𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕

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𝟏𝟏 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧

╰┈˚ · ° .  THE WINTER SOLSTICE AT THE Spring Court was celebrated with three days of feasting and drinking and exchanging small presents, culminating in a long, rather odious ceremony atop the foothills on the longest night to escort them from one year to another as the sun died and was born anew.

Celebrating a winter holiday in a place that was permanently entrenched in spring hadn't done much to improve my general lack of festive cheer.

I hadn't particularly listened to the explanations of its origins—and the Fae themselves debated whether it had emerged from the Winter Court or Day Court. Both now claimed it as their holiest holiday. All I really knew was that I had to endure two ceremonies: one at sunset to begin that endless night of presents and dancing and drinking in honor of the old sun's death; and one at the following dawn to welcome the sun's rebirth.

Mentioning that Feyre and I's birthday had also fallen on that longest night of the year was a fact that we both in silent agreement conveniently forgot to tell anyone.

Feyre's wedding was approaching fast in just three weeks. As the days passed, though, I could see Feyre fading away more and more, but everything that I tried to do wasn't enough to help her, and Tamlin and Ianthe continuously putting their noses between the relationship that I shared with my twin, wasn't helping either.

At the end of those three nightmarish days, I could finally winnow myself to The Moonstone Palace. My mind was a complete wreck after enduring that stupid festivity and the dozens of fairies that I had met that all but ignored me and walked faster if passing beside me. I would debate if that was a good thing if it didn't leave me feeling more of a monster that I already felt like.

When I walked outside to the veranda, I found Rhysand there, sitting with a glass of alcohol in his hand.

"I might need one too." I grumbled as I sat down in one of the chairs.

"Had fun?" Rhysand smirked. With a wave of his hand another glass appeared on the table right in front of me

"The best days of my life." I commented, keeping the sarcasm tick in my tone before drowning all the liquid in one single sip.

Rhys chuckled before filling up the glass again with his magic without even raising a finger.

We stayed in silence, just the faint sound of the wind to be heard but something was up with the High Lord. He might be good at pretending, but the turmoil of feelings that inevitably were sent down our bond told me the truth. Even if trying with all our might, it was impossible to stop everything from coming forth— from both ends.

"What is it, Rhys?" I asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Even if he knew negating out loud his feelings didn't actually work, he still tried.

"We are Eardreor, I can feel that something is bothering you." I told him. "And your face speaks for you anyway." I then added. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay, I'm not going to force you to talk."

Rhysand softened his eyes and sighed out a breath, "How is Feyre doing?"

I furrowed her eyebrows. Sometimes I would tease him about Feyre but the look on his face was of genuine concern.

"Not good. She tries to hide it but she is my twin, I know her." I replied honestly, "And Tamlin and Ianthe are always there. It almost feels like they want to keep her away from me, if I am being honest."

Rhysand sighed again and clenched his jaw tightly.

"Rhys?"

"She is my mate." He whispered with closed eyes, admitting the truth that was haunting him. "Feyre is my mate."

My eyes widened, big as coins. All my thoughts faded away and the only thing that remained was Rhysand's words.

"Feyre is your mate," I said out loud, still trying to grasp the new information.

But Feyre was with Tamlin. She was in love with him and she was going to marry him.

"Oh Rhys." That wasn't what I had expected to hear from him. His mate was going to marry someone else, I was sure that something like that was bound to hurt, "I'm sorry."

"If she is happy with him then it is all that matters for me." He explained before drowning his entire drink, hiding his sadness and hurt away.

"So, I was right. You actually fancy my sister." I said, trying to uplift his somber mood. I smirked at my words, wiggling my eyebrows at the High Lord and the tense atmosphere quickly melted away. I wasn't good with making people feel better, comforting them— this was the only thing that I could come up with.

"Fuck you." Rhysand said, trying to hide the smile that was forming on his lips.

"I knew it." I laughed.

"Yeah, alright. Now shut up." Before I could continue with my teasing, Rhys spoke again, expression morphing almost into a flinch. "Don't hurt me." Rhys said, standing up from his chair, taking a couple of steps away from me.

I was utterly confused. At least, until the beaming voice that belonged to Mor came from behind me.

"And here she is! A now 20 year old girl!" Mor shout was joined by a full and joyful smile that almost took over all her features.

That was the explanation of Rhys' sudden comportment. With full force I snapped my head towards the High Lord, "You told her!"

The sound of wings was heard as Cassian's voice boomed through the mountains. "Happy late birthday, Bird shit!" The Illyrian yelled not helping with the situation.

"Rhysand!" My glare intensified, harsh and burning through my narrowed eyes at the High Lord.

"I can explain." Rhysand said, raising his hands up trying to placate my ire.

He was dead. Eardreor bond be damned. I was going to kill him.

Cassian landed on the terrace just as Azriel came out from the shadows. The General opened his arms and grinned.

"Cassian, don't you dare." I spoke, standing up and backing up as the Illyrian continued to prowl towards me, grin widening with each step.

My retreat was stopped when I bumped into a muscular figure. Azriel looked down, biting his lips to contain his smile, but it wasn't working, because the corners of his mouth were already curved upwards.

Decision made in a second, I walked behind the shadowsinger keeping him in front of me and shielding me from the huge Illyrian warrior that had full intent of hugging me. My body hoovered just slightly to the side of the shadowsinger, just enough to see over Azriel's majestic wings.

"Are you really using him as a shield?" Cassian asked, bracing his hands on his hips.

"I don't really feel like getting my hands bloody right now, so yes, I'm using him as a shield." I said, nodding vigorously at the childish Illyrian.

"Like you could actually do it." The General spoke confidently, scoffing only at the thought of me hurting him.

