A Court of Stars and Winter

Chapter 2

     As her father limped into the house, she immediately knew something was amiss. And she could tell, not just by his wounded leg, his unshaven face, and his unclean body, that something was seriously wrong. He winced as he sat down on their plush family room sofa. " Feyre", he called, " go get your mother and sisters please, I have some news", he said sadly. She knew no other answer other than to obey her fathers command. When she found her mother, she was lounging and her bed. " Mother?" She asked cautiously, " Father is back and he has some news. He told me to come and get you, Nesta, and Elain; it seemed rather important." " Alright honey, I'll be there." Her mother said without a second thought. Next were her sisters. As she walked up the stairs to their rooms, she contemplated what could be so urgent that her father wanted the whole family to be present. As she opened the door, her sisters were sitting on the floor. Elain was tending to a flower and Nesta was perfecting her makeup."Nesta, Elain? Father is back and he has some news. From the way it sounded, it seemed urgent." And without a second glace, Feyre's sisters followed her into the great hall of their manor only to see Lucious, their father's best friend, waiting for them. "Girls, or might I say young ladies," he said with a snicker, " your father is waiting for you in the drawing room." As they entered, they could see the devastation in their father and mothers eyes. "My daughters," their father said with a sad smile,"It might be best if you take a seat." Nesta was the first to follow the simple yet impossible instructions their father had given them. Elain and Feyre were next. "It grieves me to tell you this, but while I was sailing to the Continent, there came a great storm and destroyed my three ships, nearly killing everyone inside, Lucious and I were of the few fortunate ones aboard that survived. And you can see what happened in the process of Lucious and I trying escape the ships folds unscathed," he pointed to his now crippled leg and grimaced. "And now because of my leg, I cannot and will not work." Feyre couldn't believe what she was hearing! Her father was not only a coward, but he was using his new found disability as a crutch! " If you won't work then, who will father? Mother? Nesta? Elain? Me? Your just scared to face humanity again because of a stupid decison YOU made! No one else made that decision except you!" Feyre said angerily. "Feyre darling, do you not think I wouldn't work if I could? I just could not stand the humiliation of working underneath someone after I have worked on my own for so long now."He grimaced as he admitted that he was a coward. " Well what do you expect us to do? Just sit around and do nothing? Who will put food on the table? Who will pay the taxes to the king? Who will keep this family alive through winter?" Feyre looked to her mother and sisters to back her up, but it was then that she realized that her sisters nor her mother would ever help provide for their family, and that she was all alone in a house full of people
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As the King of Hybern paced around his castle, he kept on thinking about one thought; how could he make other human beings High Fae?...
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As summer faded to fall and fall faded to early winter, the Archeron's still had no source of income. Feyre's father was still a coward and would not face the real world because of one stupid decision he made by using majority of the family's income on buying three ships that were doomed to sink. Winter was coming and they had no food stored from summer because they used it all in the fall. The weather grew colder and colder by the day. How long could they last without food or water? How long could they last without warm clothes? Feyre knew it was only a matter of time before one of them drifted off into an endless and eternal sleep.