A Court Of Truths And Trials

Chapter 2

As the night broke into the day, light shimmered through the small, frosted window into the room waking the girls and me up. "Morning girls, are we all going to the market today?" After I asked, I heard grunted sounds of agreement from each of them in the half-asleep states. "Splendid! Well let's get ready" Pushing myself out of the warm bed I sucked in a sharp breath from the fierce cold that pooled around me, I resisted the urge to jump back into the warm salvation of the old bed and headed over to the rickety old dresser.

The dresser held four draws, one for each of us and around each handle Feyre had painted a decoration. It was a small detail that brightened up the otherwise dark room. I remember the day I came back from the market to see the stunning designs Feyre had painted, I had praised her for days. Violets and roses had been painted around the knobs of Elain's draw, vibrant crackling flames had been painted around Nesta's and on her own Feyre had painted a stunning night sky. My own had been painted with a gold (now faded of its shine) and red stripe through the middle with a galaxy of yellow filled with stars surrounding from it. I'm not sure why I chose this design, I love the colours yellow and gold they are a colour of happiness.

If the sun can still shine every day, then hope and happiness will always be possible.

The girls and I soon left the old rickety house. Walking to the market down the dirty snow-covered path that both Elain and Nesta grimaced at in disgust attempting to avoid stepping in the muddy mess. Whenever the pair flinched at the filth, I caught Feyre looking at them in annoyance and slight resentment often rolling her eyes at their behaviour. I looped my arm through hers and gave my best friend a bright smile to which she returns with a small one of her own. "Don't worry about them Fey, let's just focus on the goal today. Sell these hides." Feyre nodded re-adjusting the strap of her bag. "Yeah, I know Ary, was there anything you wanted to do while we are at the markets?" She asked, "I was thinking of meeting up with Elia for a little bit, are you going to see Isaac today?" I asked with a grin spreading across my face as I nudged Feyre. "Perhaps" Was her simple reply as she looked away, hiding the small smile and blush that adorned her face.

As we neared the village the scent of hot food wafted towards us, spices, sugar, salt things that we could no longer afford. Behind me, Elain let out a moan of yearning if we did well at the market today maybe we would be able to afford something nice to share. From a little while away I heard my name called "Arya!" I spun around to see my short brown-haired friend Elia standing with her horse Lyla, I turned back around to Feyre. "Go, Arya, I'll meet you at home later." I sent her a small smile "Alright thanks, have fun with Isaac" I gave Feyre a wink and walked away from Feyre as she laughed at me shaking her head.

"Hi, Eli!" I cheered as I neared my friend, in response, she ran towards me giving me a tight hug. I groaned "get off!" Elia laughed at me; she did this all the time. Sometimes when I wasn't looking, she would jump at me from behind, yelling 'Surprise attack" she was crazy, but I loved her. Elia was one of my close friends along with Feyre though they didn't particularly get along which was a shame. "I missed you, Arya!" Elia squealed as she let me go. "I missed you too, though I saw you two days ago." I replied laughing at her enthusiasm, "That's too long" I grinned "far too long"

I glanced behind me at Elain, Nesta and Feyre to see them being confronted by the pale robed children of the blessed, young girls who worship the Fae who live across the wall as a god, ignoring the cruelty and history of the Fae. "Poor Feyre having to face the children of the blessed" I exclaimed as I turned back to Elia, who laughed "Yeah, we'd better go before they come and beg us to hear the word of their benevolent masters" Looping our arms together we ran off pulling her horse behind us.

I spent the rest of the day with Elia, she was a lot better off than the Archeron's and I was. Not as much before we lost our fortune but much more now. She didn't treat us any differently though and even though she would often offer money or help I would always decline; we were okay, life would get better. After a while, Elia and I parted ways and I decided to visit my mother's grave.

