Crescent City: A Court of Thrones and Glass

Chapter Sixteen: Bryce

A/N: Thank you to @JanicelimYx, @Almira_is_my_name, @lovebooks0411, @DorianIsMine, @moahra, @Gemmakalmunoz, @Bookaremylife_08, @Ariaudrey22, @JuliaDerrer, @Rocket320, @lexahale, @352313dd and @TyraDaniels7 for voting. And thank you to everyone for commenting so much, I love hearing what you think! Sorry I haven't updated in a bit, I promise more chapters are coming soon!

     When Bryce woke up that morning, she did not expect shit to go down so early. She was dragged out of bed by an impatient Hunt, who wanted to size up their new allies. Begrudgingly, Bryce admitted that she too, wanted to see Queen Aelin take on the might of Cassian, the general. She had thought that Cassian would win, given his Illyrian warrior status, whatever the fuck that meant, however she rooted for Aelin anyways. She won fifteen gold pieces from that bet. Bryce knew that Aelin was hiding something, perhaps had a few tricks up her sleeve, but holy burning Hel, the Queen was Fae. Full blown shifting, fire magic-wielding Fae, complete with pointy ears and elongated canines. Well, at least that explains the snarling, the willingness to take on Cassian, and her Fae mate. And dramatic indeed, revealing her heritage and beating the Illyrian. Damn, Bryce admired her spirit.
Now, she watched Aelin take on Manon while casually conversing with Lysandra. Twin daggers against iron nails. Honestly, Bryce was slightly terrified of the Ironteeth witch. She was pretty sure everyone but Dorian felt the same.
"What's it like being a part of Aelin's court?" Bryce asked the shifter, curious.
"Never a dull moment, that's for sure," she said, smiling at her queen. "She has group of Fae warriors blood-sworn to her, serving in her court too. Pretty to look at, but beware when they open their mouths, the haughty bastards," Lysandra muttered, rolling her eyes, though it was obvious she cared for them—er, most of them.
"I hear you. I hate dealing with the Fae from my world. They're either preening, stuck  up peacocks or arrogant warrior-pricks. Mind you, the malakim aren't much better," Bryce attested, "though some of them have certainly earned the right to be cocky when it comes to battle." She glanced meaningfully at Rowan and Hunt, who were now sparring in another training ring. Moving so fast, they were just blurs to Bryce's eyes, with the occasional purple flash of lightning or a blue glow of ice. Lysandra laughed.
     "Indeed. Did you know, Rowan is centuries older than Aelin," the shifter said. "Before they met, Rowan was bound to an ancient evil queen, forced to do her bidding. Honestly? No more than a glorified slave. He was trained to be a warrior almost since birth, and is thought to be the most powerful pure-blooded Fae male in our world. He has waged and won wars long before Aelin was even born. But nearly a year ago, they met, and she freed him. He immediately swore himself to her. Together, they are unstoppable. There is much more to the story, but it is not my place to tell. Without them, my world would currently be colder and darker than hell itself. Because of that, it is a huge honour to be a part of their court. Everything I have endured to get to this point in my life, I would do again in a heartbeat." A hint of sorrow crept into Lysandra's green eyes, as if mentioning the trauma brought her right back there. Bryce just stared at her, realizing how much she could relate to Aelin. How similar their stories seemed. Even though they had been worlds apart, Bryce found someone who could actually relate to her experiences.
     "You know, Hunt is also centuries older than me, trained as a legionnaire and destined to fight the Asteri's wars. Because of his lightning, he rose through the ranks and became a very valuable asset to any army. Then, after a catastrophic battle known as the Fall, Hunt became a slave. He was a fucking slave to psychotic Archangels who forced him to do some fucked up shit," Bryce growled, her eyes glittering with malice at Micah and Sandriel and the Asteri. "Eventually, my boss and his had a common goal, so we had to work together. Long story short, we saved our city and Hunt was freed, as a favour to me. I hate how our Republic thinks it's okay to even keep slaves anymore," she seethed. Lysandra just nodded in solemn agreement.
     "I quite like you, Bryce Quinlan. I also think you would fit right in with Aelin and her court," Lysandra said as she smiled. Just as Bryce was about to respond, Aelin sauntered up to them, peppered in cuts and bruising, swigging from a canteen she grabbed from Urd-knows-where.
     "Who would fit in with our kick-ass menagerie of friends, Lady?" The queen asked. Lysandra stifled a laugh.
     "I was just saying how well Bryce would get along with the court," she answered.
     "Well Bryce and I are already best friends," Aelin declared, grinning at the DemiFae. Bryce grinned right back at her.
     "The best."
     "Please tell me at least one of you likes to shop." The voice came from behind Bryce. It was Feyre, making her way across the training area. "I don't know about you, but I can only handle watching our males beat the shit out of each other for so long," the High Lady said, coming up to stand in with their little group. "Mor and I are going to head into Velaris for the day, would anyone care to join?"
     "What's Velaris?" Lysandra asked. Feyre responded with a smile.
     "The City of Starlight."
     "Count me in," Aelin said, "Shopping happens to be one of my many, many talents."
     "So humble, your Majesty," Bryce quipped, chuckling, "but I will definitely be joining you."
     "As will I," Lysandra said with a wink. Bryce, Aelin, Lysandra, Feyre, and Mor decided to head into Velaris, while the rest of the crew stayed near the House of Wind, training, working, and whatnot. Mor appeared in between Feyre and Bryce, then grabbed their hands.
     "Shall we?" And the females vanished under the bright, shining sun.