A Court of Fear and Faith

Chapter Six

When Lily finally got to the castle gates, she was shocked to find a bustling crowd. She hadn't seen the courtyard like this since her mother died. Even then the crowd the Queens could gather was normally just the usual servants, but this was bigger. When she weaved further into the crowd she could hardly recognise a handful of faces. They must have summoned the surrounding villages to come to this announcement too, all of the tradesman and travelling workman. From across the crowd, she heard her name being called and Matthews tall frame wrangling his way through the mass to get to her. She smiled and waved back at him, keeping her other hand gripped to her basket lest it is swept away by some passing stranger. Before Matthew could reach her she grabbed the cloth from the base and wrapped it around the book that lay within. The last thing she needed right now with all of the guards surrounding them was questions about this book. For a moment she let the thought of Azriel take over her, the shadows he's shown her, the beautiful song they'd sang. Matthew's calloused hand on her shoulder woke her from the daydream.

"You look nice." He commented, his eyes lingering on the stars at her waist, just as Azriel's had. Feeling suddenly self-conscious she folded her arms across the space.

"Are kitchen maids not allowed to look nice anymore?" She replied with a bit too much venom. Matthew's brow furrowed at her tone but quickly looked down at her basket when he went to reach his hand towards the book, Lily snatched it away. Before he could comment another horn sounded throughout the courtyard making everyone's heads snap to the makeshift podium the guards had assembled near the kitchen door. She wouldn't be able to get in for the night before that was taken down. So much for a quick getaway to give her privacy to explore the pages of her new book.

From amongst the immediate crowd, a man stepped onto the wooden platform, his grey hair looking almost silver in the evening light. Even from a distance, Lily could see the harsh lines creased between his eyebrows from years of frowning. The captain of the guard, rarely ever seen in the castle grounds and infamous for his cruelty. Lily had only seen him once before when they'd made an example of an assassin sent by Hybern. The captain had been the one to deliver the killing blow, carving a line across the man's abdomen so his guts pooled at his feet. To think the Queens professed the Fae to be dangerous barbarians when this was who they left in command, who they left to do their bidding. After a sweeping look at the crowd, the captain crossed his arms across his chest, revealing the array of knives at his belt.

"I have called you all here today on the behalf of the Queens as we have received some chilling news from the patrols over the last couple of days," Lily's hand tightened on her basket and Matthew placed his hand on her shoulder, sensing her distress. She shook off his touch and continued watching the captain's every move.

"It appears that we are being invaded," a wave of shocked voices arose from the crowd, "there have been multiple sightings of a Prythian spy outside of the castle gates and within the surrounding woods."

Lily's heart fell into her stomach, tumbling for what seemed like forever. They'd seen Azriel. They knew he was here. He was in danger.

"These creatures wish to infiltrate this castle by force, scouring the grounds for intel in the meantime. If we allow them in they will kill us all to seek revenge on our innocent Queens."

The crowd was being riled into a frenzy by the calm words coming from this man, his cold green eyes hypnotizing them into believing these lies. Lily wanted to scream, wanted to shake every man and woman around her and tell them about the Fae's kindness. How they were being fed lies to keep them quiet and to keep the Queens comfortable. She wanted to take one of the captain's knives and jam it into his eye. She wanted him dead. She looked over to Matthew to find his eyes on her, worry etched into every twitch of his eyes across her face. Suddenly, he looked back to the captain.