HEY! I'm so sorry it took me so long to publish this chapter. Lockdown is over in France and I'm back at work with shitty horus. It's dificult for me to find time to write, but I'll try to post at least one chapter per week.
Thank you all for your lovely reactions, it motivates me so much you have no idea!
goals968745 : There'll be lots of cute moments, and lots of angst coming... about next chapter, probably? ahah But I promise it's worth it in the end!
Guest: Thank you so much! I love dwelling in that universe and exploring those characters, they're so interesting!
Odeveca : Their first kiss will be magical, at least I'll try to convey it that way~! Okay so the timing right now is the end of August, beginning of September, just a little over two weeks before the Auutmn Equinox (September 21st). Tamlin will be back in Part III! ;D
Zazelle20 : Thank yu so much! I'm so glad it's lightning up the boring quarantine days!
FANFICTION
A COURT OF NIGHTMARES AND LIGHT
PART II – THE DAY COURT
CHAPTER XVI : The Golden Apple
Lucien woke up the moment the day peaked in the sky. The dark green curtains of the bedroom had kept them in the dark the entire night but now that the sun was here, the fabric lightened and gave a sheer of green over everything. It reminded him of his bedroom back in Rosehall.
A powerful smell of flowers and hope filled his lungs. His new favourite scent.
He turned his head towards his left where Elain was sleeping deeply. Her hair flowed in lovely curls around her face and her chest rose and fell slowly at every breathing. She had gathered her hands near her face and her nightgown was discreetly slipping off her shoulders. It showed her cleavage and the sleeping position made the sight of her breasts more prominent. The white and gold silk covers was draped over her hips and her legs, showing her charming curves.
It was the most beautiful sight he had ever witnessed upon waking up.
His gaze lingered over her bare shoulder and unconsciously, he reached out. He caressed her cheek, making her whine a little but she didn't wake yet. He played with a silky thread of hair, then pushed it away from her face to admire her more fully. Elain moved a little, took in a sleepy breath that attracted Lucien's attention to her neck and the delicate lines of her collarbones. His hand wavered over her warm skin… and he slowly pulled her nightgown sleeve back up, then raised the covers to ensure she wouldn't catch a cold. The early morning chill was the most treacherous one.
Discreetly, quiet as a fox, he exited the bed and carefully avoided stepping anywhere near the fox cubs who were snoring about as loudly as a drunk Tamlin. He went into the living-room, welcomed by the pale colours and light of dawn. He stretched, facing the sun and let it warm his skin.
He closed his eyes, relaxing despite himself. He had always felt good, bathing in the sun and the daylight, but it was so much more empowering and calming in the Day Court. Probably the natural power of the place. He felt energised, whereas the Night Court drained him, despite its daily dose of sunlight.
"Do you like it here?"
Lucien startled and turned around, realising that he had been so lost in his dream-like state while absorbing whatever power came from the sunlight, that he hadn't heard Elain wake up, get up and join him.
She had draped a jasmine coloured shawl over her shoulders and her eyes were a little sleepy, her hair was a mess – but oh Mother had mercy on him, she was the loveliest creature he had ever beheld.
She approached him, just as someone knocked at the door.
"It's your breakfast, my lord and lady," came a voice from behind it.
"Come in," Lucien answered.
The servant opened the doors and pushed a rolling tray covered of various breakfast dishes. Except some beautifully arranged piles of fruits, everything was covered by silver domes to remain warm – a delicious smell lingered and drew them closer.
"Where to, my lord and lady?" the servant asked.
"On the balcony would be lovely, please," Elain answered before Lucien could utter a sound, "I would like to witness the sunrise."
The servant did as told and Lucien couldn't help but admire Elain's ease with servants and courts' protocols. As soon as they were alone, sitting at the breakfast table on their balcony, surrounded by potted plants, hanging flowers, and early bees and birds, he turned his attention on her.
"I am surprised by how well you are able to handle court life. Dinners, servants, luxury, you are extremely at ease with it all." Lucien said after a few bites of that wonderful Day Court specialty made with eggs.
"I was raised to be a lady, you know. Why are you so surprised by my ability to execute my duties and show manners?" she asked, pouring both of them some tea with a flowery fragrance.
"I witnessed Feyre in the Spring Court when she was human, and then as High Fae. She was uncomfortable as fuck whenever someone did anything for her or anything was expected of her as… lady. I guess the lack of formality in the Night Court suits her far better than any other court would."
