𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝟏𝟗

Arya

     Two weeks have passed since our first task. A few days ago I heard Rhys visit Feyre and whatever they were talking about was all mumbled in my head. That was the first day the Wraiths had left me after a month of constantly hissing and grabbing at me.

I had been in and out of sleep that day and I think I heard Feyre tell Rhys not to bother me as it was the first sleep I'd gotten since being here. I wouldn't have known what to tell him anyway. We haven't had an actual conversation since he's known I was alive.

We had the fleeting comments sent to each other's head but we never took a moment to bring up the topic of me being alive. One, this wasn't the place to do that. Two, I don't think I'm even ready to actually process that I'm back and he's here.

I've spent 500 years not knowing if I'd get to ever see him again and now that it's happening I don't know how to accept it. This might all be a dream, a hallucination of some sort for all I know.

Today was the first time I've felt loneliness in a while. Poverty was hard, we struggled a lot and most of the time everyone in that little tiny cabin was fighting. But they were still there, we still had each other, and no matter how mad and upset we were, we still came home to hold each other in bed every night.

Now I'm here, lying on this cold cement, far from both my families.

I let a few tears roll down my cheeks as I remember the night Nesta crawled onto my bed and opened up. A few more tears came when the next image was of Elain making us breakfast the next day. Before I knew it, I let out a sob huddling into a corner of my prison cell. The wraiths quieted their hissing, almost like they were giving pity on me.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

"Look at what we have here," a voice startles me awake. I open my eyes only to hope it was glued shut at the sight of the poor excuse of a male in front of me.

I scowl at my ex Autumn fiance, "What do you want from me, Alastair."

"Oh, how I miss your face, Arya, although you're looking a little pale as of late," he mockingly says sweetly and I grabbed his wrist as he reached out to caress my face. "Don't touch me," I hiss at him.

"I don't think you have any say in that," he chuckles as he forcibly gropes me. "Her Majesty commanded your presence and when she's done with you tonight, I'll have my fun."

I fight off his hold only for the Shadow Wraiths to hold me down. Then I felt a tingly sensation shoot through my body as Alastair snaps faebane cuffs on my wrists. He then hauls me up to my feet and drags me to the throne room.

"Ah there she is," Amarantha greets me. "Isn't that beautiful, you reunited with your ex-fiance," she chuckles while the rest of the crowd stays quiet.

"Unfortunately for you, I did not summon you here to celebrate," she calls to the Attors. "Chain her up."

I kicked and elbowed anybody who came near me but to no avail. Once my wrists and ankles were chained with faebane cuffs Amarantha called Rhysand.

"Rhysand, this is your punishment for disobeying me yesterday," I watch as his eyes widen at the thick leather flogger thrown at his feet. "I'm sure after this, you'll think twice about disobeying me again."

"Give her back 50 lashes Rhysand," she orders him. "And if you go easy on her, then I'll have Alastair do it instead, which I'm sure he'll enjoy."

I let out a quiet sob in front of all the High Lords and their court as an Attor ripped my top off to expose my back.

"50 lashes Rhysand."

"It's okay Rhys," I whisper to him. "It's okay," I reassure him but he only shakes his head. "Please Rhys," I sob out. "I'd rather you than Alastair."

After a few moments, he shakily picks up the flogger and moves behind me. I would not make a sound for him, knowing my screaming of pain might just haunt him for the rest of his life. Though I couldn't stop my body's reaction and the involuntary scream I let out once the first whip hit my back.

"I'm so sorry Arya," I hear Rhys' broken voice whisper behind me before the second one came. By the thirtieth lashing, I was full-on sobbing, not caring how the whole of Prythian was witnessing me be demeaned down to nothing. Then by the end of it, my throat was sore from screaming, and my back was bloodied and reduced to looking and feeling like a tenderized meat.

"Drag her back to her cell, her cries and face is annoying me."

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

I've been shaking for three days now, with chills, and cold sweats all over my body. I haven't been able to wear a top since the lashings. The wounds on my back are still open and I can tell it's been infected. My healing power hasn't worked since they've clamped the faebane bracelets on me.

Feyre has been trying to get me to talk to her from her cell but I can barely even get a word out. My teeth clattered from the chills.

"Hey," I look up through my lashes to see Rhys crouching down in front of me. "I'm so sorry Arya," he whispers. "I'm going to heal your back, okay?"

I hug my knees closer to my chest as I feel the power seep into my back and I think I might've touched the heaven at the instant relief I've felt. Rhys then placed a thick blanket on me and wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm so sorry Arya, I'm sorry," he whispers into my hair, his arms tightening around me. "It's okay," I melt into him. "We're going to get out of here Rhys, I will do everything I can to make sure of that."

"And you will be able to finally go home," he reassures me. "I'm going to bring you home Arya."

I only nod, not yet allowing myself to accept that fact. "Has anyone else been bothering you other than the Shadow Wraiths?"

"Alastair."

Rhys pulls back to look me in the eyes with furrowed eyebrows, "He's been here?"

I avoid his eyes and I couldn't help the crack in my voice, "Yeah, he's been in and out."

"I'll kill him with my bare hands once we're out of here," he says and the tone of his voice promises a lethal death. "Two more months and we'll be home."

"I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable letting Feyre go back to the Spring Court without me," I whisper.

Rhys was silent for a moment, "We'll figure it out once we cross that bridge."

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•