The dirtied snow crunched beneath my worn-out boots as I wandered my way to the small graveyard on the outskirts of the small village. A variety of large and small, marble, stone and wood graves could be seen showing whether the deceased had come from a wealthy or poor family. My mother had passed while the Archeron's still had a large fortune and the added of my mother's, so she had a nice cut grey marble gravestone. 'Beloved mother and friend – Millicent Vierra'

Lowering myself down I kneeled in front of her grave ignoring the stinging sensation of the cold snow through my stockings against my skin. I smiled sadly remembering my Mother, I was fairly young when she passed and I still remember her vividly. She was such a vibrant person who was almost always happy even though bad things had happened to her she still moved forward. My mother was different from Feyre's mother; where she thrived in wealth, dressing in jewels and showing off to all with lavish parties and over the top clothes my mother preferred to use her money to help others though she did love attending parties she was a very people person.

I remember asking my mother about whom my father was when I was younger, and she would always dismiss the idea and say she had me all on her own but when she realised that she would die she confessed. It turned out that my mother had been engaged to a wealthy suitor but one day he came to her with another woman who was much wealthier than my mother was, he told my mother that he was going to marry the other woman dismissing her from his life forever. That night my mother got drunk the next morning when she woke up, she was in the forest scarily close to the border between our lands and Prythian, she was scattered in bruises. She'd been raped. Not long after she realised, she was pregnant with me. My mother didn't care about the horrid way she'd come to have me, though it did haunt her. She loved me and I loved her. I didn't look anything like my mother; she had long curly brown hair and grey-green eyes while I have straight golden blonde hair and unique violet eyes.

Soon I lifted myself from the ground dusting the snow off my dress, pulling her old cloak around me. "Goodbye Mother, I love you" I whispered as I turned from her stone grave leaving the quiet graveyard. The only sound the crunch of the snow beneath my feet, the swish of my dress against my legs and the sound of my breath. As I neared the Archeron house I found large, clawed animal footprints in the snow leading from the forest to the Archeron house with its door off its hinges revealing a large beast with a wolf head and lion body. Faerie.

I shuddered and let out a quiet gasp in shock in realisation. Hearing me the beast shifted itself around in a flash snarling in my face. "What are you doing?" I stood my ground pushing my fear aside "Shouldn't I be asking you that? After all, you are in my house." The beast turned to the side gesturing to Feyre who stood protectively in front of Elain, Nesta and Mr Archeron pushed against the wall. "This girl unprovokedly attacked one of the faerie-kind and killed it, in accordance with the treaty I must take a life for a life." I gasped and immediately stepped up to protect my friend. "Take my life in her place, please." Feyre pushed me behind her "No, just kill me outside." The beast laughed staring down at me and my best friend. "So willing to accept your fate. I'll tell you what, for having the nerve to ask where I slaughter you, I'll let you in on a secret human. Your life must be claimed in some-way for the life you took. Therefore, I can either gut you like a swine, or you can cross the wall and live out the remainder of your life in Prythian." I sighed in relief Feyre wouldn't have to die, after all, knowing that she would argue I spoke before she had a chance. "Feyre will go" The beast nodded turning and walking out the doorway "Very well, we leave now."

I gave Feyre a reassuring smile before I followed after the beast leaving Feyre to say her goodbyes. "Excuse me, Sir, I wish to ask you to allow me to join Feyre in Prythian. She is my best friend, please." The beast turned around his eyes piercing down at me. "You were so willing to offer your life in her place. Why?" I didn't blink "She's my best friend, basically my family. I'd do anything for her. Don't you have someone you'd give up everything for?" I saw something flash in the beast human-like green eyes, but it disappeared as fast as it appeared.

"I admire your bond with the girl despite that fact that she is a murderer, I will allow you to accompany us. But if I discover you to have ill intentions you will find yourself ripped into ribbons faster than you can blink." I took a step back in slight fear "I promise you I have no ill intentions, thank you." Glancing back at Feyre who was still saying her goodbyes I turned back to the beast. "You should know that Feyre, is a good person she was merely doing what she could to help us survive, if it weren't for her, I don't know whether I would still be alive." The beast grunted at me as Feyre walked towards us, behind her Elain, Nesta and Mr Archeron gazed at me with sad eyes. I nodded at Mr Archeron and sent him a small smile of reassurance and goodbye. As Feyre neared she sent me a confused glance before I pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm coming with you Feyre"