Talking of Feyre reminded Elain of their argument the previous day. It dampened her spirits. She looked away, staring at the horizon as the sun climbed higher and the city woke up more and more.
Lucien noticed his mistake. He clamped his mouth shut, his golden eye whirred furiously, as if scolding him for his slip of tongue.
"I apologize, I only meant to compliment you, my lady," he quickly said, having lost all appetite.
"It's all right, I understand what you intended. I'm… I've never argued with any of my sisters before, you know…" she admitted, looking down at her teacup, "…And I've argued with both very lately. I… I'm afraid I don't know how to reconcile. Feyre is so stubborn, and… and now Nesta is in the Illyrian Mountains…"
"…I would give you advices but I'm afraid that when my brothers and I argued, we had a tendency of settling our disagreement by trying to kill each other," Lucien said, the corner of his lips quirking up in a bitter and melancholic smile.
His tone was light though, and it had the hoped effect as Elain let out an awkward chuckle.
"I'm realising now that I don't know how to talk to my sisters. I've only ever pacified them…"
She took a sip, and Lucien leaned forward, putting his hand over her forearm for comfort.
"It's good, it means you're speaking up for yourself. You're becoming braver, and prouder. There's no shame in that and if you're realising a past mistake you've made with your sisters, you can only move forward correcting it. You can only learn and improve yourself."
She looked up at him, smiling at his gentle advice.
"Is this what you told yourself whenever your brothers and you argued?" she asked, slightly teasing.
He grimaced. And she laughed. He followed her, the light-heartedness back between them. Lucien finally noticed a handwritten message on the tray of food. He picked it up and read it quickly to himself.
I hope the night didn't exhaust you, lovebirds. I expect you up, bright and lively at eight in the meeting room (the servant sent to help Lady Elain dress up will guide you). Enjoy your breakfast, but don't waste too much time eating it off each other's bodies, as it would lead to lateness, that Koios abhors above all. Your doting friend, H.
"Who is it from? Wait no, I think I know… What does Lord Helion say?" Elain asked.
She noticed Lucien's slight increase in heartbeat as he read the words. Whether it was from annoyance or embarrassment, she couldn't tell as he immediately burnt the paper until there was nothing but ashes left of it.
"Nothing interesting. He expects us in the meeting room in around an hour from now."
He glanced at both of their plates, noticing they were mostly empty.
"I will let you take the bath and prepare yourself first. A servant should come soon to help you get ready, and then guide us to the intended place."
"T-thank you."
She finished her tea and stood up, quickly going to the bathroom.
Lucien was gathering his papers in the living-room when he noticed a vague sense of unease in his chest… He didn't hear a single sound from Elain. He listened closely… but nothing. Not the slightest sound of ruffling clothes, not a drop of water – and her heart was beating hollowly.
"Elain? Is everything all right?" he asked, edging towards the bathroom door and knocking.
"I…"
She opened the door, still dressed. Her cheeks were flushed in embarrassment, and something close to panic.
"I don't know how this… system works." She admitted, looking down.
"Oh, right. Spells. You haven't learned any yet." He realised.
He took a look around the bathroom, his golden eye helping him identify the spells that all worked together in the room – they were so intricate and working like clockwork, it was amazing. A splendid work, as expected from the Day Court. He clicked his fingers, letting his magic operate and the water started warming up.
"That should do it. Anything else you need?" he asked.
Elain was staring down at the water, moving her hands awkwardly.
"U-um… I can't see the bottom…" she breathed, anxiety spiking up through the bond.
Lucien blinked, not understanding how that was a problem. Then, he felt fear coming from her. The flash of a memory. The Cauldron.
Oh.
How stupid. Of course she was still traumatized by water, after that cursed experience.
Without hesitating an instant, Lucien pushed his sleeve as high as possible and lied down on the side of the basin, at Elain's feet. She tried to hold him back but he was too swift. He dived his arm in the water, as far as possible – he quickly found the bottom. It was no higher than a regular bathtub, perhaps even less.
"It's about the length of my arm. If it's… too deep, you can just stay on the stairs, they're high enough that you won't be entirely plunged into the water at once." He said, shaking his arm from any water.
"O-oh, t-thank you…"
Elain had realised two things watching him practically dive into the bathing basin for her peace: firstly, he was willing to do anything for her comfort and it sent a rush of fondness through her… and secondly, she would dive into the Cauldron a thousand times over if it meant keeping Lucien from experiencing a minute of her torture in it. The panic that had invaded her when she saw him near the water – she had almost jumped at him to hold him back, he hadn't noticed but she'd… she'd do anything to keep him safe from any unfortunate experience.
