Everything was planned.

It been only a day since I had ridden alongside Bellamy and Shilah. And we were almost ready to leave. We had since selected our route, Bellamy had procured the necessary ingredients to drug the sentries guarding the post of the route we were truly going.

And a few more ingredients to drug sentries by the human territory and by the Summer Court, which was the route he likely expected me to go. To throw them off. Make them unsure of what direction they were truly going.

And I had even put a dye in my hair, which I had Bellamy purchase for me in the nearby village which made my auburn hair go to a dark brown. Nobody had seen me with my new hair yet luckily. Barely anybody outside the Spring Court truly knew what I looked like.

But when they inevitably sent out search parties they would be looking for a dark auburn haired girl rather than a brunette. My hair colour was an odd trait, supposedly I got it from my grandmother on my father's side. The one Nyx's family killed.

Bellamy had suggested that we get Faebane as well. To possibly use on Nyx. If we managed to get close enough for that. He said he knew of a lesser fae called Artemisia who may be willing to strike a deal whom apparently lives around the border connecting the Winter Court and the Middle.

It was a good idea yet slightly terrifying. The Middle. I had never been but I'd heard the stories. Of the Weaver who used to prowl and other monsters told in bedtime stories to scare children. Now that the Weaver was gone I wondered what new monsters had emerged to take her place. I knew the law of that place was decided by the strongest beings.

I was utterly aware how vulnerable I was and how I'd managed to live in Prythian for eighty years yet I had barely visited any courts and he kept me away from any of the High Lords as well, save for Tarquin. Father said it was for my protection.

Protection? Or to keep control over me. Or both. Either way I had been naive in believing him, just accepting that the Spring Court was the only world of mine I should visit. But a small part of me wanted to keep faith in him, my protector, my father.

Currently I was preparing my weapons, sharpening them and if I was able to get Faebane I would coat my knives in them. I had a sword but knives were more lightweight. Cauldron it had taken me years to perfect knife throwing but it had always been one of my favourite weapons to use and the one which I had the most skill with.

I was decent enough at archery, alright at swords play though I had a long way to go. But knives. I excelled at those. Swords were so Cauldron damned heavy, archery too fiddly but knives were ideal for me, but needed a lot of accuracy and precision.

Without warning the door to my bedroom opened and I tried to cover up my weapons quickly but drew a breath of relief as I saw that it was only Sabin so I just carried on sharpening and tending to them.

"Althea get your knives off of that table," Sabin said irritably as she eyed the weapons distastefully, "that table is over five hundred years old, I will not have it be accidentally damaged by your little toys."

Toys. I nearly rolled my eyes but thought better of it. Sabin may be ancient but she was still as quick as an asp and as dangerous as one as well. Begrudgingly, I moved my knives from the mahogany table I had been keeping them on.

She nodded after I did that, content as she eyed me shrewdly with those black eyes of hers,

"New hair?" She enquired with a look of distain and I nodded, "So you're going tomorrow?" she continued, still looking at me in disapproval.

I nodded and she swore.

"You are a foolish girl indeed then," she stated, beginning to fold some of my clothes I had planned to take with me on my bed.

"I need to save him Sabin, I don't have a choice," I said, not looking her in the eye.

"Blah," she said, waving her hand at me in dismissal, "you have a choice girl and you're choosing to endanger your life and jeopardise the entire future of the Spring Court as you are the heir," she pauses, still watching me, "and for what? To save a male whose lived for centuries, High Fae may seem immortal but everyone being dies one day, if he is to die it will be the will of the Cauldron."

"He's my father," I snapped, feeling my temper rise up, "the only family I have left who give a damn about, he has always protected me why should I let him die now? I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least try to cure him."

And it was true. I would hate myself forever if I became High Lady and let my father die while knowing that there was a cure out there.

But Sabin shook her head, still looking at me as she always has done. As if I was nothing more than a petulant youngling, though I supposed to her I still was considering how many centuries she had lived.

"You are embarking on a suicide mission girl," Sabin said, thinking on the details of my mission I had told her about yesterday, she had simply walked off then, muttering curses under her breath, "you seriously intend to go all the way to the Night Court without detection to slay Nyx, the son of two of the most powerful High Fae in Prythian."

I hated her tones. The condescending attitude. Thought that's how Sabin had always been but I had never taken it very well. I knew full well she had a point but Cauldron she could be irritating.

