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Eris
Beron calls out to his court how they are on the brink of war and have some powerful allies with promises to expand the Autumn Court and its rule over Prythian. But before they can go to war, he must weed out the traitors who would see the court bend the knee to shared power rather than taking what is vulnerable.
Eris’ face grows paler as he sees through his father’s words, knowing he’s been outed, and is in imminent danger.
Beron had tortured Eris before on hints and whims of a lack of ambition, but if he really knew what Eris had been doing, there was no saving him.
Eris looked at Nesta, with her cold expression and watchful eyes. She had tensed considerably since Beron had begun speaking and he knew, that she knew, that they were in trouble.
She’d only been his wife for a short few months, but he cared more for her than he could admit. With Beron’s guards circling the courtiers and surrounding the room, he knew she would be in danger, and though he suspected she was more powerful than she let on, he didn’t think she could fight off an army. And he knew he couldn’t, not alone, not with his power hungry brothers who would turn on him the moment they knew he was vulnerable.
He then decided, no matter what happened next, she would get out. Nesta would get out and she would survive.
He didn’t trust a lot of people, but he trusted his men, and he had brought the best of them with him today.
As Beron said, “Grab my traitorous son Eris, my former heir” with a sneer on his cruel face, his mother beside Beron gasped and Eris knew what would come. Eris knew how his father would torture him, hell, he’d tortured him before. He could withstand that, but he pictured Nesta. He pictured his father’s hands on Nesta! And that he couldn’t, he wouldn’t stand.
Despite his mother’s pleas, the guards rushed towards Eris and he shouted to his own guards, “Get her out! Get my wife out!”
Nesta
She was already on edge as Beron had spoken. He could only mean that he knew about Eris’ alliance with her sister and her mate’s court.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Nesta thought.
What the fuck were they going to do? Eris was next to her, growing pale but not faltering from looking the perfect cold courtier of this court. They had some of Eris’ guards behind them, but they wouldn’t be enough. They were surrounded by the Autumn Court who were terrified into the loyalty of Beron and then there were Eris’ brothers. They would pounce like starved lions the second Beron turned on Eris. They were so power hungry they would rip their elder brother to shreds at even the smallest chance of being Beron’s heir.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!
She kept her features cold and calm. She lifted her head and looked down her nose at Beron. She would not go down without a fight. She would not be taken by that cruel man.
She could feel her power riling up inside of her, and for the first time, she was reassured. Reassured by her deadly dark powers that had been stirring inside her for months without release. She had stuffed them down day after day, but now, they might prove useful.
She scanned over the corrupt court, she hadn’t grown attached to any members of the court here. As far as she could tell neither had Eris. They were all cruel and cunning and loyal to Beron.
As much as she feared unleashing her dark powers, she feared Beron more. And would level this court to ashes before she was taken, but as Beron spoke, she hesitated.
Could she protect Eris and his guards from her powers or would her powers destroy all?
Eris and her had grown so close in these past few months of marriage. And she had seen those hidden scars that Beron had left on her husband. She knew what Eris’ men meant to him. And she couldn’t hurt them, not Eris, not the men he cared for. So could she risk it? Could she get them out or would she destroy them all?
She then looked at her husband, his cold cruel mask was still on, even though his face had paled, his jaw was set.
That’s when Beron stopped talking of the traitor among them and said, “Grab my traitorous son Eris, my former heir”, then his mother who was standing beside Beron’s throne gasped. Shit Nesta thought, she couldn't hurt her either.
Nesta and the Lady of Autumn hadn’t grown close since they wed, but she knew Eris worried over her and would want her safe. She always gave Nesta strange looks. Perhaps wondering if Nesta was too cruel for her already hardened son or if she was just right for him.
As Beron’s guards rushed forward, Nesta got in her fighting stance and grabbed the hidden dagger from her dress. She was ready to fight. She would use that terrible power inside her if she must, but first, she would fight it out.
As the guards rushed towards them, Eris shouted, looking to his own guards, “Get her out! Get my wife out!”
And Nesta was struck by shock.
Eris rushed towards his father’s guards with his sword drawn and began to fight. He left the protection of his guards to fight! Then Eris’ guards circled Nesta and started pushing through the crowd to get her out.
No! Nesta thought, no no no no no!
They were leaving Eris, he would be caught, he would be tortured, he would be killed.
She watched as one of Eris’ brothers came up behind Eris as he fought two others and sliced the back of his leg. Eris dropped to his knees and he bellowed in pain.
The sound of Eris’ scream stopped Nesta. His guards kept trying to push her as they fought their way out but she wouldn’t budge. He was hurt. She watched in horror as the blood spilled from his leg and stained the carpet beneath him.
Then his sword went flying as he was disarmed. Eris’ brother then pulled up Eris’ head by his hair and brought a knife to his throat.
Of all things, Eris looked at Nesta. Fury and worry in his eyes as he watched her in the midst of the chaos. Eris’ guards still fought around her to get her out, but she wouldn’t move.
This would be it, this would be the last time she saw him if she left. She would never lay in bed as he held her again. They would never jab at each other with their sharp words as they were both surprised by each other's quick wit. This would be the end, if she left.
NO
Nesta’s heart thundered as she stepped past the guards in front of her and said to Beron in her cold and unyielding tone, “Release my husband”.