A knock at the suite's door brought them back at the reality of things.
"Right, the servant. Time is ticking I guess–"
"I-I should hurry…" Elain stammered, letting go of her shawl, her fingers lingered over the fabric of her nightgown to push it off her shoulders.
Flushing, she glanced at Lucien and he quickly looked away.
"Will you be all right?"
"Y-yes."
"G-good, if you need anything, you can call me… or the servant."
He hesitated, then quickly left her alone in the bathroom.
Elain glanced at the sight of the magnificent landscape below her, feeling as if she was bathing in plain sight. Koios had said there was a spell protecting anyone from seeing what was going on inside, and there was far too much distance for anyone to see anyway… but it felt strange.
Had she been human, she would have never dared taking off her clothes like that, magic or not.
But she wasn't human anymore, she was braver, and prouder – as Lucien had said.
She pushed off the nightgown that pooled at her feet. She stepped out, and walked down the stairs. The water was at the perfect temperature and as she sat on the steps to not be fully plunged, she couldn't help but relax. There was something in the water that worked through all her nerves and invigorated her. It smelled of milk, honey and flowers. It was delicious. It felt like a light, sparkling sheen over her skin, as if she was bathing in golden powder – but there was no strange or oily sensation. Her skin only felt soft and supple.
Recalling that the servant and Lucien were both waiting, she didn't take much time to enjoy the bath, and quickly got out again. She dried herself and surrounded herself with a bath gown. It was like silk running over her skin. She hurried outside of the bedroom to join the servant who was patiently waiting. Lucien had carefully avoided glancing at her, entering the bathroom to get cleaned up himself as the servant, named Katia, helped Elain dress up with one of her usual dresses. She picked a cream-coloured one, with flowers she had embroidered on the collars, sleeves and hem. Lucien reappeared, cleaned, dry and dressed just as she finished doing her hair up.
Curious, Elain couldn't help but stare at Lucien as he reappeared, already ready and perfect as ever. He must have sensed her confusion because he grinned.
"A bit of a magic trick," he answered with a wink.
"Oh."
He offered her his arm so they could follow the servant through the halls, followed by Lady, Sparkle and Flame, each with a different coloured collar: a soft blue for Lady's dark red fur, a vibrant green for Sparkle's fur similar to a regular fox, and a striking gold against Flame's smoky dark fur.
"D-do you think I have such ability?" Elain asked, "L-like all the magic you all do, winnowing and other spells?"
"I don't know what you're capable of exactly, Elain. You are Cauldron-Made, but you are High Fae so I don't see why you couldn't develop magic over time. Lucky us, we are in the court specialised in magic and spells," he answered with a wink.
"Feyre can do all that you do, and she's even better at it, it appears."
Lucien grimaced, and rolled his eyes.
"Feyre has the uncanny ability of learning really fast. But she is also a huge show-off – a characteristic of hers that got worse after meeting Rhysand, by the way. Just because she shows her magical abilities more than the rest of us High Fae, doesn't mean she's better than us. If anything it's the proof that she unconsciously feels the need to prove what she's capable of when we don't feel this way. We're far more humble."
He huffed to himself. In Elain's opinion, many words could be used to describe High Fae and Lucien, but 'humble' was not the one she'd think of first.
"Would you beat her in a magical fight?" Elain asked.
Lucien pouted, frowning to himself.
"…Not if she uses all of her magic from all the courts. But I'm confident I know more fire tricks than hers."
"That's something I would love to see."
"I wouldn't want her to learn all of my favourite tricks, and I would lose my job as Emissary at the Night Court if I scorch her." He replied mischievously.
"I'm sure the other courts would fight to have you as Emissary."
"Are you encouraging me to quit the Night Court?" he asked, lowering slightly his voice so it'd become more private.
"W-would you… do you want to leave the Night Court?" she asked, hushing herself as well.
He blinked, as if he realised that he had never taken in consideration what he wanted. He frowned and answered carefully:
"…I went there for you," he admitted in a breath, "And after the war… I had nowhere else to go. I don't think I'd want to spend the rest of my life there but–"
He was interrupted as they arrived into the meeting room. Feyre and Rhysand weren't there yet, but Amren, Helion (without his crown), Koios, Selena, and a couple of Day Court dignitaries were all gathered.