"I know the risks," I muttered, "and I will take them anyway."

"You have no idea of the risks," she said, more bite coming into her tone, "you may be full grown but you have barely seen a shred of the world, of the kind of power you will be up against, the way you and that boy Bellamy train is child's play in comparison to the likes of the Illyrians," she said, still looking at me in anger, "you will have to be cunning unlike anything before, show strength like you've never had to before and I'm not sure you can do it girl."

I just looked up at her wearily. I knew her words rang true but I didn't want to admit that. I couldn't admit that. I was scared. Father may have kept details about the Night Court secret from me but I'd read about the Illyrians. Such strong mighty warriors with those beautiful obsidian wings. When I was young I wished to be like them, to have their wings and skills both. Back when I decided I wanted to train to be a warrior. Be strong like them. I'd also looked up the Peregrynes of the Dawn Court. Such beautiful wings they all had.

"I will be fine," I stated, my dark eyes emotionless as Sabin shook her head in exasperation yet again, instead moving behind me as she started combing my hair.

I still winced. Even now. My hair wasn't like my father's, silky and easy to comb through. No. My dark curls demanded lots of attention and a special comb. Sabin was well experienced with it though she never showed any mercy. Though she made sure to import many expensive products specially to maintain and keep my hair very healthy, mainly from abroad and the Summer Court in particular.

We were both silent for a while, I could sense Sabin's dagger eyes on my back as she attacked my hair with a comb over and over, spraying water and applying creams on it to flatten it more.

"I'm doing you cornrows," Sabin said after a few minutes, "a protective style will be more practical, easier to maintain on a treacherous journey."

Ah cornrows. I briefly tempered when my mother wore that style. Though she was constantly changing her beautiful hair. Box braids. Cornrows. Her natural Afro. Dreadlocks. Whatever she fancied and the people of the Spring Court were in awe of her. She was admired by everyone and she adored the attention. If only she adored me just as much.

"Thank you," I said softly.

Sabin just huffed in response, still shaking her head as her nimble fingers began separating my curls into nest careful sections and then she began braiding my hair.

"If you go down this path you are going to die," Sabin warned, shaking her head in despair and it made me sad to hear the raw emotion in her voice. Sabin never showed when she was upset. Never.

"I don't want you to get hurt Althea," she said, "I practically raised you after Ivanna fled with that stupid mate of hers, you're like a daughter to me and it pains me to see you be so foolish."

I didn't answer straight away and she paused then continued,

"You're embarking on a quest you can't possibly win, you do not have the power to contain the heir to the Night Court," Sabin said, pulling strands of my hair roughly into tight braids, "not yet."

"Why not?" I asked, "I am the heir to the Spring Court, he is simply their heir to another court and I'm not a random powerless High Fae, I can contain him with my new power."

New power. It made me sick to say. Because this new power was coming from my father. I was inheriting it too early. As he weakened I grew in strength.

What I was telling her was lies upon more lies. If I said it enough then I might start to believe that I could do this. Although I was getting more power as it became apparent I was the sole heir and my father was dying. I could barely control it. Everything was changing.

"You don't even have your full powers yet and your new power is unpredictable to you and you have not learnt how to control it, much less use it in a fight," she said, "Nyx is older than you as well, he's one hundred and fifty years old I hear, not to mention he has more life experience and certainly won't be as naive as you," Sabin said simply.

"Give it a rest Sabin," I snapped, throwing my hands up, "I'm doing this whether you like it or not and I will succeed because my father's life is on the line," I insisted, my voice growing harsher, "I will kill, trick and lie to anybody if that's what it takes because giving up on family is not an option I'm willing to entertain."

Sabin just swore again, going back to silence as she went back to my hair, tugging more ferociously as her anger increased.

"You're far too loyal for your own good," she said, pausing for a minute.

I didn't even bother to reply which just made her angrier.

"How do you even plan on locating him specifically?" Sabin said in a snarky manner, "he could be in Velaris, the Court of Nightmares or even the damned Illyrian Mountains which are wide and treacherous, there are many war camps, you may be captured before you even make it to Nyx and as skilled as they may be the Illyrians are brutes, you could be killed, tortured or worse assuming that the Night Court's High Lady and Lord don't find you first, for they could shatter your very mind."

That was a terrifying notion but I ignored that part and focused on Sabin's first question.

"The Suriel gave me a bond," I muttered, "something that links us so I can track him down."

