The next three chapter will be sort of one shots over what happened in the two years that Amaryllis spends in the Night Court. There will be a lot of relationship and friendship development between the characters. None of them really connect, they're just various things that happened.
Regrets and Apologies
A knock on his office door brought Rhysand out of his musing. "Enter!" He called, waiting to hear either Cassian's loud stomps or Azriels graceful steps. Instead, a beautiful feminine scent crept in, sweeping him away in a cloud of honey and sandalwood. Looking up from his desk, Amaryllis stood in the door frame, wringing her hands nervously. Slowly she crept inside the room, her body language screaming discomfort.
"Is something the matter?" Rhys asked, raising his eyebrow. If something was wrong with his mate, then he would fix it, no questions asked. Amaryllis reached tentatively towards the chair, glancing towards him for permission to sit. Rhysand waved a hand towards the chair, "Sit please." He said, a gentle smile playing on his lips. She sat, seeming to gather her thoughts before finally speaking.
"I know that my court has committed some unforgivable crimes against you and your family. A-and I feel that as the Lady Regent of Spring, it is my duty to formally apologize for them and the effect that they had on your court and your people. I-I know that an apology probably doesn't count for much but..." Rhysand cut Amaryllis off, raising his hands placatingly. "Amaryllis, you do not need to apologize for your brother or father's actions. You have committed no crime against me and so should feel no fear. My court has also done harm to yours, so I would much prefer if we could leave the past in the past and simply forgive each other." Rhys proposed, offering a hand to the female. Amaryllis smiled warmly, relief clear in her eyes and shook the proffered hand firmly. "To forgiveness." She whispered.
Rhysand smiled gently.
"To forgiveness..."
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Bonding time with Azriel
It had taken weeks for Amaryllis to build up the courage to look under her bandages. Whenever Madja changed them, she always averted her gaze from the mirror and windows. It wasn't vanity that kept her from taking them off, it was fear that she wouldn't know the person looking back at her. But after a pep talk from Amren, Amaryllis was ready to push away her fear and just take them off.
Drawing in a deep breath, Amaryllis began to unwrap the bandages. Her hands trembled as each layer came away, until finally her face could be fully seen. Tears instantly welled up at the sight, she clasped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs trying to escape. Three huge, livid looking scars ripped through her skin, cleaving through her eyebrow and eye before stopping on her mid right cheek. The eye itself was horrifying. Gone were the rich brown hues, replaced with cloudy whiteness, a visible scar through the greyish pupil. And she still couldn't see. All this time, Amaryllis had held out hope that maybe she could heal enough to still be able to see fully but no. Half of her vision would always be that awful nothingness.
Finally, she couldn't hold it in any longer and the sobs burst forth. Her entire body was shaking as she wailed, forever would she be scarred, forever would she be marked by her brother's rage. Suddenly, unfamiliar arms wrapped around her, pulling Amaryllis into a hard chest. A chin rested on her head as a gentle hand stroked her hair and the other held onto her arm. The hand felt oddly smooth and rippled.
Azriel.
He hushed her sobs, comforting his newfound friend in her time of need. Slowly, Amaryllis calmed. Her shuddering breaths slowed as she pulled away from the warm embrace, tears still making their way down her cheeks. "Look at what he's done to me! My twin, my brother! He did this and it will never go away!" Amaryllis cried, using her hands to hide the scars from Azriels view. Warm hands wrapped around her wrists firmly, pulling them away from her face. Azriels warm hazel stared back, full of empathy and understanding.