"So, how was the night?" Helion asked with a huge, teasing grin as they entered.
Lucien glared at him, but Elain didn't notice what he implied.
"It was one of the most wonderful nights of my life," Elain said with a smile, "Thank you for all of your lovely attentions, my lord."
Helion raised his eyebrows so high they almost flew off his face. Lucien flushed, realising that Elain had unconsciously insinuated they had spent a busy night.
"We slept very deeply, thank you for asking." Lucien corrected with a tight smile.
"Oh? The festivities of the day had exhausted you so much? Not much stamina? You should have eaten some of the orange and cinnamon bites – they do wonders for energising one's blood." Helion continued without missing a blink.
Elain flushed as she realised that she had misunderstood the entire exchange between Helion and Lucien.
Why was the High Lord so keen on encouraging their mating? Or did he just enjoy the teasing?
Lucien opened his mouth for a sharp reply, that would have probably been followed by some lingering insult at that, when Feyre and Rhysand appeared.
"I'm so sorry we're late!"
"Someone was distracted this morning," Rhysand said with a playful smirk.
"Oh, then the aphrodisiacs were useful after all," Lucien commented, somehow appearing innocent and mocking.
Rhys glared at him, but didn't deny it, and Feyre flushed. Elain had a similar reaction when they realised that Feyre and Rhysand hadn't slept at all the previous night (and this morning as well, apparently).
"Now that we are all here," Koios started, unfazed, "Let us begin."
All teasing or joke ceased and the tension rose. Elain swallowed hard, feeling like she was back at a war council of sorts.
Koios turned towards Lucien who took a step forward and started talking:
"Almost two years ago now, Queen Vassa, one of the six queens of the Continent, refused to work with the King of Hybern, unlike her fives colleagues. They sold her off to one of the ancient death-gods, a Sorcerer called Koschei. He is the brother of death-gods who died during the last war, the Weaver and the Bone Carver. That Sorcerer has been trapped for millennials on a territory surrounding a lake, on the Continent. He is notorious for keeping captive women, mostly humans, and cursing them in bird or other animal forms. Queen Vassa also suffers from such a curse, being a firebird by day, and a human by night."
He paused, just as Helion spoke up, surprisingly serious compared to the light-hearted moments they had spent together since their arrival at the Day Court:
"What is the situation with the other queens, and Vassa's kingdom, Valana?" he asked, turning towards Rhysand.
"My network of spies has managed to get some information, and so did Lucien directly from Vassa herself." Rhys said, arms crossed over his chest.
"When the queens sold her off, part of the bargain was that the queens would hold the power in Valana. After her disappearance, many humans faithful to Vassa gathered and contacted merchants to overthrow the queens' regency. This is how the situation came to be known to Lord Archeron."
Everyone looked quickly at Feyre and Elain, knowing the role that their father has had in the war and turning its tide.
"Him, and other members of the guild of merchants, and some allies to Vassa negotiated with the queens' representative in the Kingdom of Valana. The representative was sent back to the other queens and Valana's charge was taken by Vassa's General until she would be back. They had managed to learn about Vassa being sold to the Sorcerer, and so… Lord Archeron and others negotiated with Koschei to temporarily free her."
They all knew what had happened then during the war: the guild of merchants, Vassa and Lucien all came to Prythian and helped turn the tide against Hybern.
"Since then, we have managed to find enough loopholes to keep Vassa with us, Koschei has been quiet and Jurian has been the one handling the Kingdom of Valana from afar. A few weeks ago, he went back there because of the rising tension."
"The rising tension?" Elain murmured, blinking and wringing her hands together.
"Lucien, and many of my spies' reports mention it. Many Fae people from the Continent, former allies of Hybern, are starting to move. We don't know what they're planning yet, but they've gotten in touch with the four remaining queens. Another war might be brewing, unless we stop it before then." Rhysand explained in a dark voice.
Elain paled, suddenly realising that this was much bigger than helping Vassa or understanding her abilities as Seer.
Another war, another bloodshed, another–
No.
She wouldn't be able to handle it, not again, not this time, not when she had– she had someone to care for…
Instinctively, she glanced at Lucien. He wasn't surprised by any of it, none of them was. She had been the only one kept in the dark this entire time. She hadn't even realised how important Lucien had been in gathering information and maintaining contact between Prythian and the Continent, between High Fae and humans… and what had she done since the war? Planting flowers and turning in aimless circles, cursing him and Graysen and fate.
