never did me any good.

As far as we knew the High Fae had divided Prythian and it was ruled by seven High Lords - beings of such unyielding power that legend claimed they could level buildings, break apart armies, and butcher you before you could blink. I didn't doubt it. As for the other lands, High Fae still governed the large parts of our world - from the enormous island over the narrow sea separating us from the massive continent, across depthless fjords and frozen wastelands and sandblasted deserts, all the way to the great ocean on the other side, and of course Prythian. Some faerie territories were empires, while some were overseen by kings and queens, but only Prythian had High Lords.

The reasons behind why we were granted so little territory and the fae so much have been lost to time, most of our libraries burning in some long-forgotten war, but the legends and stories remained. I would give quite a lot to read the true histories of Prythian, but not my life. At least I had that to look forward to - if the beast with the horns spiraling toward the sky stalking in front of me had access to civilization, that meant he had access to books, and perhaps the fae kept better records than we humans had managed to over the last several hundred years since the Wall went up and the Treaty was signed by both sides.

The Wall was days away, and I figured we would be making camp at some point. I knew it was futile to try and escape, to fight my way out, but that didn't mean I wouldn't be on my guard. Maybe talking to the faerie would help. I had killed his friend, but maybe in inviting me to stay with him, he was hoping to fill that void, not feel so lonely.

There was no weakness I could detect in the large beast lumbering before me, but after wracking my brain I couldn't think of a faerie that matched his description, so I decided to ask " What manner of faerie are you?" My words were nearly swallowed by the snow and the night and trees around us. He didn't reply, nor would I if our roles were reversed, so I decided to try a different approach. "What's your name?" at least this way I'd be able to properly curse him for uprooting me from my life and leaving my family to fend for themselves, alone, in the middle of winter, if we weren't going to pretend to be pleasant towards one another.

A huff of air that could have been a bitter laugh came from the beast. "Does it even matter to you, human?" This time I didn't answer, honestly unsure if it did or not. Not wanting to lie to the faerie, I weighed my answer and decided I did want to know the name of the faerie who was showing me mercy as opposed to ordering death, when a growl of annoyance ripped out of him and a charged, metallic tang stung my nose. Exhaustion slammed down upon me and blackness swallowed me whole.

***

I awoke with a jolt atop the horse, secured by invisible bonds. The sun was already high in the sky - so much for making camp.

Magic - that's what the tang had been, what was keeping my limbs tucked tight, from falling off the horse. I recognized the power deep in my bones, as if from some collective primal memory of terror. How long had he kept me unconscious? And had he done it just to avoid speaking to me? Because if so, that's rude as fuck, and not a great way to start out my new existence living out my days on his lands.

Gritting my teeth I was about to demand answers from him when chirping birds flitted past me and a mild breeze caressed my face and I spied a hedge-bordered metal gate ahead.

My prison or my salvation - I couldn't yet decide which - we were already here.

I did the math in my head. Two days - it took two days from my cottage just to reach the wall and enter the southernmost border of Prythian. Who knew how far into Prythian this faerie lived, how long we'd been traveling? Had I been held in an enchanted sleep for that long? The bastard.

The gate swung open without porter or sentry and the beast continued through, the horse followed after him without my direction.