"The Suriel are ancient and powerful faeries but I've never heard of something like that before," Sabin admitted, sounding suspicious, "are you sure the Suriel wasn't trying to trick you?"

"They can't lie," I said shaking my head, "I don't care what bond I have as long as it leads me to Nyx so I can take him Under the Mountain and kill him."

"How bloodthirsty of you," Sabin remarked, "and for what Althea? Your father has lived for centuries and you've always aspired to be High Lady and overcome the old ancient patriarchal ideals of this damned court and now you have your chance you're doing everything you can to prevent it."

"What use is ruling if I'm alone?" I replied, my voice cracking slightly as I kept my face as emotionless as possible.

"Don't be sentimental Althea, you are not alone," Sabin said.

Oh but I was. And I had felt like that from the day my mother left me as a child which made my father push me away for a while. He could barely stand to look at me at one point, I could tell I reminded him of her. Luckily his behaviour didn't last long as Sabin gave him a piece of her mind and after that, he did his best in raising me.

But the loss of a mother, whether it's through abandonment or death changed someone, it left an irreplaceable hole, a wound that could never be fixed.

Perhaps it did make me weak and made me cling desperately to those few people I had an emotional attachment to. But if saving my family made my weak then so be it.

"My father has told me about the people of the Night Court, they're barbarians so trading one of their lives is hardly a sacrifice," I remarked, feeling ill at every word I was uttering.

Yes. My father had told me horrible days about the Night Court. But killing was different. Killing would change me. Make me a monster. I had killed before but that was in revenge to a male who had abused me long ago.

But this was different. I had no personal vendetta against Nyx, only a familial one. I didn't know if I could actually kill him.

But it was scary how quickly I disregarded another person's life. Kill them to save another. But what right did I have? To decide who lived or died. To lessen the worth of one Fae's life simply because they weren't my family.

"You can lie to yourself Althea but don't presume you can lie to me," she retorted, "and I will give you a piece of advice, don't believe everything your father had told you about the Night Court," she pauses, sighing, "look I know you are very close and a child always wants to be believe in their parent but their parent isn't always right."

I shook my head in confusion at that, "what does that even mean?"

She pursed her lips at that, still tending to my hair, "it's not my place to say."

"Well I'll continue to put my trust in him until I get some real answers, which I will have a long time to do once I've cured him," I said with a faux sweet tone.

"Stubborn child," Sabin muttered grumpily, still working on my hair but refraining from lecturing me even more.

We didn't talk after that for a long time. Until she has finished my hair and stood back admiring her work,

"I've still got it," she remarked with a pleased mode that I couldn't resist to crack a smile at and then she locked eyes with me and her gaze darkened, "you need to see your father before you leave," she said, hesitating for a split second, "just in case."

I nodded, getting up and going to the door before turning back to her. She was as grumpy as a Naga and had the fierceness of a warrior but I loved her dearly.

I ran towards her and just flung my arms around her, hugging her tightly, even breathing in her familiar lemony scent. She was the closest thing I had to a mother. It hurt me to leave when I knew she didn't want me to. But I had another parent to save, one bound to me by blood.

"Safe travels," Sabin whispered before pulling away, wiping a few stray tears and covering my hair in a green shawl, so that my father didn't see the dye before she ushered me out.

Taking a few deep breathes I prepared myself for the hardest goodbye of all as I slowly made my way to my fathers room. I knew he'd be there. He always spent this time of the day there, his only time of relaxation from the madness of Court, as he often put it.

It wasn't long before I reached the large door, engraved with intricate gold patterns. I traced some of the patterns for a second before opening the door. Normally I would knock but I couldn't be bothered for formalities.

I smiled faintly as I opened the door. Father was standing though he looked so tired, weary and decrepit. He attempted a weak smile, getting up from his desk.

I walked towards him, engulfing him in a hug which he returned. I held him so tightly, just like I did when I was a child. But this time I was afraid to let go.

"Why's your hair covered?" He asked.

"Sabin has just finished doing a new style," I said with a smile.

He nodded, accepting my shitty explanation as he sat back down in his oak chair, glancing over the various documents there

"Just a minor bit of business regarding a disagreement between a nymph and a water wraith but they're only lesser Fae so I won't waste too much time on it," he said which instantly made my temper flare up.

