If She Had Known

The Market

The next morning, still half asleep, I had experienced the opposite of my old dream-realities. I had expected to wake up next to Rhys. I was confused when his solid chest wasn't pressed against me, his arms keeping me from escaping the bed too early. I rolled over to my other side to wrap my arms around him, but instead found only Elain. She pushed me away, desperate for any room in our crowded bed. I missed my mate for all kinds of reasons, but this selfish, materialistic part of me that had grown accustomed to comfort missed our large bed and the company it provided.

I did not invite my sisters to the market with me, but they tagged along anyway. The snow crunched beneath our shoes as we made our way into town. Nesta did rise early to chop wood, and I was aware she had only done it because she had known I was going to the market today.

I was met by the old familiar sights and smells of my old village. The vibrant life of those brave enough to endure the cold on market day, the scents wafting into the street of fresh-baked goods. Elain moaned at the smell, but my previous distaste for human food lingered. I yearned for the goodies one could find in the bakeries of Velaris. The thought distracted me so much I stumbled into my sisters as we all halted.

"May the Immortal Light shine upon thee, sisters," said the pale-robed young woman standing directly in our path. Nesta and Elain clicked their tongues, but I was frozen.

The young woman extended her arms as if in greeting, the silver bells on her wrist jingling. "Have you a moment to spare so that you might hear the word of the Blessed?"

"No," Nesta sneered, ignoring the girls hands and nudging Elain into a walk. "We don't"

There were five other acolytes with the girl, young men and women both. "It would take but a minute," the woman said, stepping into Nesta's path.

Nesta straightened, "Go and spew your fanatic nonsense to some ninny. You'll find no converts here."

The girl shrank back, a shadow flickering in her brown eyes.

Nesta lifted a hand, pushing down the sleeve of her coat to show the iron bracelet there. The same one Elain wore. The acolyte gasped, eyes wide. "You see this?" Nesta hissed, taking a step forward. The acolyte retreated a step. "This is what you should be wearing. Not some silver bells to attract those faerie monsters."

"How dare you wear that vile affront to our immortal friends—"

"Go preach in another town," Nesta spat.

Two plump and pretty farmers' wives strolled past on their way to the market, arm in arm. As they neared the acolytes, their faces twisted with identical expressions of disgust. "Faerie loving whore." One of them hurled at the young woman. At the time, I had agreed. But now...

I was High Lady of the Night Court.

The acolytes kept silent. The other villager narrowed her eyes, her upper lip curling. "Don't you idiots understand what those monsters did to us for all those centuries? What they still do when they can get away with it? You deserve the end you'll meet at faerie hands. Fools and whores, all of you."

Nesta nodded her agreement to the women as they continued on their way. We turned back to the young woman still lingering before us, and even Elain frowned in distaste.

But the young woman took in a breath, her face becoming serene, and said, "I lived in such ignorance, too, until I heard the Word of the Blessed. I grew up in a village similar to this— so bleak and grim. But not one month ago, a friend of my cousin went to the border as our offering to Prythian— and she has not been sent back. Now she dwells in the riches and comfort as a High Fae's bride, and so might you, if you were to take a moment to—"