"This seems like a relatively small threat for the moment, their forces are too sparse, and they don't have enough weaponry to pose any problem," Rhysand added quickly.
"My spies have brought me similar reports," Selena nodded, apparently being the spymaster of the Day Court.
"The Continent's Fae won't be able to do anything without the help of the four queens. And to stop those queens we need to bring Vassa back in her kingdom so she can take the reins in her own hands once again. Then, the people will side with her and take down the false queens, putting short the Fae's ambitions of conquest." Lucien concluded.
"Just after the War," Helion spoke up again, "Both Feyre and I tried to break the spell, but it was to no avail at that time. Since then, I have done much research on that intricate curse and I might have found a few clues but I'm afraid none would work out. The spells I have found, and their counterparts, are all far too simple to work on one as complex as Vassa's. And you say that now we are running on a time limit?"
Lucien nodded, lips thin.
"Vassa has received a message, not long after Jurian had left, from the Sorcerer. He has grown tired of her excuses, we have no more loophole to exploit, and she must go back to him by the Autumn Equinox. Or he'll come and get her back himself."
"And we all know that even bound to the lake, a magical contract such as that one will give him the right to come here and capture Vassa again. Though, he will be unable to do anything else but show up and take her." Selena intervened again.
"It seems impossible to find a solution to take away that curse if after over a year the Day Court's greatest speller-workers have been clueless," Koios continued, "But… there might be hope, after all?"
They all turned towards Elain, who startled to be under such intense scrutiny. Feyre, despite having not looked at her sister since her arrival, spoke up for her sake:
"Elain had a vision about a week ago about–"
"I can speak for myself, Feyre," Elain cut her.
Feyre didn't look at her, she frowned and closed her lips. Elain swallowed hard, but quickly spoke up:
"My vision showed me… blood, lots of it. And a Blood Moon."
"The next one is on Winter Solstice." Koios said.
"I then said some sort of prophecy, but… I don't remember it…"
Once again, Feyre was about to speak it, but Elain turned towards Lucien who beat Feyre to it:
"The blood moon will see him free. The Immortal. The thief. He will come and steal the promised blood. The Bird is his beginning and his end. The Blood Moon will reveal the secret." Lucien recited carefully.
There was a short moment of silence, and Amren spoke up for the first time since the beginning of this meeting:
"We believe that the promised blood and the Bird are one and the same: Vassa."
"So he intends to use Vassa to free himself during the next Winter Solstice. That's why he needs her back before the Autumn Equinox." Helion said.
There was a short pause. Then Koios stepped forward again:
"We have already prepared the libraries and groundwork for the two teams that will handle this situation. As Lord Rhysand must return to the Night Court, Lady Feyre, Lord Lucien and my High Lord Helion will research the solution to break the spell that has befallen Queen Vassa."
"I am not nearly as knowledgeable as you two when it comes to spells and breaking them, but I'll do my best to help you, as I know Vassa better than anyone else here," Lucien said with a grateful nod to Helion.
Elain felt an irritated pang in her heart as Lucien didn't hesitate to remind everyone of his closeness to Queen Vassa. She was suddenly reminded of the time he had left and come back with her scent all over him – the very thought of it almost made her blood boil again.
"As for Lady Elain and Lady Amren, they will go with Selena doing research on the abilities of Seer. With some chance, if you manage to hone and polish your skills with that particular magic, Lady Elain, if you can control it, we could learn more on the Sorcerer, or even the curse itself. You will be guided and protected by several of our finest soldiers, and Lady Selena obviously."
Elain realised two things at once: firstly, if the first group couldn't find a spell to break Vassa's curse, all hopes would be on her ability to master her visions. Secondly, she would spend this entire time away from Lucien.
She glanced at him, the very idea of spending hours at a time away from him, doing something else than him, was… she didn't like it.
He must have sensed her line of thoughts, her emotions, because Lucien suddenly looked down, uncomfortable. Elain bit the inside of her cheek when she noticed his reaction – was it because he wanted to spend time with her as well? Or was it because he didn't want to spend time with her and he disliked her craving of his presence? What was happening to her, craving him like that? Like some food, like an animal would? What was she becoming?
As the silence went on and everyone stared at Elain, Amren elbowed her and spoke up with a firm voice.