I took another step to the side to have a clearer view of the male. I looked at him up and down, "The ten times I won while sparring, over your six, says otherwise."

"You just caught me unprepared those times." Cassian replied scoffing, crossing his arms on his chest.

"All ten?"

"By The Cauldron. Not this again" Mor groaned, stopping the conversation before it could escalate even further.

"Is this the excuse that you and Rhysand use after Azriel won 198 times in your yearly snowball fight?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I had kept this information to myself until I could use it at the best time. And this was it.

Mor laughed as Rhysand groaned almost as loudly, passing a hand all over his face.

"You told her!" Cassian screamed at the High Lord.

"You think I would like to be teased for the rest of my life? Of course I didn't." Rhys exclaimed back.

I turned my head, titling my chin up until I could clearly look in the hazel eyes of the shadowsinger.

"199." He corrected the number adding his new win, smirking cockly as he looked down at me.

"Traitor! I can't believe you told her." Cassian huffed.

"Are you pouting, little bird?" I asked tauntingly but the General just huffed again, ungracefully throwing himself on the chair.

A low and dark chuckled echoed into my ears. The hair on my arms raised and shivers traveled down my spine. My head turned again towards Azriel. His shadows danced around him creating an aura of darkness that only caught more my attention.

Something brushed against my hand. Soft and incorporeal at the same time. My eyes shifted downwards with difficulty— I did not want to look away from him— and there, near my hand, a tendril of Azriel's shadows caressed my skin. A soft smile bloomed on my face.

I raised my hand, the shadow following. It curled around my fingers, solidifying as it came in contact with the skin.

Azriel stiffened as he looked with wide eyes the tendril that slipped out of his control— because I was sure it hadn't been intentional.

The Illyrian male cleared his throat, "Sorry." He grunted. "It slipped out."

I lowered my hand as the shadow moved back to Azriel.

"Can you feel them?" I asked intrigued. "I can feel the blood when I manipulate it. Or when it flows into the veins."

"Yes. I can feel them." The shadowsinger answered in almost a whisper. His breath caught in his throat.

He could feel her fingers brushing against the shadow as they were on his skin.

I smiled at him. A genuine smile. "Congratulations on your 199th victory." I said before walking away towards the other three who were talking between each other.

────༺☽༓☾༻────

╰┈˚ · ° .  Hours later, I entered my room at the Moonstone Palace. On the midnight black comforter bed there were three things that usually did not belong there—two velvet boxes, one smaller the other bigger, and with them a black leather knife roll.

Hesitantly, I reached out for the not a top of the knife roll. The handwriting was messy and I didn't need his signature to understand that it had been Cassian that wrote it.

"Happy birthday, birth shit. At least now it won't look like someone robbed you."

He had gifted me a set of 10 knives all made with Illyrian steel.

A smile curled my lips without me noticing and soon, I had the smaller velvet box in my head, reading the note attached to it.

"I'm glad that our lives crossed. And I'm proud to call you my friend. Happy birthday Maiven."

-By the way, Rhys told us that knowing you, it was probably best to leave your gifts in your room, so we did that.

In the velvet box there was a silver ring. A black stone in the middle with two moons on the sides.

I then opened the third box and on the inside there was a necklace.

The charm was a sword and on the backside of it there was an engraving.

"Your choice"

The smile on my face widened to the point where it was starting to hurt. There wasn't a note but it was clear enough who had been the mind behind it.

Azriel.

I put the necklace around my neck. The chain was long enough that there was no need to unclasp it. I could easily wear it underneath my clothes. I made a mental note to remember to search for another chain. When I couldn't wear the ring on my finger, it would stay around my neck.

Steps sounded in the hallway directly to my room and before Rhysand could knock, I had already invited him in.

"You know that I'm going to kill you for this, right?" I said with a raised eyebrow as I looked at the violet eyed Fae.

Rhys tsked, himself quirking upwards an eyebrow "You can't. You would die too." He stated making me roll my eyes at the words repeated to me already too many times. Nodding towards the gift, Rhys then said, "I have something for you too."

I groaned out loud. There were a lot of reasons why I didn't like my birthday, but receiving gifts just always made me feel awkward. Nevertheless, I sighed, patting the spot next to me on the bed for Rhys to sit down.

In his hands, he revealed a velvet box, "Happy birthday."

"I still don't know how you knew it was my birthday."

"When we were Under The Mountain you told me that you were born on the longest night of the year. I just put the pieces together. " Rhysand explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"And you remembered?" I questioned, surprised by it.

The violet eyed male smirked as he handed me the box. On the inside there was a necklace. A chain with a red crystal.

"It's is passed down from Bloodsinger to Bloodsinger," Rhysand started to explain, "In the crystal there is-"

"Blood. I can feel it." I nodded my head.

"It's like a container. You can use the blood from the crystal so you don't have to cut yourself everytime or take it from someone else."

I looked at Rhysand, thoughts storming my head and feelings in my heart.

"Thank you. " I whispered as I threw my arms around him in an uncertain hug that he was quick to reciprocate.

I knew that Rhys understood I wasn't just thanking him for the necklace. A smile formed on his lips, as another barrier that blocked our bond fell away. He glanced down and kissed the top of my head, tightening his hold around me. And then he whispered, "You are not alone anymore, Vee. You are part of our family now."

A tear slipped out from my eyes at his words.

I was not alone anymore.

༺☽༓☾༻

༺☽༓☾༻

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

This is the End of book 1 guys.

A bittersweet moment.

Maiven finally understood where her place in the world is, and that she is not alone anymore. The last act was emotional to write since I too struggle with feeling left out even from my family, and feeling like I do not belong anywhere.

Maiven is such a complex character and I can't help but love her.

Btw, receiving gifts is so awkward.

I'll see you all in the second book of this series!!

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