"You lesser Fae subjects are worth just as much attention as your High Fae ones," I reminded him, crossing my arms and he looked at me fondly to my surprise. Usually when I said things like that he'd glare in disapproval.

"You've always been so headstrong, so passionate about your ideals and beliefs," he said, "I'm too old and set in tradition to be swayed now but when you are High Lady perhaps a better world can be built."

High Lady. The first to ever rule the Spring Court. It still feels so strange for him to say it. He'd never confirmed it so casually. But he was right. The Spring Court would become a better world. I would make sure of it. I loved it and it's people, it would be my duty to protect them but not yet. Right now it was still his duty.

"It will be," I said, "when I take over, which won't be for a good few centuries at least."

He tried to smile at my light heartedness but his eyes just darkened,

"Thea, you can't keep pretending that everything will be alright," he said.

"Says who?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow, "and I'm not pretending, you're just a pessimist."

That did make him chuckle a little,

"Thea you have been a pessimist since you learned to talk," Father said with an amused expression.

"I've changed my ways," I replied with a grin.

"Alright," he said, accepting my words, hugging me again, "I love you Althea, I need you to remember that."

"I love you too Fa," I said, feeling waves of sadness and hysteria punch through me yet again.

"I'm really scared," I admitted, "you've always been there and this whole illness doesn't even feel real, I don't want you to leave me not yet."

He was silent for a little while at that, just hearing me cry. Breaking down again. I barely ever cried normally. But this. Has made me cry more than I have in quite a few decades put together.

But I let it all out. Because this was the last time I would see him for a while. Possibly ever. No, I corrected myself. A while. I had to keep optimistic which was proving incredibly hard seeing as it was true that I was a pessimist.

"I know," he said quietly as we pulled away, "but you must be strong, promise me Thea."

Promises. I didn't know that I could keep. But I would try.

"I promise," I said, letting the tears from my eyes fall freely.

"I know I've been hard on you all your life but I just wanted to protect you," he said with his arm around me, "I thought me having a daughter was a setback at first, as this court has always been ruled by High Lords but you have proved me wrong, you rejected my ideals of what a daughter should be, you mastered combat and weaponry, took the time to learn of the realm's finances and laws, you proved yourself to me and to the people," he said, crying himself, "and I am blessed to be your father"

I didn't know what to say to that. He had never complimented me this much in my life. That somehow made it worse. He'd clearly just given up. This was his way of resolving things before he died.

"I'm happy that you finally accept who I truly am rather than trying to change me," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and I quickly wiped my tears, "now enough business for today, promise me you'll go to bed and rest for a few hours."

He didn't look keen on the notion of resting but after another look from me he did as I asked.

"I'll see you soon," I said as I went to the door.

"Goodbye Thea," he said as he settled into bed.

I whispered my own goodbye so quietly that he couldn't hear me, shutting the door slowly behind me.

With each step to my bedroom I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to do. A part of me was still stuck in denial at everything that had happened every the last couple of weeks.

But nonetheless, I wiped my final tear and went into to my room, collecting and organising the last of my supplies and weapons before I snuck out of my window to meet Bellamy and Shilah who had prepared us some horses. I certainly would've been caught had I snuck through Rosehall Manor itself, the servants were usually light sleepers and some would've loved to gain favour with my father by informing him of my whereabouts

My heart was racing as I strapped my supplies to the side of my black mare. I could barely believe I was actually going to do this. For the first time in my life I was going to disappear. No one would know where I was. Beside my best friend and companion.

I felt like a damned spymaster about to infiltrate enemy lines for Cauldron's sake.

"Be safe Thea," Shilah said, hugging me tightly, the orange bits in her wings glistening a little in the moonlight. The moon being present was unfortunate. Made us more obvious. It's a little detail we should've thought of. But it was too late to change the plans now.

"Thank you Shilah," I said as we pulled apart and she caressed my cheek warmly.

"Where's my hug?" Bellamy inquired smiling shamelessly at Shilah who just have him a monotone glare.

She simply inclined her head, "safe travels Bellamy."

He nodded back, giving her one last smile before he mounted his horse. It's lucky we had a clear wide route otherwise the other sentries would hear the sounds of the horses galloping. But Bellamy had made sure we would not be reprimanded on our route.

"Are you ready Thea?" He asked me.

No. I wasn't ready for this madness at all.

But instead of saying that I simply nodded and after he nodded we nudged our horses along, breaking out into a thunderous gallop as we left our home and humanities behind.