Crescent City: A Court of Thrones and Glass

Chapter Eleven: Feyre

A/N: Thank you @KaylieHo, @The_dark_witch04, @writergirl121212 and @Mewylol123 for voting!

     "Is there anywhere I can charge my phone?" Bryce asked, directed at Feyre. Any and all conversations halted abruptly. Bryce pulled a small, thin, brick-looking thing from her pocket. What the hell was that? She glanced around the room. Everyone but Bryce and Hunt seemed alarmed. Was this some kind of weapon? All of a sudden, it started glowing on the front, displaying a picture of.....Bryce and Hunt? Feyre watched as her family reached for their weapons. Hunt noticed, angling his body in front of Bryce.
     "What's wrong? It's just a damn phone," Hunt growled, willing everyone to put their weapons down.
     "What's a phone?" Aelin asked. She seemed wary, but genuinely curious.
     "How the fuck do you not know what a phone is?" Bryce countered, incredulous. Feyre could see the wheels turning in her mind as she put something together. "Wait. How do you usually heat and light up rooms? How do you get around?" The question was directed at both Aelin and Feyre.
     "Usually by fae lights, torches, the sun, or clever little contraptions some of the Master Tinkerers have built. Magic works too," Feyre responded, Aelin nodding in confirmation, "and by walking, running or flying. Although we winnow, usually. Horses and carriages too, except those are more mortal things to use." Bryce gaped at them, absolutely dumbstruck. Even Hunt looked shocked at the basic information. What was wrong, and what was that thing Bryce is holding?
     "So you're telling me, that you don't have electricity? Either of your worlds? No cars, too? And you have no clue what this is." Bryce shook her hand for emphasis.
     "No," Dorian answered baldly, "we have no rutting clue as to what a "phone" is and what the hell is a car?" Feyre agreed with Dorian. What was Bryce talking about? At least this "phone" this didn't appear to be a weapon, those 'L' shaped metal-launching things certainly were. Prythian seemed to have a lot more in common with Erilea than it did with Lunathion.

BRYCE

How the fuck do they not have any sort of modern technology, yet their civilizations seem so advanced? Bryce was utterly confused. Hunt shot her a look that said, "Don't you dare try to reinvent electricity here. Just drop it so we can go home." For once, Bryce agreed. Trying to explain would only get everyone off topic and confuse them more. Then, they would stuck here longer than necessary. Bryce mastered herself and said, "A phone is just a communication device, and cars are just carriages. Don't worry about it, our world is weird." She cringed internally at her word choice.
"Hmm.....I see," Feyre said, "perhaps Helion would like to have a look at it." The rest of her court seemed lost in thought. Bryce turned to Aelin.
"So, Aelin, Dorian, what's your story?" A bold, dangerous question. They glanced at each other, considering a moment.
"I was a princess of my kingdom, but I ran away when I was younger, fearing my future crown. An assassin master found me, and trained me to be his protégée. The former King of Adarlan was quite the tyrant, and took over Terrasen. When I was older, I returned and reclaimed my kingdom," Aelin answered. There was obviously way more to the story. Hurt and a great, unending sorrow filled her striking eyes, but quickly vanished as soon she was done talking. No one pressed her on it. Dorian quickly spoke up.
"I grew up in that castle with the tyrant-king, yet I knew I would never rule like him. As soon as he died and I was crowned king, I released all the territories under Adarlan's rule, and returned to Rifthold, the capital." He was obviously holding back many details. Not lying, per-se, but omitting. Then, Feyre and Rhysand told an abridged version of their lives and told them about their court. Bryce and Hunt also shared their stories, but kept it concise, and easy to swallow, unlike what had actually happened in the past year. As the conversation flowed once more, Azriel and Mor left the room, claiming they had some business to attend to. They left, and the group chatted long into the evening.

RHYSAND

There was a tentative trust between the 10 of them, however Rhysand thought Aelin and Dorian were hiding something. He couldn't see into their minds to check, but that pair seemed mysterious. Even though Aelin was chatty and laughed often, it was a front. Hunt was also very guarded, rarely speaking, but Bryce was a spark of life, vibrant and open. Although they too, didn't tell the full truth about their experiences. Though he supposed neither did he and Feyre. The group wasn't going to kill each other, but they weren't necessarily friends. So, they kept talking, and it was agreed that the foreigners were to stay at the House of Wind from now on. Aelin shifted in her seat, and Rhysand caught a whiff of her scent. He hadn't noticed before but she smelled of jasmine and lemon verbena, and crackling embers, but intertwined with hers was a scent of pine, snow, and steel. It was staggeringly powerful, male, and.....fae. Interesting. Lover, or mate? He'd have to find out later. Dorian also had a scent intertwined with his; of iron, wind, and blood, female, but not human. Also interesting. He tucked that little piece of information away for later. Suddenly, Mor and Az burst through the door, panting. Everyone stood immediately.
"We've got more newcomers. They kicked Tamlin's ass and are making demands."