Beron looked like he would laugh, “You female, I can see how my traitor of a son has fallen for you, but you will fall with him”.
Nesta smiled, a cold cruel smile, she could be just as terrible as Beron. And at that moment, she knew she would destroy it all to save her husband.
She felt a tether to Eris as she unleashed her terrible dark powers.
With that tether she could feel his life force, she could hear his thundering heartbeat and she felt that with them connected, her powers would not harm him.
So she let her powers loose, and the grand throne room with all the cunning courtiers and the broken Autumn Court family, began to shake.
The ground was shaking, wind whipped through and stung the faces of those near Nesta as she marched toward Beron. Some blasts of her power lashed out and dissolved some fae on the spot. Eris’ brother who held the knife to his throat dissolved into ash after a lash of her power reached him. The same happened to the guards surrounding Beron. She tried to lash Beron with that same power but his shield of fire dampened the effects, it only made him scream. Some fae attacked Nesta as she marched but she brought them down easily with her dagger and powers combined. She was not weak, not as they had believed.
Beron stood with a rush and tried to launch fire at Nesta. Her grin grew as Beron’s hot and angry fire was only sucked into the cyclone surrounding her, adding to the destruction she held.
The ground was still shaking so the High Lord grabbed at his throne to try to stay standing.
As Nesta was almost near him, she lashed her power out at him again, but not to kill him, no, to torment him. Beron screamed as he was hit with her dark power again and again. Coming to his knees like his eldest son. Nesta laughed as she looked at Beron’s red face. At him spluttering as he tried to fight her power that he would never match.
As Nesta pinned him to the ground with her dagger at his throat she felt a tug on the bond between her and Eris. Between that bond she felt awe and shock and pride.
So she looked at her husband, who was still kneeling on the ground, watching her. The sight of him puzzled her.
Where were these emotions coming from? She felt next to nothing other than cold pleasure and sweet release from letting her powers reign and giving that cruel Beron a fight he wouldn’t win. So where were the awe and shock and pride coming from?
She could still feel his heartbeat. But then she was distracted by his wounded leg and the thought of his pain brought her back to the moment.
The room stopped shaking, the fae that remained were all cowering on the ground, but Nesta only looked at Eris.
He had a slight smile on his face and his eyes were bright. Nesta released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. He was safe now, he was okay, this wouldn’t be the end.
Then Beron growled from beneath her. She grabbed his collar, pulled him up slightly, then slammed his head on the ground with a growl of her own.
As much as she hated Beron, he was not for her to deal with.
She looked at Eris and said, “He’s yours”.
Then Eris with the slight awed smile still on his face stood up and walked over to them. Cupped Nesta’s face with his palm and said, “You are incredible”.
Shock tore through Nesta. She never expected someone to praise her or her terrible powers. She expected them to hate and fear her like everyone else had. But Eris, her husband, her tether to the world in the whirlwind, was her perfect match. She knew at that moment, she had chosen the right person to spend the rest of her infinite fae life with. She knew she loved her husband, and he loved her. Loved her, knowing the worst of her and glimpsing the best of her.
Nest smiled, “You’re learning”.
Eris chuckled and Nesta backed off of Beron who was still fuming on the ground, bound by Nesta’s lingering powers.
Eris
“You got this?” Nesta asked, or maybe she told Eris.
Eris grew slightly grim, but nodded. Then Nesta let go of Beron’s bonds and he jumped up, ready to fight his eldest son.
Eris picked up a discarded sword and faced his father.
Nesta saved me. My wife saved me. Eris’ thoughts raced as he picked up the sword.
He had been ready to sacrifice himself to get her out, but she had turned the tide. Nesta, his incredible and powerful wife had saved him and brought his father to his knees.
Eris knew something else, and it took his breath away, but he couldn’t dwell on it yet. He knew he might be a better fighter than his father, but Beron had more experience and was filled with an unyielding rage.
As Eris stood with a borrowed sword in his hand and his leg still dripping blood, he was calmer than he expected. He kept his eyes on Beron, he didn’t think anyone would be foolish enough to intervene after the show of might Nesta displayed.
But as Beron gathered his fire and Eris braced for his strike, a blade pieced Beron’s chest. The shining red point dripped scarlett blood on his brown vest.
Eris looked behind him and saw his mother as she drew the blade from her cruel husband’s chest and breathed, “Not him”.
And as Beron perished on the floor of his own throne room, Eris swept his mother and his wife into his arms for an embrace.
He heard as Beron tried to fling insults and threats with his dying breaths. So Eris turned to his dying, despicable father and said quietly enough that only those nearest could hear, “Yes, Father, I have allied with the Night Court. Yes, I have waited for the right day to take your throne and rule in your place, not how you raised me to, but by my hopes and dreams for this court. Yes, you may have made me cruel, but I will live for centuries more and be the High Lord you could never be.”
“But that is only second, know that I have my partner who will rule by my side as my High Lady. You are finished, Father”.
His father was already dead when he finished speaking but it didn’t matter, he looked at his High Lady as the powers of being High Lord of the Autumn Court rushed into him.
Her triumphant and regal smile was worth all the pain and all the suffering.
They would rule the Autumn Court, as High Lord and High Lady. Him and his mate, Nesta Archeron.