A Court so Cruel and Lovely

Chapter Two

The Illyrian war camps have been moved to be closer to where Prythian soil meets human soil. As predicted, my father has ordered me and my mother to stay in the Night Court, away from the battlefields. We were only allowed to hear more from Rhys, Cassian, or Azriel whenever they could tell us. The Night Court, my father had decided, would fight with the mortals. We would stand against the tyranny of the Loyalists. After all, there's a reason Velaris is the City of Starlight in the Court of Dreams. We strive to make things better, to make the world better.

My father moved us from the cabin to the House of Wind - our house that had been carved into the side of a mountain. He didn't want us to feel as though we were cooped up in that little cabin. The House of Wind was more spacious than the cabin. We've always known about the House of Wind. We just preferred to stay in the cabin since it's closer to the Illyrian camps.

My bedroom was done up in golds, blues, and black. Those were the colors I chose when my father first asked how I wanted the room decorated. I liked the colors then and I liked the colors now.

The bed is large enough to fit my Illyrian wings since I tended to leave them out at night. I hid them sometimes. Not out of shame of being Illyrian, but out of fear that I would be hurt for them. Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel would not be joining us in the House. They would be sleeping in tents outside the battlefields and eating measly divisions. Meanwhile, I was sleeping on a nice bed and eating nice food. I hated it.

The next time I saw my father, I begged him to let me fight. After hours of deliberation, he agreed to let me fight. The catch was that I had to wait until they were sure the battle was almost over, to keep me safe. I nearly raged in response but held my tongue. Being a princess means knowing when to pick your battles.

One day, Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel came to visit briefly. They had cleaned up and came for dinner. By the next morning, they were gone, back on the battlefield. They were off protecting the realm while I did nothing besides sewing and painting and playing music. I hated myself for it. I flew down to Velaris after telling my mother. I walked around, looking through all the shops.

It dazzled me, even though I've been there before. There are four "palaces" of Velaris, two on the northern side of the Sidra and two on the southern side of the Sidra. On the southern side, there's the Palace of Thread and Jewels and the Palace of Bone and Salt. The Palace of Jewels sells jewels, while the Palace of Bone and Salt sells food. The Palace of Hoof and Leaf is the twin square to the Palace of Bone and Salt on the northern side of the Sidra. The last Palace is the Rainbow of Velaris.

The Rainbow was what Velaris is mostly known for. It's the artists quarter. You could find anything art related - music, paints, instruments. Everything art can be found in The Rainbow. It's also my favorite part of Velaris because, deep down, I am an artist at heart. Despite me being Illyrian, I loved art. It's a way to express my emotions without actually having to talk about them. And I loathe talking about my feelings. It made me feel vulnerable in a way I'm not comfortable with.

I ended up not buying anything so I just flew back to the House of Wind. Hopefully, the next day will prove to be a bit better.