Yvaine: The Evening Star

Explanations

The bathroom door opened, revealing Feyre with a towel around her hair and the navy blue night court set that I had given her. I sat on the edge of the bed and set one of the many cushions between my feet, motioning for her to sit in front of me. She sat slowly and relaxed as my fingers began to work through her hair, gently undoing any knots and tangles.

"So you're Night Court," I hummed in response and channeled my fire into my palms, heating them up enough to begin to dry her hair.

"Then why were you in Spring? How long were you there? Why didn't Tamlin ever tell me..." I frowned and sighed making sure to keep my movements in her hair gently.

"I think this would be better told as a story... I'll start from the beginning then." I took a deep breath and my voice fell into a lulled tone.

"Once upon a time, in a land thought to be filled with nightmares, there lived a young princess who loved her Court," I said and I let my story flow, the darkest memories I cushioned with those of laughter and joy so as not to burden her with sadness.

"When the little princess was born she had a loving mother, a doting father, and an older brother who adored her. Being a princess meant she had to choose her friends carefully, their parents warning them of the dangers the other courts posed to them. One day the two siblings met the youngest prince of Spring and they became fast friends. There were older brothers but they were too old and proper to want to play with the children. The children played together and became so close they were like family, even in the midst of war they fought side by side until one day the Spring prince betrayed the siblings from Night. The Night Prince was away training his soldiers and the princess and her mother went to visit him, but they were captured by the Spring soldiers and the mother was killed, her wings ripped from her body, and her head sent down the river to where her son would find it along with one that looked like his sister's." I said and Feyre shivered.

"The princess was taken away to the Spring Court, they thought that because she was young they would be able to break her and destroy her court from the inside, but they failed. Her father and brother came to avenge her and killed all the spring princes, their mother, and their father. Only the youngest was spared, and he in turn killed the High lord of the night court. Suddenly both princes became orphans and High Lords in one night, and beneath them, a princess cried out for her brother who wouldn't see her for another two hundred years," I whispered at the end and Feyre turned to look up at my misty eyes.

"Tamlin killed them?" She asked and I shook my head, frowning as a single tear fell down my cheek.

"No, he did the worst thing imaginable. He stood by and watched as innocent Faerie was murdered for no rhyme or reason, simply to weaken the court." She froze, my comment about murdering innocent Fae hitting too close to home. I reached to wipe away the tear that had escaped and blinked the others away before they could fall.

"I met Tamlin before that happened, I met his two brothers, his father, and his mother. His mother was lovely, a true Lady of Spring with a heart of gold, but no will of her own. Tamlin's brothers were cruel like their father, but Tamlin wasn't like them. He was soft like his mother and the High Lord didn't take kindly to it. He hardened the kind Fae prince into one who was selfish and thought only of his court's interests instead of Prythian. We met on a Night visit to Spring, we became friends. There was a promise of truce and even a treaty," Feyre's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth,

"I didn't know..." Tears streaked down my face but I kept my voice smooth and calm.

"The assassination of our court was planned months in advance and we had no inkling of any ill will. They dosed me with enough Fae bane to subdue me and bind me to that prison. The High Lord of Autumn and Spring combined their efforts and used their power to bind me there, but what they didn't know is that in doing so they gave me a piece of themselves. Like you have a piece of all the High Lords in you I gained a piece of those two courts. They tortured me until they grew bored of my silence and continued with the execution of the Night Court Lady, my mother. I was helpless and could do nothing to save her," Feyre stood and her eyes widened.