𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔

𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩

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╰┈˚ · ° .  THE ARCHERON FAMILY HAD LOST THEIR FORTUNE, and so, we were forced to move out of our home. With the money we have left, the only place cheap enough was an old cottage made out of gray stones. Just two rooms and a bathroom. The only remnant of our lost wealth was the carved ironwood bed that belonged to our deceased mother. The bed where all the Archeron sisters were born in and where now, we all slept.

Exploring our new home, the village where I was going to live, had been the plan since I had fallen asleep between my sisters the previous night. I couldn't wait to see the different things that all the stalls at the market had to offer, even if I had no money to buy anything. I was curious about the people, how they acted, the way they interacted between each other, if it was different from how all the wealthy people I had met before. For only ten years old, I had too much curiosity within me.

And so, as soon as the sun was high enough in the sky, I wore my cloak and laced my boots, and I excitedly walked out from the front door of the cottage.

As I expected to be, the village was busy. It was the market day, after all. I had chosen that day to explore specifically for it. More things to see. Vendors yelled from their stalls, advertising their products. The smell of smoke and coal coated the already thick air alongside the one of fresh bread and cooked meat. I could see many different things in all the stalls, from woodwork creations, to fabric vendors that already had some finished clothes to sell.

But most of all, I was unaware of the danger that I had put myself in.

Cladded in a clean dress with hands free of any sign of labor, it was almost a beacon for riches that my family didn't have anymore.

I passed through the crowd till I reached the beginning of the forest. The air there was cleaner, fresher. The colors were so brilliant...

I walked just enough that the noises from the market were faint but I could still hear them clearly in the distance. This way I knew how to find my way back to the village and then to the cottage.

Suddenly, steps sounded from behind me. Three pairs to be exact.

I turned around and there, walking towards me, three men cladded in dirty and rundown clothes grinned down at me a too sly smile.

"Look what we got here." One said, his tongue darted out to lick his lips. He was bald and had a thick long beard that covered the lower part of his face.

"I think the little lady is lost." Another spoke mockingly though a snicker. He was the shorter of the three, slender and I could spot a rugged scar across his cheek.

The third one was the one that scared me the most. He didn't talk, he just stared at me with too hungry eyes. His hand rested on his hip where a hunting knife was sheathed.

My eyes widened at the sight of the three men. I was scared and my panic increased the more time I spent in the presence of the three individuals. My eyes danced between them, I could feel my heart echoing its heartbeat in my throat.

On the ground laid a fallen branch between dead leaves, taking it quickly in my hands as an improvised weapon was the best idea that came to my mind at that moment. It was thick and heavy and I could barely manage to keep it raised.

"Stay back!" I yelled, the unmistakable tremble of my voice showed off my fear.

The bald man and the short one bursted into laughs making me flinch and take a couple of steps back just for precaution.

"Stay ba-" I couldn't even finish my phrase as the third man prowled forward, his big dirt-stained hand grabbed the branch, and with a movement that seemed too easy, not even a slight strain of his muscle, he ripped my only weapon away from me.

"Give us your money and nothing will happen to you." The man said, he had the most unexpressive eyes that I had ever seen someone have. Almost as if he was already dead.

Before I could even think of fighting against my instinct, I started to run. As fast as I could. Away from the men, and only deeper into the forest. But I only succeeded in getting further by about a few steps before I was thrown to the ground without any gentlessnes.

The bald man and the short one stayed in their spot. Their backs resting on the trees while wide grins adorned their faces.

The third man caged me to the ground, his knife so sharp just a few inches away from my face, coming closer and closer as I continued to struggle against the man.

My hand searched the ground for something, anything to protect myself with. The rough surfaces of the branch came in contact with my hand and I didn't wait a second to tighten my fingers around it disparately, and before I knew it, I had smacked it to the man's head as hard as I could.

"Fuck!" He cursed. Surprised by the hit, the man loosened the grip on his knife making it fall to the ground.

