A Court of Separation and Scars

1.

SPOILER WARNING: IF YOU HAVEN'T READ MY FIRST BOOK, A COURT OF DREAMS AND PROMISE, BUT WANT TO, GO THERE INSTEAD. DO NOT CONTINUE AS THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD. 

Four centuries ago...

Tamlin

Tamlin trembled, utterly still as he watched the scene in front of him unfold. Both of his brothers, including the one betrothed to the Night Court Princess, sat and watched as their father sneered at her draped over the body of her mother. 

The ground is soaked red with Night Court blood. Rhysand wasn't here, but he would be here soon enough to rescue his sister...

Oh, Velaria. The only one kind to him in the dreadful court he called home, the only one he dared to consider an ally. She had been forced into the betrothal to his brother, an agreement that took her away from her fiercely loyal brother and her best friend, the mysterious shadowsinger, but hadn't hesitated to be kind. 

If he was in her situation, he would have snapped and snarled at anyone who had even looked his way, but she...she had been kind and sweet. She had laughed and joked with him, had gone on walks and spent time with him when she didn't need to. 

If it weren't for her betrothal, Tamlin would enter a courtship with her, but he was simply the youngest of the Spring Court brothers, and held no power or status.

They wouldn't even be in this position if it wasn't for him, but his father had tortured Velaria and her mother's whereabouts out of him, had struck him until he was bleeding all over the manor floors.

Tamlin's brothers struck Velaria's opalescent shield over and over, trying to get to where she was curled over her mother's lifeless body.

"This is taking you two far too long," Osric drawled. "Break through the damned thing already. I do not have all day."

Tamlin blinked and looked at the angry female, at the pure rage shining in her eyes. In a blink of an eye, she tore down her shield and slaughtered both of his brothers with a single blow.  Unsurprisingly, Tamlin was numb, without a single fleck of sadness at their deaths.

"Tamlin," Osric growled, turning to his youngest son. "It is your turn."

Tamlin walked in front of Velaria, tracking the hatred shining in her eyes. He paused. Such, pure, undiluted hatred, such a contrast from the friendship she had shown him, and this was how he repaid her. He only wished that he could tell her how sorry he was. "I won't do this," he said finally.

"You started this, son," Osric reminded him. "You got Rhysand to confirm where they would be. You used your idiotic friendship with him to finally help your court. Remember your loyalty."

"You betrayed Rhys," Velaria cried, sobbing. "He trusted you, Tamlin, and you betrayed him."

Hurt flashed through Tamlin, but he slowly covered it up. Too slowly. 

"How dare you," Velaria spat out, crying still. "I curse you, Tamlin. I curse you and your entire future in this court. Because of your betrayal, of your disregard of all the love my brother and I have shown you, I curse you so that you will never find true love. Your heart of stone will prevent you from ever being happy, and you will be reminded of your betrayal every time you try to love someone."

The curse settled in almost instantly, and with this Tamlin knew that Velaria is just as powerful, even more so, as her father has said she was. A piercing pain stabbed within his chest, and  Tamlin realized that his heart has truly turned to stone, as a punishment from Velaria.