A Court of Shadows and Heartbreak

Trouble

Verena

I'm stuck in the middle with my cousin and brother, two Illyrian warriors behind us while we casually walk around a small town in the Night Court. What. The. Fuck.

I had interrogated Mor the second we made it inside the Pastries Shop, leaving the three males outside while we bought half the store. The smell of baked goods and sweets assaulted me instantly, almost making me forget all the questions I had for Mor. But I managed to concentrate long enough to find out the reasons that led to this surprise meeting. From what I gather, they were overprotective busybodies- as Mor called them over and over. And sure enough, I had looked over my shoulder and found them staring at us from outside. Gods, what am I going to do with them? I thought.

When we got out of the shop with at least 4 boxes full of chocolate and sweets, Rhysand had literally rolled his eyes at Mor and I, and had taken our boxes and made them disappear from thin air. He told me he had "saved them" in whatever kind of magic he had just used. I had told him, unapologetically, that if he messed them up, he had to buy me double the chocolate. He had laughed, actually laughed. His Illyrian friends had snorted. And I was taken aback. I was sort of testing Rhysand with that remark; waiting to see how he'd react. But I'd certainly didn't expect that. I really don't understand them. They was supposed to be more... violent, cruel I at least. Easier to hate.
I was so screwed.

And that's how I found myself walking between the two people who mere weeks ago were just strangers. Strangers I didn't let myself wonder about before figuring out they had something I wanted back.

"So, Verena, care to tell me why you and my cousin have been inseparable as of late?" Rhysand asks offhandedly.

I keep my voice neutral, feigning to look at the shops ahead and say, "Mor has offered to show me around the Court since I had never visited before." I keep to truths the most I can; they're easier to manage than lies.

He looks me over and says, "You have never visited? But you are from here, aren't you?" There's no way to deny where I'm from when I resemble half his Court.

I blow out a breath and say, "You could say that." He raises one eyebrow and I can't help but smirk a little. "My father was from the Night Court, but let's just say, I was never close to him." He hums in understatement.
I had told Mor the same thing in one of our trips since I had to give her something as to my absence from the Court, so she was not surprised and keeps her perusal of shops with her eyes.

"Fathers can be a little trouble to deal with, huh?" He says offhandedly, and I look to him and wonder if our father had been a monster with him too. So I say softly, "You have no idea."

Rhysand abruptly stops as if to listen to something I cannot hear. He turns towards the nearby forest and when I look over to our two companions in the back, they're already in stance to take flight. I turn to look at the forest, but see nothing other than trees moving. What the hell?