Hey guys! This is just a prolouge, so you can potentially skip over this if you don't want to read, but the story will be actually starting next chapter. If you do want to read this, then thank you so much (I tried to put a lot of effort into it, so hope you like it)!

The actual intro will be in bold at the top of the next/first chapter, so stay tuned for that!

But anyway, enough of me, so happy reading!

(Mortal Lands, twelve years ago...)

Feyre:

The stone wall pressed into my back as I waited for my turn. The open window nearby brought in the bitter sounds of birds singing and chirping happily, the clack of wooden sticks accompanied by the laughter of young boys, lazily trickling water that swam down the slight slope from the well and down into the kitchens. If you listened closely, you could hear the kitchen cook whistling along to a sad ballard, and the happily content voices of one of my elder sisters and the garden maids as they tended to the little gardens that littered our family estate.

A sharp bark of laughter drew my attention, and without looking out the window I knew it was Kaspar, Falcon's best friend as my brother manipulatively broke through his guard and 'stabbed' him. I smiled, and listened to their little jests, and a few seconds later, they raced off to the kennels to see their puppies. I was glad Falcon had someone to unknowingly help him get over what had happened yesterday with mother, but at the same time I didn't want to go in and see her in fear of what she would say to me.

The memory of last night was definitely one I would not forget anytime soon. It was nearly midnight when Falcon had hopped out of the window of our room and climbed up onto the roof. Waiting for a few moments to make sure he was up there safely, I quickly and quietly followed after him, slipping out the window like a shadow and scaling the wall easily before reaching the roof. It took a moment for me to find him without the moonlight, but I found his silhouette soon enough.

I padded barefoot over the roof tiles before sitting behind him, wrapping my arms and legs around him, moulding our small bodies together perfectly. We were silent a few moments, before Falcon started whispering to me about what had happened earlier today. I knew my twin inside out like the back of my hand, so I knew not to interrupt him as he verbalised his anger, hurt and the rest of his emotions. In all my life, Falcon had always been my rock, barely needing any emotional support for himself, and one thing I had never seen him do is cry. To my shock, I watched silently as tears rolled down his cheeks and slip down onto my bare arms.

We sat there like that, deep into the night, curled up in each other's warmth, talking, and watching the stars pass over our heads. At some point, Falcon went to sleep, but I stayed up, watching as the starts slowly winked out, and as the sun rose sleepily, bathing the sky in pinks, proud oranges, and fiery reds. I knew then as the sun slowly came up into the dawn filled sky, that Falcon and I could do anything in the world, as long as we were together. We were inseparable. We drew strength from each other. We loved each other, infinitely deeper than the ocean. We were the same person, the same soul - just split between two bodies.

An arms length away from me, the door into mother's sickroom opened up, and my eldest sister Nesta walked out. I had never seen her look so helpless, so destroyed about anything. I knew she loved Mother - no matter how she treated us - and I knew Nesta wasn't ready to give her up yet. Mothers favourite words for me came to mind.

Even if you're lucky, you almost never get what you want. Everything you take for granted in this world will be taken away from you at some stage, so there's no point in attaching yourself to anything. Isolate yourself, to protect yourself.

I blinked back the hauntingly accurate voice and Nesta shouldered past me, her spring green dress billowing out behind her as she stalked away angrily. Taking a breath, I walked over to the door and paused, hesitating, before turning the bitingly cold metal handle and walking inside the room.

When the door closed, the room was plunged into darkness. The curtains were closed so crisply that even the broad daylight outside couldn't penetrate an inch into the room. A few oil lamps defiantly held back the bleaching darkness that have enveloped nearly the entirety of the room, but the lamps were burning low under the dark's onslaught. The room was lightly furnished, only having a small table that squat on either side of the the sickbed, a small wooden chair that stood quietly off to the side near the window bore an overcoat of dust in an attempt to ward off the rooms chill, while a large platform was raised slightly off the ground, making the sickbed appear to float.

The rough woollen rug that was unrolled underneath the chair had been leached of colour, the material worn, battered and torn from the little bugs and moths that I suspected had made their new homes in the room had taken a little snack on. The bed that Mother lay in was a big, four poster bed with draping golden yellow curtains, with a heavenly soft, deep green quilt covered pale green sheets with gold thread. As I stepped up onto the raised platform, the doctor in the room looked at me with a sad, somber look in his eyes, before he pat my shoulder reassuringly and leaving the room.