I tried to sneak away from below him but he immediately regained his strength back after the hit. However, not quick enough to take his weapon back.

Not thinking about my action twice, I plunged the knife straight into the man's neck. Blood splashed everywhere on me, drenching me in red as I removed the blade. It was everywhere, on my dress, on my hands, on my hair, on my face, I could taste it on my tongue.

I could just stare as the dead men fell next to me, my eyes wide as coins as he died with strangled noises.

I killed him! I killed someone!–– My mind panicked but on the outside, I couldn't move. I was frozen like ice.

I didn't even know if I was still breathing. If my heart was still beating.

"You bitch!" The bald man with the thick, long beard yelled angrily as his friend watched as frozen as I was his friend slowly die.

The bald man stalked forward, his eyes held so much anger that I found it hard to even breathe. But he didn't get far.

A black haired man came out from behind the trees, with lithe steps, a sly grin on his lips. Cladden in dark clothes and leathers with a sword in his hand, it took him a mere seconds to use his weapon against the two men, a single hit each and they were dead, bleading from the wounds in their chest. Their blood soaking the earth beneath their bodies.

I rose from the ground, shaking on my legs. The black haired man turned around. His pointed ears visible through his long straight hair.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to run away. Faerie. He was a faerie. A High Fae. And I was even more terrified.

"What a murderous little creature you are." He purred, eyes alight as they landed on the man that I had killed. It told me enough that now I knew that he had seen me killing him.

The Fae male strolled towards me so carelessly that if I hadn't witnessed him killing those two men only minutes ago, I would've thought he was outside just to enjoy nature. His slender fingers wrapped around my wrist making me flinch back as he pried the bloody hunting knife from my hand.

A metaling scent filled the air. It was thick and heavy. It was magic.

The male grinned wide as brushed a strand of my hair that had fallen from my braid behind my ear almost lovingly. And then, without even faltering, he sliced the knife through my left palm. The wound scarred as soon as it opened.

"I saved your life. Now, you owe me a life debt, my little creature." He said, and before I could reply anything other than with a single tear, the male used his magic and transported us away.

The knife that I was threatened with. The same knife that I had used to kill a man with. And the same knife that sealed my fate forever.

────༺☽༓☾༻────

╰┈˚ · ° .  Nothing, I was nothing but his to do what he wanted. Kneeling on the cold marble floor of the throne room Under the Mountain, I was still nothing but a weapon for Braken. Nothing more than a life debt. 'You'll be free, assassin. But only with your death.' The words of The Suriel echoed in my mind over and over again.

Braken passed his hand, almost softly, down my cheek echoing the caress he made the first time I met him. "We'll talk later." Threat underneath his loving tone.

"I must say that none of yours before had ever held me interested much. But this, mhh, I like her." Amarantha laughed. "She killed two of my guards. Oh, it was fantastic. You trained her perfectly." The queen spoke with a chuckle.

Humming under his breath, "Apparently not enough since she is here." Braken gripped my chin hard enough to feel his fingers against the bone of my jaw. His eyes were so icy that shivers almost danced down my spine. I could read him, what he wanted to say... "I'll deal with it later." Carelessly he let go of my chin making my head snap slightly to the side.

"Maiven?" Feyre whispered, voice trembling. I knew that she was pleading me with her eyes. But I was not Maiven, not now.

"Don't bother. She won't talk until I command her to." Braken explained waving a nonchalant hand to my sister. And just to prove his power, looking directly at the queen, he let out his command to me. "Rise."

I rose to my feet. Legs slightly open and arms behind my back.

I felt Rhysand's magic awoke, trying to reach out for me, just like it did on Calanmai, but it never arrived, probably being stopped by him before it could move further.

