A Court of Song and Shadow

Prologue

The ground had become a slush of mud and Ice as I ran through the camp.

A grin spread across my face as I heard the camp lords swear in the tent I had just come from, stealing their most valuable weapons. A thrill of adrenaline ran through me as I heard them ordering soldiers to grab me, most of them laugh at me as I ran by; not daring to lay a hand on the High Lord's daughter.

I finally reached my mothers small house and slammed the door behind me, I locked all of the locks and sighed out of relief as I closed my eyes and giggled to myself. It was my first time at an Illyrian camp and this chase was probably the most interesting thing that happened to me here-- or so I thought.

I felt coldness at my neck and slowly opened my eyes to see a boy holding a small sword to my throat, a practice sword-- he would not be able to pierce my skin with it even if he tried. I stopped a smirk from forming and instead acted scared; mother had always told me I could be a performer.

"Who are you?" The boy asked, I observed him, he was still a child--like me but he did not seem much older-- maybe about two years elder to me, and considering I was only 8 meant he must be around 10.

"Who are you?" I asked him, his eyebrows lower in either confusion or frustration as I repeated his question back to him. 

"I do not think she will be much harm to us." Another young boy says from the shadows, I narrowed my violet eyes as he walks out of the corner of the room and looks at me. I notice his wrapped hands--

"What happened to your hands?" I asked bluntly, and it almost seemed like he flinched at the question.

"That is not polite to ask--" The boy holding the sword to my throat said.

"And it is not polite to hold a sword to a girls throat, did your mother not teach you any manners?" I stuck my tongue out at him, and that made the boy in the shadows laugh which brought a smile to my face. Something told me that he did not laugh often. It even made the boy with the sword pause to look back at his friend-- which gave me enough time to twist out of the swords reach, kick the boys' arm so he dropped his silly sword and then tackled him to the floor. I laughed as he struggled to get up from beneath my grip.

"Az! Help me!" The boy beneath me cried out, and I turned to the boy with the wrapped hands and he just raised his eyebrows at me and shrugged. Once I realized they were no longer a threat, I released the boy under me and offered my hand to help him stand up. He slapped it away and said a string of swear words as he stood up.

"Looks like you two finally ran into my daughter." I heard my mothers voice from the doorway--how she got in without me hearing--I had no clue but she hadd a way of sneaking up on others. I smiled as I watched the shock wash over the boys faces.

"More like she tackled into you." My brother walks out from behind my mother with a grin.

"It is not funny, Rhys." The boy I tackled said.

"It is a little bit." The shadow boy said, Az-- is what the other boy called him.

"Sister, meet the bastards our mother has taken under her wing, Cassian--" Rhys pointed to the boy I tackled, "And Azriel." I mockingly curtsied to both of them and Cassian seemed to be irritated even more by that, I let out a soft chuckle. "Brothers, meet my sister-- Velaris."