A Court of Blood and Glory

The Lord of Nightmares

Feyre

We winnowed to the Court of Nightmares, determined to obtain an ally for the upcoming war. Rhysand was still vengeful, still the cruel High Lord of Night, and it scared us.
We had known he was changed the moment he'd awoken with stumps where his wings once were, but we had hoped it wasn't permanent, hoped it would go when we accepted our mating bond. It had worked for a day, but then we had him carried by Azriel, had him rely on another to do what he loved most.

And it broke him completely.

He'd thrown Cassian from the House of Wind, and Azriel had had to fly faster than he ever had before to catch him.

But he couldn't save all of him. Not completely, anyway. Rhys's darkness had cut into His wings, damaging the thin membrane. It had taken hours to repair them but they weren't back to full strength yet. They wouldn't be for a while.

And I realised that Rhys wanted it that way, wanted someone else to feel his pain, his suffering, but not making it permanent. Maybe that sign of restraint showed that the old Rhys was still in there, it was still possible to save him.

Rhysand

I knew that my mate feared for me, that she wanted to save me from myself, but she, along with my family, couldn't see that I didn't want saving. I wanted that bastard's head on a stick.

And Keir was going to help me.

I entered the Court of Nightmares ahead of my family, Feyre, wearing a black dress dotted with crystals and a large slit up her thigh, a step behind in order to keep up the illusion of me being above them all. Including my High Lady.
Cassian and Azriel were stone faced behind me, but didn't say a word, although the tension between us was clearly evident. Mor, as usual, was dressed in a low cut elegant dress that showed off her gorgeous figure. Amren has decided to remain in Velaris to keep going over the plans for Hybern, and I could only hope that she found a way to save us all, as without allies we couldn't win.

I had released my damper on my power, and it filled the whole mountain, alerting everyone to our arrival. By the time we reached my throne the whole city had gathered, Keir standing at the front, awaiting his High Lord.

I glided p to my throne and sat down, careful not to lean on my back, still healing, and Feyre stood beside me, a hand on my shoulder.

"I heard the rumours about you wings, Lord Rhysand, though I was not certain that they were true. These messengers from other courts often mess up the story, though I dare say my spies have given me an accurate description." Spies. I had suspected that there was a spy in Velaris ever since Tamlin got a hold on the two that betrayed us. And Keir had unknowingly just confirmed who they were.
"You should really tell Rita to use her own words. She said exactly the same thing to me a few days ago." Keir displayed some shock at those words, and I couldn't help but feel smug at the pleased look on Mor's face as her father became lost for words. The old Rhys would have left it at that, but he was long gone. "She will, of course, need to be punished."

"Of course, my Lord." Keir had managed to regain his composure enough to speak. "I will oversee her punishment myself."

"No need." I responded, and felt a flicker of confusion come down the bond, Feyre not understanding where I was taking this conversation. Her face betrayed nothing though, and she remained still behind me.

Rita appeared in the centre of the room, my magic having collected her from Velaris.
"Rita," I said, my voice echoing around the chamber. "Did you, or did you not spy on me for this man here?" I gestured to Keir, but my gaze never left her face.
"I did, my Lord." She was quiet, her head bowed in submission.

"Were you aware that spying on me counts as high treason?"

"I was, my Lord." She had none of her usual confidence, and she seemed to realise that admitting would be better for her life than lying.

"And are you aware what the punishment for high treason is, Rita?"

And before she could respond I snapped her neck, her body falling to the floor. Not even Feyre, who had not reacted to anything before this moment, could hide her disbelief at what I'd just done. Maybe this would send them a message, send all of Prythian a message.

"Now onto the reports. How has this court been behaving these past few weeks, Keir?"

He began to rattle off lists of names that I didn't care to remember, and needing to fulfil my time I pulled Feyre around to me, sitting her on my lap, but not touching her more than was necessary, unlike our last visit to the court.

My hand drifted up her leg, making lazy circles on her thigh, causing goose bumps to rise along her bare arms. Her thoughts began to drift down the bond to me, most of them conveying her shock and disgust at what I'd done, but I didn't dare to tell her what I was thinking, and so I strengthened my mental shields against her, cutting off all our conversation.

After some time, Keir's mood changed, his mood becoming more jovial.

"I want to congratulate you, my Lord, on your recent mating. It is good to know that Tamlin's whore finds some satisfaction in Amarantha's. They must have had a similar taste in pretty fae."

This time it was Feyre's turn to attack, and she had quickly stalked down the dais to stand in front of Keir, also releasing the damper on her own power, letting it overlap with mine.

"I am not, and never was, Tamlin's whore, and my mate is so much more than Amarantha's. As High Lady of the Night Court I could have you hanging by your dick from a chandelier, but war is upon us, and we need all the soldiers we can get, so be happy that we want you alive. For now."

Feyre

I was surprised by the harshness in my voice, but I had to show Keir the power that Rhysand and I held. I had to show him what his High Lady could do.
"You need to put a leash on your pet, Lord Rhysand." Rhysand attacked, holding Keir by the throat with tendrils of his power. Keir had gone too far, and he needed to be punished.
"You will never speak to my Lady that way again. She is the first High Lady of Prythian and needs to be treated with the same respect you would have for me. But then you don't have much respect for me really, do you Keir?"

Keir started to tremble as Rhysand's power slithered towards him, wrapping around his neck and wrists. The darkness solidified and became circles or black stone. Shackles. Chains connected Keir to Rhysand, leashing the man to his Lord.
"I can keep an eye on you now, and ensure that you don't betray me and my plans to the Spring Court."
He smiled at Keir, and I sneaked a glance in Mor's direction, where I found that she was also giving her father a cruel smile.

How long will you keep him like this?
Until Tamlin is dead, and his court in ruins around him and my wings returned to me. Keir will die then, and Mor will get his killing blow.

Rhys was still bent on revenge, but I suddenly knew how to save him, and give him back his wings.