"I must apologize for the action of my assassin. To make amends, since you have taken a liking to her, I propose that Maive could stay here for three months, the time range of the task. Even when her sister will inevitably die, she'll remain her for the time of three full moons. She will be your sword. She will kill and torture anyone that you ask her to." Adding a cheeky wink he added "I must say that she is very good at that." He explained his offer with a cunning smile that I knew Amarantha couldn't pass.

"Oh, It's perfect!" The queen shouted excitedly, clapping her hands together "I really look forward to testing her on it."

"I would just ask for just a few minutes with her, My Queen, before parting ways." Braken asked, bowing to waist once again.

Waving a hand in the air, Amarantha spoke. "Take all the time you need, my friend. You just gave me the best present event." She laughed.

With a parting nod from the head of the League to the High Queen of Prythian, Braken turned and started to walk away. And with one last fleeting gaze at my sister, I followed after him.

Once in an empty room just outside the throne room, Braked let out his magic until a privacy spell coated the walls that surrounded us.

The black haired Fae just stared me down, without emitting a sound he took my left hand between his own. The hand where the thick scar adorned the skin at the center of her palm.

"Remember who you belong to, little creature." He said tauntingly, anger bleeding into his words. "I will make sure you'll receive new uniforms and new weapons.I'll let this pass, but no more. Don't disappoint me again or you know what will happen."

That was the last thing he said before he walked away without looking back.

My family. That is what he always used to put me back in line.

Two guards lead me back to my dark cell where just hours later, a chest filled to the top with weapons and clean League's uniforms magically appeared.

────༺☽༓☾༻────

╰┈˚ · ° .  The following day, Amarantha decided to put at use Braken's priceless gift for her.

I was the gift.

And what better way than torturing Faeries just for fun. Not for information, not because they were tractors... Just for the fun of seeing their mingled body and hearing the screams of agonizing pain that they let out.

Blood was still coating my hands when I was escorted back to my cell.

Better them than my sisters. Better them than my sisters. I continued to repeat to myself just to make myself feel better about making someone innocent feel the worst pain of their life. No one is innocent. I thought bitterly.

I sat down on the bed, that was just a wooden pallet covered in straws with a thin scratchy blanket. My eyes didn't move from my hands.

I couldn't stop staring at the red that painted my fair and scarred skin.

Blood. So much blood.

I would never be able to wash it off. Not from my hands, not from my mind, not from my heart. It stained my soul irrevocably.

The door of my cell opened silently. It was the High Lord of the Night Court. Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit as his power radiates in an aura everywhere around him.

"What do you want?" I said without any emotion. I was too tired to even feel anger at that point.

Rhysand tsked before he casually strolled forward and rested his back on the wall.

"Why are you here Rhysand?" I asked, letting out a sigh. I just wanted for him to get out of here so I could go to sleep.

I was exhausted.

The now familiar scent of magic filled the air as a bowl with clean water and a rug appeared in the High Lord's hands.

Rhysand moved from his spot and sat down next to me without saying a word.

"What are you doing?" I asked, furrowing my brows confused as the male started to wet the rug.

"Helping you clean up." Rhysand murmured. "Now shut up."

I stared at him with a raised eyebrow as Rhys took my hands and started to wash them with the wet rug without hesitation.

We didn't speak. Minutes passed before with a snap the High Lord made the bowl of water and the rug disappear.

He rose to his feet and walked out.

"It wasn't your fault." He whispered before he closed the door of the cell behind him not expecting a reply.

After that I laid down on the bed. Exhausted and trying to understand what the fuck had just happened with Rhysand. Everything was not helping the headache that was already forming in my temples.

I finally closed my eyes, and soon, I fell asleep. But nightmares didn't follow me to sleep this time.

I dreamed again. Of Velaris. The City of Starlight.

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

The first part of this chapter, like you probably guessed, is a flashback. How Maiven ended up in the League of the assassin. Braken saved her life and now it belongs to him, that is why she had life debt.

Little Rhys and Mai moment in this chapter! What do you think of it? I really hope that you'll like what I have in mind for them.

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Tuesday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