"She'll do her best." She said, glaring at Elain for being so distracted by Lucien – perhaps it would be preferable to work apart from him after all…
"I'm sure she will. No one ever leaves the Day Court without learning something new," Helion said with a wink.
"We are the court that values knowledge above all, after all. This is the best place for all of us to learn and find solutions." Selena added with an encouraging smile destined to Elain.
Perhaps it had been meant to be – for Elain to heal just enough to go to the court made by and for knowledge. What better place to find herself, and her goals, if not here?
"All that being said, I suggest we start going our separate ways." Koios said.
"We will go to a specialised library south of here, the most abundant in spells and curses," Helion told Feyre and Lucien.
"And we are going east," Selena said, "I can winnow all three of us, but if you prefer it's only an hour away on horseback."
"Let's just winnow, it'll be faster. I don't want to waste any time." Amren said.
"Very well. Some days I will be taken by my duties at court and I might be forced to go back here earlier. In which case I'll send someone to winnow you back. Shall we go?" Selena asked, offering her hands to the two ladies.
Elain wanted to look over her shoulder. To have another look at Lucien to wish him a good day. To silently send a message to Feyre that she wanted to apologize. But Amren had grabbed her hand and they disappeared in smoke.
When they stepped in another part of the Day Court, just outside a library, Elain almost fell over. She blinked, realising she would probably not see Lucien until dinner. That Rhysand would be gone back to the Night Court by then – he hadn't even bothered saying goodbye to either her or Amren… or perhaps he had said goodbye to Amren with that daemati ability of his, and hadn't bothered saying anything to only her.
That wouldn't be surprising.
Then Elain took in the massive building. It was surprisingly different than Delphos and the Tower of Light. The library only had three floors, and it measured about fifty meters large. It was small for a High Fae building, it was quiet and away from the buzzing of the cities. There was a nearby village but it… it felt like the countryside, where no trouble ever reached them. The bricks were light brown and the roof tiles were red. There were some golden letters above the main door with the name of the library. Two fountains stood on each side of the small road leading to the building. Further on the right, there was a small stable and even further an orchard of apple and pears.
It was so lovely.
"Welcome to the Founding Library." Selena said with a smile, extending her arms as she stepped forward.
"Does each and every one of the famous thousand libraries of the Day Court have such ridiculous names?" Amren asked, smirking lightly.
Selena didn't seem amused at all. She frowned lightly, her gaze turning far away and angry.
"No. And we have lost many of our libraries and our precious knowledge because of Amarantha. She looted most of it. We are still… in desperate search to recover all the scrolls and books she stole."
Reminded of the scars of the past few years, Amren became respectfully quiet.
"D-did she steal that many books?" Elain asked hesitantly, not knowing much about those dark cursed years.
"Amarantha destroyed about a third of our libraries. Many were protected or too remote for her to bother. Her cronies have looted almost every one of the libraries. She used to build pyres with our books and scrolls to sacrifice the members of our courts who had annoyed her."
Tears shone in her silvery gaze.
"The Day Court was one of the three courts that tried to revolt against her. That's when she killed the previous High Lord and Helion became the new one. In that dark cave, so far away from the sun where he was meant to be… She burnt the body of our previous High Lord, Helion's older brother, and everyone who had helped him in one way or another…"
She paused, closing her eyes in reminded pain.
"No High Lord had ever become one with such tears streaming down his face as Helion did. I only saw him cry twice in our entire lives… and it was the second and last time."
Helion, ravaged by the pain of seeing his brother assassinated and burnt over a pile of books from his court, the treasure of knowledge accumulated for millennia by his ancestors. The sudden power of Day kissing him, embracing him, filling his veins and making him shine like the sun itself. A High Lord of absolute power, falling on his knees and crying, tasting his new magic for the first time and not getting the chance to become familiar with it before it'd be smothered by Amarantha's spell.
Elain could see the scene so clearly that she wondered if it wasn't a vision caused by her power and Selena's sheer emotion.
"W-we still haven't finished counting the number of documents we have lost… but it might be close to several millions…"
Elain swallowed hard.
"It won't happen again." Elain said suddenly, surprising herself by the unwavering confidence in her voice.
Both Amren and Selena turned to her, slightly surprised to hear her speak up in such a manner.
"I won't let it happen again. No more war, no more suffering… no more refugees and kills, no more knowledge burning. I refuse to let it happen." Elain continued, a determined gleam in her eyes.
