A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 1 Etera

Starfall, the night of the year, the grand moment to gather and socialise. It was the night she first had seen from a window while her back was still healing, sitting next to Ikarad who just had understood the severity of her sickness. It was the night they had shared alone in the mountains many times, dancing in a meadow far from everyone.

It was the night of freedom, wonder and a pause from reality. She had missed solstice celebrations while away on missions. Birthdays and anniversaries. But this night, it had always been prioritised as something different.

Until now. Tarquin, Kallias, Viviane, Thesan, Helion. Four High Lords, one High Lady, was invited, and all had accepted.

She slid off her ring, securing it on the chain that hung around her neck. Then she was back doing her mission routine. The test was already done. One line. As she predicted. Not even a year had passed, and while they had tried to move on, some things took time, and time was something she and Ikarad had so little of. Far less than usual.

Clothes, hair, the leathers. She hesitated with the dagger, not taking it felt wrong, but to come armed to the Starfall ball. She opted to leave the dagger behind. To use it she would need to shift to Fae, and that would create more troubles.

"And we can't have more troubles." She sighed. Making sure to look over everything one last time.

"One day, I will dare Nyx to stand in full Illyrian armour for a night." Ikarad muttered from the bedroom when she walked out. The suit looked.

"I can't say it doesn't fit you." She said with a laugh. Seeing her mate's uncomfortable face as he did his best to fasten the buttons at his neck. "But it is not your style." No matter how well the clothes fit physically, if they weren't the right style nothing could save them.

"Thanks, how diplomatic of you." He said back in a dry tone, still fiddling with the buttons. "Damn it..."

"Here..." Etera walked up, moving his hands to do it herself. "I will start out by following Tarquin, his spies have found just as little as us, so the chances of him trying to learn something tonight is high." She talked on, sharing her mission.

"Thesan next?"

"Helion. Before he gets too drunk and disappears. Not that I believe that I can find something." Helion had been the only one to act completely transparent after the meeting last summer. A whole nine months- "Then Kallias and Viviane, or most Viviane, she can gossip and by that point I hope the wine will help us." She needed to check a calendar.

"Last Thesan."

"Obsessed with the healer, mate?" She teased him, "yes, but I think that is just a waste of time." He had no active spynetwork to gather information from.

"Just me trying to know the order, so I know who to talk to."

"They won't talk to you, at least now about what I might need." She reminded him.

"Let me rephrase that." his hand lifted her chin, "So I know that I won't talk to the wrong person at the wrong time." She melted as she held his gaze.

"How considerate of you..." She kissed him, rising to her toes to fully reach his lips. "A true hero."

"I do my best." Ikarads hands came up to hold her head, "I will be there, just a few steps away. If you need anything." A slight change in his voice.

"I know." She took a step back, "You can't be late to the party."

"What is your form of choice for tonight?"

"Keep an eye out. You will see me." She smirked, knowing that he always found her.

"Is that my task tonight?"