A Court of Wings and Secrets

Chapter 1: Meet and Greet

Helion and I were the first to arrive at Thesan's palace in the Dawn Court. He greeted us warmly and his servants offered us beverages as we waited for the rest of the High Lords to arrive. We currently stood by the pool, I held a drink in my hand and took in the palace. The chamber we were in had oak chairs arranged in a huge circle in the middle of the room, where all of the Lords and their appointed delegates would soon be sitting. Some of the chairs were built to accommodate wings.

Thesan's court was full of High Fae who had an array of brown colored feathered wings. I watched wishfully as they flew around setting up the last decorations or arrangements needed for the meeting. I zoned out a little too long, and Helion nudged me with his shoulder lightly. My eyes met his, and I knew that he understood the pain and heartache that being around winged Fae brought me. I gave him a small smile, and pushed the beautiful feathered wings from my mind.

"Are you glad that the Lord of the Night Court did not ask you to host?" I asked my friend beside me, "Because, surely Day Court could not have put together such a beautiful gathering."

Helion quickly turned his sympathetic gaze into a full and bright smile. "You and I both know that my gatherings are a little bit exotic for the taste of the other Lords" He said this loud enough that some of the High Fae women near us that were busy arranging bouquets of orange and yellow flowers paused for a moment to awe over his dazzling smile. He winked at them as they flew off giggling. I rolled my eyes, his advancements towards women were often so cheesy, that I couldn't fathom why they worked on countless females.

Helion was a beautiful male, he had deep brown skin, black hair, and brown eyes that glowed a beautiful yellow/golden color when he wished them to. It wasn't truly a wonder why so many females fell for his somewhat cheesy lines or advancements. The Helion I knew was funny and cleverly witty, and an extremely loyal and caring friend. I had to laugh as a few of the females glared at me, this wasn't unusual whenever I had outings with him. They always believed that I was competition of sorts, but they had nothing to fear from me when it came to his affection in that way. Helion and I had long ago decided that neither of us thought of the other in that way, especially after an extremely awkward kiss a few centuries ago.

Helion eyes followed as the females finished their duties and flew off. I snapped my fingers in front of his face. "Not what we are here for." I reminded him. We were here because of King Hybern and his advancements in arming his forces and beginning to gain traction in the Spring Court which led to the human realm. Helion had already basically decided with the Night Court, however, he wanted to meet Feyre first to really decide who he wanted to stand behind. And well I was here to play a part, especially since there was only a slight chance that my brother would actually make an appearance.

"Maybe not, but it would be a nice bonus, would it not?" Helion smiled at me. And I gave him an amused look. He stood dressed in his white single strapped tunic, paired with his golden spiked crown. And while I lived in his court, and was a part of his "inner circle" I did not dawn an attire that matched his. My dirty blonde hair was worn straight and down. My attire consisted of a floor length dark green gown that had two slits on each side, this was paired with green heels that wrapped mid up my legs. On my head I wore a golden simple band that had an emerald that hung in the center of my forehead. The only true sign that I affiliate myself with the Day Court was the golden floral cuff on my bicep.

I felt the nature shift around us, feeling shadows creeping in from the well lit chamber. "I believe the Night Court has arrived." Helion didn't respond, instead he took a sip from his drink, and angled his body so he could see the entrance to the room. Rhysand, the Lord of the Night Court, and Feyre, the—Lady of the Night Court, were the first to enter in their party. Rhysand had his Illyrian bat-like wings out on display today. And Feyre had an exquisite gown paired with a beautiful crown; she looked like a beautiful mix between darkness and starlight.