It wasn't just about Vassa and her curse, or about Prythian, or spending time with Lucien, or learning to control her powers – it was about stopping another war, any war, to even start again. It was stopping Koschei, the Hybern allies, the wretched queens to cause any more suffering to anyone, ever again.
She never wanted to see god-like power used to torture, like she had been dived into the Cauldron against her will. She didn't want to see beautiful cities scarred by battles. She didn't want to see any more families broken by loss. No more engagement and promises meeting an early grave. No more siblings or friends dying… no more fathers leaving their daughters behind.
Still too stunned by Elain's sudden change in behaviour, by her new growth they hadn't expected, Amren and Selena watched her walk without hesitation towards the Founding Library.
A low fairy welcomed them, intent on guiding them through the building. It was well organised and had many tables. The centre of the building had a glass circular roof to let the light enter from the rooftop. A big statue stood in the sunlight. It represented nine characters who seemed to climb over each other and reach for a golden apple held to the highest point by the one High Fae who was represented with a sunray crown around his head, similar to the one Helion wore.
Finding her staring at the statue in fascination, Selena came close to Elain.
"It represents the Founding of Prythian. This library holds all the accumulated knowledge concerning the Founding of Prythian as we know it."
"T-the Founding of Prythian?" she repeated, "I remember reading a story… about the seven High Lords kidnapping humans to build their lands and treat them as slaves."
"That did happen, but centuries and centuries after THE Founding of Prythian. Originally, humans and High Fae lived in harmony across all the lands, worshipping the Old Gods. But when those gods treated us all, humans and fairies alike, like worthless beings, kidnapping and torturing us for sports… we revolted. All of us, together. Many Old Gods disappeared, going back to their lands, or they were imprisoned like that Sorcerer still is now."
Selena paused before pointing at the two figures that were the most at the bottom of the tower of bodies. Elain finally realised that they weren't reaching for the apple, they were embraced with each other, and the man was… human.
"That High Fae female is the warrior who tricked the Old Gods and diminished their powers, either to see them destroyed, or to be imprisoned. Some of those Old Gods though, were generous and before leaving, one of them gave the Golden Apple of Knowledge. That deity told our ancestors that for saving the whole world from destroying itself, Prythian would always be prosperous. She told the Warrior who had saved everyone to take the Golden Apple and whoever would eat it would receive the powers to rule over all of Prythian, only then prosperity would be ensured."
"Did she eat it?"
"No, she had no interest in an immortal life of ruling. She loved a human male and wanted to spend their lives together in peace as Prythian was being built. But she turned to her seven warrior friends who had helped her during the First War and she divided the apple in seven equal pieces. They ate it, allowing prosperity to come into our lands, and the grand powers were divided and shared between the seven lords, who created the seven courts of Prythian."
Elain stared a little more at the statue, finding characteristics for every original High Lord. One reminded her of Rhysand, half hidden in the shadows. Another one was covered in red and golden autumn leaves. Another one had golden roses in his hair…
Elain finally remembered where she had seen a golden apple before: it was everywhere in the Day Court. It was one of the symbols of the court, its blazon was a golden apple on a red background.
"Why is the Day Court's symbol the Golden Apple if it was shared equally? Did they fight to eat it all?" Elain asked.
"Oh they were friends and they never fought for it – that statue was just made this way for dramatic effect, I'm pretty sure they also wore clothes rather than remain nude at all time. As for our symbol… it was called the Apple of Knowledge, and the original High Lord of the Day Court ate his share of the apple… and a seed, by accident." Selena said with a wink, "Our High Lords are not more powerful than any other, but it's because of that seed that our court thirsts for knowledge more than any other, and so the apple being the symbol of knowledge, it became our blazon."
Lucien was the secret son of Helion, and the heir to the Day Court. She still didn't know if she should ever tell him that terrible thing… she was afraid she would lose him if he learned it.
The scent of apples had always lingered on him.
Was it the blood of the Day Court's power flowing through his veins that had given him that sweetness?
Elain had been absentmindedly following Selena through the halls and stacks of books, when something occurred to her.
"A moment, Lady Selena," she spoke up, "If this library has gathered everything known about the Founding of Prythian… why are we here if we must study the power of Seers?"
Selena turned back to her. In the background, Amren raised her head to observe the exchange.
"Because the other seeds of that Golden Apple of Knowledge were eaten by the first Seer of Prythian." She answered with a grin.
I hope you liked it! :D
Yours Truly,
May