"Feyre," My mother's voice was thin - weak - compared to her usually hard, commanding tone. "Come here, where I can see you."

Moving to her side, my mother reached out a tentive hand. I took it lightly, nearly jumping at how bony it was, and how thinly stretched the skin that covered her hand was. "Yes mother?"

"Forgive me, Feyre. Forgive me for everything I have never done for you and your siblings." A shallow breath. "I have never been the proper mother I should have been. I was too harsh on you all." Another short breath. "Promise me Feyre. Promise me you will look after them. Promise me you will take care of them, not matter what. Through thick and thin, look after them and protect them." Her eyes desperately searched my young blue-grey ones, identical to her own. "Promise me."

"I promise mother. I promise."

Mothers eyes had a little bit of their light come back into them, and a smile rippled over her face. "Thank you, Feyre. You were always too good for this world, Feyre." Her eyes fluttered shut, but the smile stayed on her face. "Thank you."

With those final two words, my mother left the world forever.

But that was just the beginning of our family's spiral downwards.

Falcon:

I knew it was Feyre's time in with mother when Nesta came storming past the kennels and into the stables. Kaspar glanced at me and scrunched his face up, impersonating Nesta's current mood. We started cracking up laughing and a familiar shrill, airy voice broke us off swiftly.

"Kaspar! Kaspar, come out right now!" Kaspar's mother.

Kaspar groaned, and laid down in the straw. "Why now of all times? Nesta's only just started on her rage!"

I laughed at Kaspar as the puppies swarmed over Kaspar, their tails wagging wildly, excited yapping filling the air around us as Kaspar yelled out in surprise. Once he managed to surface from drowning in the puppy love, I doubled over laughing at how shocked and stupid he looked with puppy slobber dropping off every inch of his face and wavy auburn hair. Footsteps rang out on the cobblestone floor as someone approached, and I went quiet as Kaspar's mum stuck her head over the stall door.

Round faced with open, trusting oak wood brown eyes, Loren Buckersly was nearly the opposite of her son. Kaspar's oval face was tanned from being in the sunlight as well as constantly having dirt always on it, while Loren's was pale and clean with light layers of makeup. Loren had freckles coating her blush dusted cheeks and Kaspar was clear faced, only having a small mole on the right side of his lower neck. They both had the same oak wood coloured eyes and straight, blindingly white teeth, though Kaspar had a few missing because they had fallen out. She was average height for the females in the area we lived in, and already Kaspar reached her chest.

"Hullo Falcon. How are you doing today?" Loren had always been like a second mother to me, and I had told her almost everything in my life. I only trusted Feyre to know everything.

"Better than yesterday, I know that at least." I grinned up at her.

The smile she gave me was so loving that I felt a bitter little twinge in my lower stomach. Why couldn't mother be like this? "Well that's always good." Those brown eyes shifted to Kaspar and she tutted softly. "What are you doing all dirty like that?"

"I was surprise attacked, Ma." Kaspar answered with an embarrassed smile. "The puppies."

Loren's eyes sparkled with laughter. "Only you, Kaspar Buckersly, could be surprise attacked by dogs." She shook her head and winked at me. "See what I have to live with, Fal?"

I laughed and got to my feet. Even though I was eight, I already reached up to Loren's shoulders. "We didn't realise you were here, sorry." I told her, the lie expertly rolling off my tongue. That was another thing Feyre and I could already easily do.

"So I believe, if you didn't come out the first fifty times I called," Loren answered with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway, to make up for it, Kaspar needs to come home now. His father is home."

Kaspar gasped behind me and even my own eyes widened. Kaspar's dad was part of the King's Guard, and rarely were they sent home. Everyone knew tat were few good reasons they were sent back, majority of those that came back apparently had 'unfixable issues that cannot remain in the Guard'. I could see the anxiety in Loren's eyes and I didn't need to turn around to see that Kaspar had tears in his eyes. His hand slipped into mine, seeking reassurance, and I squeezed his hand in silent message. You'll be okay.

One lingering squeeze back. Okay...

"Well, see you then Fal," Kaspar said, trying hard to stay positive. "See ya tomorrow?"

