The Prophecy - ACOTAR

Chapter 72

When the group had all arrived at the Court of Nightmares, Rhysand's voice echoed through Astrids mind. This is Feyre's night.

She rolled her eyes at the unspoken order that hid behind his words. She hadn't planned to cause any sort of scene but she kind of wanted to now, but that was not something she had the liberty of doing anymore. Especially not after she accepted the responsibilities that the Mother and the Cauldron had thrust upon her on the day of her birth.

As Feyre took her seat on the throne with Rhysand perched on the arm, the rest of them took positions around the base. Azriel was moving to take his normal spot beside Mor when Astrid gently grabbed his hand. She pulled him up a few steps, so they were slightly above the rest but still below Feyre and Rhys.

Astrid. Rhysand growled into her head, already seeming to assume she had something planned.

Astrids lip curled up in response as she mentally replied to him, Calm down. I am allowed to make a statement Rhysand.

He didn't say anything else to her, but she could still feel is irritated stare burning at her back, he didn't believe her entirely, but Astrid would show him she could act like a Queen. She would show him them all that she was growing, that she could repurpose the training she received in Hybern.

Rhysand's voice rang throughout the hall as he commanded everyone to bow to Feyre. Astrid felt Azriel move to lower himself, so her hand shot out to grasp his elbow, her silent communication that he didn't need to do that. The only being he would lower himself for would be her, and that would only happen in the bedroom. Azriel looked over at her with a raised eyebrow and she offered him a soft smile before she looked over at Nesta.

Astrid had to bite her lip to resist her urge to laugh as she found Nesta's lip curled in irritation. She was surprised that her sister would follow this instruction so easily. It had to be because of their secondary plans for the evening, plans Astrid also was not inclined to be a part of. Tonight, for her, was about getting her mate used to being her King. There were so many different things he would have to relearn, things they would both have to curb.

They had both spent centuries being half out of the shadows and letting others tell them what to do with their strength and powers. She knew Rhysand didn't mean it in the same way Hybern had, he was giving one of his closest friends a purpose, but Azriel had a new purpose now. It was time for them to fully step into the shadows and rule their kingdom, the kingdom of shadows. She could feel deep in her soul how vast this would become, so much so that she was tempted to call it an empire, but she wouldn't get ahead of herself. Not yet.

Astrids fingers grasped Azriel's, and their shadows twined together and swirled up to the top of their heads to create semi-identical shadow crowns. The only difference was that Astrid's was slightly more feminine than Azriel's, but they both resembled the branchy tiara she had in her wardrobe. It was her favorite out of the collection that had been left to her, to her the branches resembled the wildness of their shadows, and it seemed the shadows agreed with her.

She pitied the other rulers of their world, anytime they wanted that physical representation of their status, they had to deal with the discomfort of the metal and jewels resting atop their heads. There was no weight or poking that accompanied a crown made of shadows.

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Azriel felt twitchy inside at how different this visit was beginning to be compared to the past few centuries. He stood above most of his friends but still below Rhysand, he didn't bow with the rest of the room, and he wore a crown. He knew why Astrid had pulled him up the steps and why she had stopped him from bowing, but he couldn't help but wonder about Rhysand's reaction to this. Tonight was supposed to be about Feyre making her debut as his mate, getting more forces for the fight against Hybern, and to test Nesta's abilities.