I nodded, pasting a carefree smile on my face. "Sure. See you then!"

Together the three of us silently walked out of the kennels, though Kaspar paused at the door, turning around to look at me with eyes sparkling in worry. I pulled him close and hugged him tightly.

"No matter what happens, you will be fine. I'm here for you." I whispered to him. "You only need to send word, and I'll come for you."

He nodded on my shoulder and pulled back. "Thank you."

With one final fearful look, my best friend turned around and walked away with Loren, into their carriage, down the driveway, and out of view. Taking a deep breath, I walked out into the sunlight and nearly got run over by Nesta riding away on her horse, both their eyes blind with fear.

"RUN!" She screamed. "RUN!"

Spinning around, I grabbed my wooden sword from its place on the ground and ran into the stables. Inside, the horses reared and whinnied. The lamps on the wall above my head swing wildly back and forth, while closer to the back the lamps had spluttered out. Stepping slowly into the building with my sword pointed forward, when theee shadows in the back of the stable broke off in different directions - one going left, one going right, one coming straight down the middle - but they all paused as they saw me.

"How goes there?" I shouted. "Show yourselves!"

The shapes stayed silent.

"Answer me!" I roared at them. "Answer me you cowards!"

"Quiet yourself, little warrior. We do not mean any harm to you." Replied a soft male voice.

"You say you won't harm me, but what about everyone else here?" I growl in return.

A slight pause. "You have my word that no one here will be harmed."

Staying silent, I stubbornly clenched my jaw tighter and let the silence drag on for a few seconds. "Who are you though? How do I know if I can trust you?"

Even though the man was in the shadows, when he smiled lightly at me, the dark seemed to withdraw slightly. "My name is Helion."

"Come into the light." I barked. "And your friends too."

Dipping his head minutely, Helion - whoever he was supposed to be - and his friends came forward. The two men flanking Helion stayed back on the border of the light while Helion strode into the light, illuminating his profile. Helion was tall and well muscled, with dark skin that seemed to shimmer against the white and gold armour he wore. On his head, sat a glimmering crown of golden spikes that was surrounded by long, silky looking onyx coloured hair. If the sun was ever able to be transformed into a solid body, it would be Helion.

I was just about to lower my sword when Helion tilted his head to the side, similarly studying me, when I spotted an inhuman feature that he had. Long, elegantly pointed ears. Shock ricocheted through my skull, before I started to notice a few other features. The thin, long fingers, the slim, bordering on insanely tall, very muscled body, the casual air of grace, the predatory, prowling gait.

"Fae." I breathed. "You're a Fae."

Helion smiled sadly. "Indeed I am, Falcon. Though, not just any Fae."

"How do you know my name?" I snarled. "What type of Fae are you?"

"We hear things. Like how I can hear the armed men coming this way to 'dispatch' us." The Fae snorted. "And I am a High Fae."

Caught unguarded, I stood there like a dumb idiot as I put together the pieces - connecting the stories father had told Feyre and I when we were younger. "You're a High Lord," I whispered to no one. Helion's nod was nearly enough to send me running.

I could now hear the shouts, heavy footfalls and the clanking of armour that announced the nearing arrival of the armed men that Nesta had no doubt sent. I went to run, but hesitated at the last moment.

"Go." I finally told them. "I can lie to them. Tell them she was imagining things."

Helion's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "And why would you do that so willingly?"

"Because you haven't done anything to my family. Why should you be punished for something you haven't done?"

Surprise flashed over the High Lord's face before I turned away and made to walk out of the stables but a warm hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Come with me," Helion whispered.

"What?" I half turned to face him. "Why?"

"Everything here is going downhill for your family. Come with me, and I promise you will be safe, protected and happy. Nothing will touch you whilst you will be in my care."

"But what about my sister? What about Feyre?"

A small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. "Trust me, you will see her."

I paused, considering, but the sound of the footsteps were closer, and I could hear the quick breaths of the men. My decision came quickly. "Let me get Feyre first, or else no."

"We don't have time now. We will come and get her soon, when you are safe." Helion's voice was urgent. "I promise."

Taking a breath, I glared at him in the eyes. "You better get her," I growled before grabbing his hand, and we whirled away, darkness and unconsciousness enveloping me with wide, caring arms.